Associated Grocers of Baton Rouge (AGBR) has advanced its efforts to comply with the FDA’s FSMA 204 food traceability law through automation with the ReposiTrak Traceability Network.
The ReposiTrak solution enables the exchange and maintenance of FDA-required data between the co-op’s suppliers, distribution center and retail locations.
“As an organization, it is our mission to provide our retailers with technologies that drive results and simplify the overall responsibilities of running a retail grocery store,” said David Politz, SVP and chief information officer of AGBR.
“Food traceability adds a new layer of complexity to day-to-day operations for many – if not all – of our members, and it was important to us to tackle this problem and find a solution that works for the retailer.”
The FDA’s FSMA 204 food traceability regulation requires manufacturers, processors and those that pack or hold foods on the food traceability list to establish and maintain key data element records for specific critical tracking events in a product’s journey through the supply chain. As that product changes hands or changes form, a compounding string of data must be transferred between trading partners to provide full, end-to-end traceability.
AGBR is a wholesale distributor to 240 independent retailers operating under multiple banners and spanning the Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Texas regions. AGBR provides retail operations support and solutions to its members, which allow independent supermarkets to compete with the national chains.
“The ease of use and extremely low cost are what drew us to the solution,” Politz said.
“Through the ReposiTrak Traceability Network, there is a level of comfort in knowing that we’re capturing the data required by the FDA and that it’s being assembled and stored for us according to the FSMA 204 law.
“Additionally, we, and our suppliers and retailers, have direct access and visibility to that information. Lastly, the ReposiTrak solution enables us to shoulder as much of the burden as possible and, therefore, ease the obligation of our retailers.”
ReposiTrak’s solution is built upon a network of more than 110,000 supplier facilities, making the onboarding process faster and easier for retailers.
In addition, ReposiTrak’s experts are prepared to have real conversations with food supply chain operators to understand each company’s challenges and determine the best approach.
There is no cost for retailers and suppliers and they can connect to an unlimited number of customers and begin sharing data for a low, flat fee.
ReposiTrak has also recently partnered with URM Stores and Associated Grocers of New England.
Read more wholesaler and distributor news from The Shelby Report.
