Anyone visiting a medium-sized food company today often finds the same picture there: batch numbers in Excel tables, production records on paper, quality data in separate folders. It works — until it doesn't work anymore.

The moment of truth always comes when things have to be done quickly.

A supplier reports a possible contamination. The authority will ask for all affected batches within 24 hours. Anyone who then starts searching in Excel spreadsheets has a problem — not a technical one, but a legal one.

EU Regulation 178/2002 is clear: Food companies must be able to trace and recall affected products “immediately.” The European Court of Justice has clarified what “immediate” means in several rulings: hours, not days.

The real problem isn't Excel — it's the missing system behind it

Excel is a great tool for analysis. But it is not a tracing system. The differences are significant:

Excel stores data. An ERP system links them. If a batch can be traced in a system from receipt of goods to production to shipping, you no longer need a search action for a recall — just one click.

What we regularly see in practice: Companies that, under enormous time pressure, have to collect batch information from various sources for hours during an IFS audit. And companies that complete the same audit in 20 minutes — because their ERP system automatically generates all evidence.

The change is happening right now — whether you participate or not

The new EU rules on food traceability, the CSRD requirements for supply chain transparency and the growing pressure from retailers for complete guarantees of origin: All of this not only makes manual processes more inefficient, but increasingly incompatible with market requirements.

The question is no longer whether you digitize, but when — and whether you do it proactively or reactively after the first recall.

fab4minds supports food companies in this step. Not as a software supplier, but as a partner who understands the processes.

Would you like to know where your company is today? Schedule an initial consultation now!

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