Food-borne illness can happen anywhere --- and it might not even be the result of anything done in your operation. About a year and a half ago, 69-unit delivery chain Steak Out nearly learned the hard way when Wolverine Packing Co., the meat processor that supplies the chain’s steaks and hamburger patties, issued a product withdrawal.
Luckily, Wolverine moved quickly to correct the problem, and within a couple of hours, all the product was accounted for. None of it had reached Steak Out locations.
Even so, Steak Out wanted even more assurance for the future, which is why they were pleased to learn that Wolverine was taking even more steps to ensure the integrity of its meat. About seven months ago, Wolverine began labeling all its product containers with UCC/EAN Code 128 Application Standard barcodes, the accepted standard in the meat industry.
This system was designed to provide universal identification for distribution of goods and services in global commerce and is formatted to identify the manufacturer, manufacturer’s product number, pack date, product weight, and serial number instantly and without the risk of human error. All it takes is one laser scan of the barcode, and all the information is logged accurately into a computer. From there, product can be tracked in about an eighth of the time it used to take.
In addition to increased tracking speed, the new barcodes also allow for more information about the product to be recorded, says Steve Kakish, quality control manager for Wolverine. “You can track not just for recall purposes, but also for quality purposes,” he says. For instance, if a certain batch is deemed to be of low-quality or has a decreased shelf life, Wolverine can use the barcode system to zero in on the initial supplier that provided the beef combos. That way, individual suppliers can be held accountable for their products.
Choosing a supplier who has a similar system in place could save a chain time, money, and legal headaches in the long run. “In a worst-case scenario, knowing your raw material usage is the most important thing,” Kakish says, and the ability to prove that measures were in place to segregate contaminated product can be an invaluable asset in court.
Not to mention the added benefit of earning the trust of valued customers. “There’s a covenant between customers and restaurants,” says Aftan Romanczek, director of research, development, and purchasing for Steak Out. “They give us an amazing amount of trust, and we want to make sure we’re dotting all the Is and crossing Ts when it comes to food safety. We want to take that covenant seriously.”
