DispatchTrack Announces Tracing Capabilities for Food Distributors Operating Under GS1 Standards

Enhanced Last-Mile Technology Helps Distributors Meet New Food Safety Reporting Requirements

Campbell, CA – September 23, 2024 – DispatchTrack, the global leader in last-mile delivery solutions has developed advanced scanning technology that helps food producers and distributors comply with new food safety reporting and tracking requirements. 

For food producers and distributors, high profile food recalls, new reporting rules and a massive reorganization at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have put the spotlight squarely on traceability, not just in the U.S., but globally.

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 600 million people – almost one in ten people in the world – fall ill after eating contaminated food every year and 420,000 die. The WHO has led a global multi-year effort to improve food safety,  and being able to quickly and accurately track foods from source to sale is a primary goal. As a result, many countries have tightened rules around tracking food production and shipment.

That includes the U.S.

New traceability rules adopted in April 2024 require producers and others to maintain records containing Key Data Elements (KDEs) associated with Critical Tracking Events (CTEs)  — including transportation — and provide information to the FDA within 24 hours for an extensive list of products.

For 2025, the FDA budget was increased by $341 million to strengthen its safety programs. As of October 1, 2024 almost half of the agency’s 18,000 employees have been reorganized, consolidating inspections and compliance — including for the new rules — under its Unified Human Food Program (UHP).

To help food producers and distributors comply with the new requirements DispatchTrack, the global leader in last mile delivery software, has stepped up with improved technology. DispatchTrack customers can now scan GS1 standard Location and Item barcodes during the last mile delivery journey to capture GTIN, Product Lot, and Production Date information, enhancing item level traceability to the final destination.

“Safe food is everyone’s right and everyone’s responsibility,” said Satish Natarajan, CEO of DispatchTrack. “We are thrilled to be able to provide this new capability to our food distribution customers so they can act fast and are prepared with the right technology in the case of a food recall”

GS1 compliant scanning joins a robust suite of features DispatchTrack provides for its food industry customers including catch weight for pricing, segmenting trucks into separate compartments (frozen, dry, refrigerated), and on-the-spot price adjustment capabilities for drivers.

Food risk is increasing as evidenced by recent recalls of fast food and processed meats. And, with the increased funding and reorganization at FDA, scrutiny is likely to increase as well.

Raw foods from around the globe flow into production facilities in the U.S., and everyone — producers, distributors, transporters, retailers — is just one undeclared allergen away from falling under the microscope. The ability to quickly identify, locate, and retrieve recalled products has never been more important.

“DispatchTrack's enhanced GS1 scanning technology exemplifies our dedication to rapidly developing reliable and vertical specific solutions for our clients in this dynamic industry,” Natarajan noted. “This not only enhances the value of our software but also empowers our customers to operate with greater efficiency, transparency, and confidence in their food distribution business."

For more information about how DispatchTrack supports food producers and distributors,  including GS1 compliant scanning technology, visit: https://www.dispatchtrack.com/gs1.

About DispatchTrack

DispatchTrack is the global leader in last mile delivery solutions, helping top brands around the globe power successful deliveries 1 million times a day. Since 2010, DispatchTrack’s scalable SaaS platform has made delivery organizations more connected, agile, and intelligent using highly configurable capabilities designed to empower better delivery management from end to end. Our proprietary AI-powered routing algorithm ensures 98% ETA accuracy in last mile deliveries, and we’re constantly innovating to improve performance and better serve our 2,500+ global customers, including Walmart, Coca-Cola, Ashley, Ferguson Enterprises, Cargill, McCain Foods, and many others. When businesses make promises to their customers—DispatchTrack makes sure they deliver. 

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Contact:

Dan Shim

dan@dispatchtrack.com