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With increasingly lean supply chains leaving little room to investigate problems once products are in transit, traditional paperbased food safety models – relying on static labels and manual audits – are too slow and cumbersome. As Rachael Satchwell, Global Food Sector Manager, Domino Printing Sciences, explains, when implemented effectively, 2D codes powered by GS1 can enhance supply chain transparency – delivering the real-time visibility needed to transform food safety from reactive investigation to proactive prevention.
Why food recalls are rising
Despite investment in traceability and compliance, food recalls are on the rise not necessarily because food quality has declined, but because detection capabilities and regulatory scrutiny have increased. Greater awareness of the health impact of food ingredients, particularly on vulnerable groups, has led to stricter labeling requirements and lower tolerance for error. As a result, issues such as incorrect or missing allergen information now prompt immediate recalls, alongside more traditional causes such as contamination with pathogens like Listeria or Salmonella, or manufacturing faults in which plastic or metal is found in the product.
For manufacturers operating under intense margin pressure, the implications of a food recall can be devastating. In addition to the costs associated with product loss and reputational damage, the investigation process is resource-intensive and often disruptive to production.
Once products are downstream and have already reached retailers’ shelves, the issue is compounded, affecting the retailer – supplier relationship and putting pressure on retail businesses facing extended legal, health, and operational accountability. Recalls undermine consumer confidence, and a single incident can have long-term ramifications for trust and engagement.
The traditional manual models used for food traceability and safety are blunt tools that simply cannot respond fast enough to support today’ s just-in-time logistics models. Manufacturers still relying on paper audits, static labels, and manual investigations are too often compelled to undertake widescale recalls, even if only a small batch is contaminated or mislabeled. Without the depth of specific information and speed of retrieval required to identify affected products, act quickly, and minimize exposure, the cost and reputational implications for both manufacturers and retailers are significant.
Building safety in: how 2D codes minimize errors at source
2D codes powered by GS1 are quickly changing the landscape for food producers and retailers. Unlike traditional linear barcodes that carry a single piece of information, 2D barcodes act as smart, connected gateways that link each individual product and batch to live, structured data. Even more compelling from a food safety perspective is that information can be accessed differently depending on product location and the role of the individual scanning the code, extending the remit of food safety information all the way through the supply chain from manufacture to post-purchase.
For manufacturers, the use of 2D codes embeds safety within existing production processes. 2D codes that enable access to batch-level information can be automatically scanned at goods-in and during manufacturing, supporting increasingly robust fault-detection processes. Earlier and more frequent checks ensure issues can be highlighted, assessed, and isolated upstream before products even leave the factory. In addition to reducing the risk of products arriving at retail outlets or, even worse, into consumer hands, continuous verification improves the timeliness of error identification, minimizing the volume of affected products.
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