Traceability in flour production – challenges and solutions

Traceability plays a crucial role in modern manufacturing. The food industry faces challenges related to precise traceability of raw materials and products, and the milling industry is no exception. Many flour production facilities use different IT systems that do not always communicate with each other, making full batch tracking difficult. Let’s explore the biggest traceability issues in the milling industry and the solutions that can improve this process.

The primary goal of traceability is to track a product’s journey from raw material entry into the facility, through storage, processing, and final distribution.

Currently, many companies still rely on paper documentation and fragmented databases, making batch identification time-consuming and prone to errors. During audits and inspections, managers and operators often need to manually compile information from various sources, which increases the risk of mistakes and slows down decision-making.

By implementing a single traceability system, companies could access full batch data with just one click.

Each grain shipment arriving at the plant should be recorded at the entry gate. Based on the bill of lading number or purchase order, data about the supplier (name, location, certifications) is entered, along with the arrival time and vehicle details. All this information can be automatically integrated into the system, ensuring quick verification of the raw material’s origin and compliance with standards.

At the reception stage, quality control samples are taken. Automated devices, such as Rakoraf probes, enable quick sampling and key parameter analysis. Commonly tested variables include:

All results are recorded in the system, eliminating the need for manual entries. ERP and MES systems are particularly effective in this process.

After acceptance and classification, raw materials are stored in grain elevators or silos, where they are sorted based on criteria such as protein content. IT systems can monitor temperature and humidity while tracking batch movements, ensuring precise product traceability throughout the storage phase.

Grain is released for production based on system-recorded data. If the production plan requires grain with a specific protein content, it is mixed accordingly, and every step is documented to maintain full traceability.

During initial processing, grains undergo cleaning, often supported by optical devices that use high-resolution cameras and advanced algorithms to detect and separate unwanted elements.

In the milling process, modern systems enable real-time monitoring of physicochemical parameters of flour. This allows for process adjustments and minimizes losses due to production errors.

Quality control checks during production include:

Finished flour is transferred to storage chambers before being loaded into bulk transport or packaged into individual bags. Each production batch receives a unique serial number (batch number), which is printed on the packaging.

Product location, parameters, and destination data should be stored in the ERP system, enabling easy report generation for quality control and audits. The system also tracks which chamber the flour was stored in, which shift processed it, which operator handled the machines, and whether all safety mechanisms (e.g., metal detectors) functioned correctly.

Automating data collection across the entire flour production process offers numerous advantages:

The automation of the grain and milling industry can help optimize the production process. For a successful traceability system implementation, companies must take several preparatory steps:

Traceability in the milling industry is essential. Implementing modern IT systems not only enhances product quality and safety but also improves logistics processes and cost optimization. Companies that choose to implement comprehensive ERP and MES systems will gain full control over their products and increase operational efficiency.

Is your company ready for this step?