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Track and Trace: traceability of goods
The traceability of merchandise is a central component of the modern production economy.
In the production economy, the traceability of merchandise refers to the possibility of being able to determine at any time where, when and by whom a product:
- was obtained
- manufactured
- processed
- stored
- transported
- consumed or
- disposed of
For this important task, the goods must be reliably labelled.
Application example for Track and Trace
Pharmaceutical packaging with data matrix code for traceability
How can supply chains be traced back?
A distinction is made between two types of tracing:
1. downstream tracing (from the producer to the consumer)
In ‘downstream’ tracing, the goods are traced along the logistics chain from the manufacturer to the consumer. This process is usually used for returns or recalls of faulty or unsafe products. For example, an entire product unit is ‘traced’ using the batch number or an individual item using an individual serial number and can thus be withdrawn from the market.
2. upstream tracing (from the consumer to the producer)
With ‘upstream’ tracing, the goods in question can be traced back from the consumer to the retailer, supplier or producer. This is necessary, for example, if harmful substances or pathogens are found in the product in order to protect other consumers from harm (e.g. by initiating a withdrawal or recall).
EU regulations on traceability
According to European Union regulations, traceability is mandatory for some industries and products. These include, for example, the following:
Traceability of foodstuffs
Since 1 January 2005, EU Regulation 178/2002 has made traceability mandatory for all links in the food production and value chain: farmers, importers, transporters and the food processing industry as well as food wholesalers and retailers. Every processing step from sowing to sale must be fully documented. Batch numbers and barcodes are used for this purpose.
Traceability of explosives
According to the EU Labelling Directives 2008/43/EC (of 4 April 2008) and 2012/4/EU (of 22 February 2012), all explosives manufactured in the EU or imported into the EU must be traceable from the place of manufacture, through placing on the market, to end-user use. Labelling using a DataMatrix code ensures seamless data collection across the entire manufacturing and supply chain.
Traceability of prescription medicines
From 9 February 2019, the EU Falsified Medicines Directive 2011/62 will come into force, which obliges pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide all packaging for prescription medicines with prescribed security features. The Track & Trace system prescribes an individual, randomised serial number in the form of an automatically readable DataMatrix code. This must be entered into a national database by the manufacturer when the product is placed on the market and checked for accuracy when it is dispensed in the pharmacy. In addition, the packaging must have an anti-tampering device that makes the integrity and originality of the packaging immediately recognisable.
