Large food processors that sell their goods to major U.S. retailers and throughout the world have been tracking their ingredients and finished products for years. Supply-chain traceability enables them to meet national and international food-safety regulations, respond quickly and efficiently to recalls, effectively control their inventories and more. These issues and others are now prompting companies of all sizes to follow suit.

“We’re finding, right now, that a lot of small to medium-sized food processors in the United States are getting on board with traceability,” says Michael Miskin, president, Merit-Trax Technologies, Mount Royal, Quebec. Most large companies, he adds, have been on this track for years.