Due to the variable and perishable nature of food, it is unavoidable to receive customer complaints from time to time. Some criticisms may stem from personal taste preferences. Others might be related to the quality of the products, like damaged packaging, spoilt food, etc. Even though most complaints about the product quality are genuine, they can be fraudulent sometimes. Knowing retailers or manufacturers will avoid brand reputational damage and financial penalties at all costs, dishonest consumers might pretend there is an issue with the products they purchased to receive compensation. Therefore, it is crucial to have a defined, systematic food traceability system.
Lot codes are legally required
The production date is a legal requirement on food packaging to allow traceability. Digital hot coders like Marsh 241D coders can print lot codes in addition to real-time production dates at no extra cost, improving food traceability. (To learn more, please read ‘Is Real-time Coding Essential for Traceability’).
Real-time production date and lot code printed by Marsh 241D digital coder
In addition, lot codes can help protect companies against fraudulent claims from customers. Using the example scenario of a customer demanding compensation from a crisps manufacturer for metal pieces in their crisps packet, the manufacturer could trace the production log from the lot code on the crisps packaging and thus investigate any production errors. In the case where production conditions when producing that bag of crisps were safe and sterile, this allows the manufacturer to rightfully reject the claim and seek legal support if necessary, minimising both financial losses and brand reputational damage.
Prevention is better than cure
Including modern real-time lot codes on product packaging prevents manufacturers from receiving fraudulent accusations regarding product quality because it is challenging to fool manufacturers who keep accurate and detailed records of traceability. Fraudsters will find another target who will fall for their deceptions.
A three-line code printed by Marsh 241D coder
There was an old story about two men in a jungle. They noticed a tiger was watching them while licking its lips. The first man confidently said, “I am not worried – I run fast enough”. Intrigued by his claim, his partner asked, “What, you can run faster than a tiger?” “No, but I can run faster than you”, replied the first man.
The story above illustrates the proverb “devil takes the hindmost”, in which the last person of a group will be left to their unfortunate fate. Similarly, if your production line uses the most basic traceability system, your company can be an easy target for a fraudster. You don’t want to be the fraudster’s prey, do you? Replace your hot stamp coders with our Marsh 241D digital hot stamp coders to keep you ahead of the pack! To learn more about Marsh 241D coders, click ‘Products’ on the top bar menu -> ‘Marsh 241D Digital Hot Stamp Coder’.
