Traceability (production economy)

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The traceability ( English traceability ) means that a product or a commercial product can be determined at any time, won when and where and by whom the goods are manufactured, processed, stored, transported, used or disposed.

This path and process tracking is also called tracing and is differentiated as follows:

  • Downstream tracing (downward tracing - from producer to consumer)
  • Upstream tracing (upstream tracing - from consumer to producer)

Downstream tracing

Downstream tracing refers to the tracing of goods along the logistical chain from the manufacturer to the consumer. The tracked product unit is typically a lot (characteristic: common lot number) or a single copy of the product (characteristic: unique serial number). Traceability can only cover part of the chain and, for example, end at retail or extend to the consumer.

The tracing is mainly used for product recalls .

With perfect downstream tracing, the manufacturer maintains an overview of where his products are in use throughout the entire value chain - for example, cars and household appliances that are associated with a warranty from the dealer and guarantee from the manufacturer. However , this possibility of tracking is usually interrupted by the possible second-hand sale of the goods.

For retailers and producers , the customer database is also a resource for marketing and customer loyalty - for example for offers for new models of mobile phones or updates to software. More and more manufacturers are trying to bypass trade and intermediaries in this way and are increasingly selling their goods and services directly - mostly with the help of the Internet, e-commerce and direct marketing . A prerequisite for this downward tracing are identity code systems that give each individual item an unmistakable production number or “Product ID” ; retailers (intermediaries, such as retailers ) are encouraged to pass on the information about the buyer to the manufacturer when changing hands. Computer users are familiar with the complex registrations for software as a possible example . The warranty conditions, which only come into force when registered with the manufacturer using the card provided, also serve the same purpose. Consumer associations and data protectionists are therefore very critical of this type of customer acquisition, not least because the addresses and other customer data themselves can become very interesting commodities - we are talking about data mining .

Upstream tracing

Upstream tracing corresponds to the tracing back from the consumer to the retailer, his supplier and possibly also to the original producer - for food , for example, to the farm . The aim here is to be able to quickly and specifically determine the causes of any problems with the goods. This is particularly important in crisis situations , epidemics and the discovery of harmful substances , especially in order to protect other consumers from harm.

EU regulation on the traceability of food from January 1, 2005

Value chain diagram : The path taken by food along the value chain.

The duty of traceability applies to farmers , importers , transporters , the food industry as processors, as well as food wholesalers and food retailers . For everyone involved in the production and value chain, EU regulation No. 178/2002 brings with it the corresponding requirements. Every processing step, from sowing to harvest, must be documented. The farmer must be able to prove at any time when and with what he has fertilized and which resources he has used. The grocer must be able to specify exactly which baked goods come from which baker , the baker must document which flour came from which mill and when , the miller must know and be able to prove at any time which farmer he obtained which grain and in which silo it was stored and what batch of flour was ground from it.

The traceability always relates to a batch produced together in one operation . This can be, for example, a number of breads baked from a lot of dough, delicatessen salad filled from a vat or a group of animals for slaughter.

A batch has a constant batch identification. There are combinations of letters or numbers on the corresponding packaging. In the case of loose food or when specifying the best-before date, this obligation has not yet been applied.

EU regulation on the traceability of explosives from April 5, 2013 and May 4, 2015

In response to various terrorist attacks in Europe, the EU adopted a series of measures to counter terrorist attacks across Europe. These include the EU directives 2008/43 / EC of April 4, 2008 and 2012/4 / EU of February 22, 2012 (also known as the EU labeling directive), which stipulate the track & trace of explosives . The traceability of explosives means the identification and tracking of all explosives from the place of manufacture or the first placing on the market to their use by the end user (track & trace).

The identification is carried out by means of a data matrix code . Complete data acquisition (data generation and data exchange) over the entire supply chain: manufacturer ↔ carrier ↔ dealer ↔ user must be carried out in order to ensure that any position in the chain can be traced back to the source or sink. The EU directive affects all manufacturers, importers, traders, freight forwarders and end users of explosives for civil purposes in the EU.

Since April 2013, there has been a labeling requirement for every explosive manufactured in the EU or imported into the EU, insofar as it is affected by the EU labeling directive. In 2012, the deadline was postponed to April 5, 2015, at which point the explosives had to be traceable. The labeling directive covers all explosives for civil purposes.

See also

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