Food manufacturing traceability software one step back, one step forward, in minutes.
Formulas that scale to the batch, ingredient lots consumed at the kettle, allergen changeovers that can't be skipped, and lot genealogy that answers a mock recall before the auditor finishes their coffee. A concept for small and mid-size food and beverage plants and co-packers.
Reply within one business day · Written scope and fixed price before any work starts
A proposed product shown with illustrative designs and demo data. We deliver it today as a custom build on our engines.
Status as of November 2026. How we label products
Formula
v7
QA approved Sep 3
Ingredients scanned
11 / 12
Yield so far
97.4%
Allergens
Sesame, egg
Ingredient lots consumed
| Ingredient | Target | Actual | Lot | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tahini, stone-ground | 312.0 lb | 311.6 lb | T-2261 | Scanned |
| Canola oil | 820.0 lb | 821.1 lb | CO-88412 | Scanned |
| Egg yolk, pasteurized | 96.0 lb | 96.0 lb | EY-0937 | Scanned |
| Roasted garlic puree | 64.0 lb | - | - | Not scanned |
| Lemon juice concentrate | 38.0 lb | 38.2 lb | LJ-5520 | COA pending |
In-process checks
- pH 3.92 at step 4Limit ≤ 4.1
- Fill temperature 41°FLimit ≤ 45°F
- Metal detector check dueEvery 60 min
Runs scheduled
5
Allergen changeovers
2
Signed off
1
Line utilization
81%
Run order
| Time | Product | Allergens | Changeover | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06:00 | Classic Ranch (Harvest Table brand) | Milk, egg | - | Complete |
| 09:30 | Roasted Garlic Tahini | Sesame, egg | Full clean | Signed 09:12 |
| 13:00 | Lemon Herb Vinaigrette (vegan) | None | Full clean + swab | Awaiting QA |
| 15:30 | Lemon Herb Vinaigrette (vegan) | None | - | Scheduled |
Received
2,400 lb
Oct 14 · Levant Seed Co.
Finished lots
4
Consignees
9
Time to trace
6 min
Forward trace
| Finished lot | Product | Cases | Shipped to | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26-0389 | Roasted Garlic Tahini 12/16oz | 640 | 4 distributors | Shipped |
| 26-0401 | Roasted Garlic Tahini 4/1gal | 180 | 2 distributors | Shipped |
| 26-0412 | Roasted Garlic Tahini 12/16oz | 702 | - | On hand, hold |
| 26-0415 | Mediterranean Bowl Sauce | 220 | 3 distributors | Shipped |
In short
Agenbord Trace for Food & Beverage Manufacturing is a proposed system for small and mid-size food and beverage plants and co-packers. It manages formulas, batch production, ingredient and finished-goods lots, allergen controls and recall readiness, linking every finished lot back to the ingredient lots inside it. It is a concept with illustrative designs, delivered as a custom build that reuses the inventory and procurement modules of our production ERP engine.
What slows food & beverage manufacturers down today.
Batch sheets are paper, so genealogy is guesswork
Operators write the ingredient lot on a clipboard - when they remember. Weeks later, linking finished lot 26-311 back to the flour, oil and spice lots that went into it means flipping through binders and hoping the handwriting is legible.
Allergen changeovers live in people's heads
Line 2 ran the sesame dressing this morning and needs a validated clean before the allergen-free SKU. If the schedule, sanitation record and label check aren't connected, one rushed changeover becomes an undeclared-allergen recall.
Mock recalls take a day and still have gaps
Your auditor or a brand owner asks you to trace a lot of chickpeas forward to every finished pallet and shipment. Purchasing, production and shipping each hold part of the answer in different files, and the clock is running.
How the work flows through the system.
Each workflow runs on one shared record, so nobody re-types numbers between steps.
Formula to batch record
R&D / QA → production planner → line lead
- QA approves a formula version with ingredients, percentages, allergens and process steps.
- The planner schedules a batch size; the system scales quantities and checks ingredient lots on hand, oldest first.
- Operators scan each ingredient lot as it's weighed or added; actual weights and lots are recorded against the batch.
- Critical checks (temperature, pH, Brix, metal detection) are entered at the step they belong to, with out-of-range values blocking the next step.
- The finished lot is created with its full genealogy and labels are printed from the approved formula.
Allergen-aware scheduling and changeover
Planner → sanitation lead → QA
- Each formula carries its allergen profile, including sesame.
- The scheduler warns when a run follows a product with an allergen the next one doesn't contain.
- A changeover task is created with the cleaning procedure and verification required.
- The next batch can't start until sanitation and QA sign the changeover on a tablet.
Mock recall in minutes
QA manager → operations
- QA searches by ingredient lot, supplier, finished lot or date range.
- The system traces one step back (supplier lots received) and one step forward (finished lots, pallets and shipments).
- It lists every consignee with quantities, dates and contact details, and shows on-hand stock to quarantine.
- The mock recall report is saved with timing, ready for the auditor or brand owner.
What's included in Agenbord Trace for Food & Beverage Manufacturing.
Formulas & versions
Formulas with ingredient percentages, process steps, yields and allergens, under version control with QA approval.
Batch production
Scaled batch tickets, ingredient lot scanning, actual weights and yields, and in-process checks at each step.
Lot genealogy
Every finished lot linked to every ingredient and packaging lot consumed, and forward to every pallet and shipment.
Allergen controls
Allergen profiles per ingredient and formula, scheduling warnings, changeover tasks and sign-offs.
Receiving & supplier lots
Receiving against PO with supplier lot, COA attachment, temperature and inspection results; holds until QA releases.
Inventory & holds
Raw, WIP and finished goods by lot and location with QA hold, release and reject statuses.
Co-packer brand portal
Brand owners see their formulas, batch records, lot genealogy and inventory - and nobody else's.
Recall readiness
Mock recalls, consignee lists and quarantine actions from the same records production created.
Costing & yield
Standard vs. actual batch cost and yield, with ingredient price changes flowing into formula cost.
AI that does specific jobs and shows its work.
Every AI feature is tested on your own records before it's switched on, and a person approves anything that moves money or goes to a customer.
COA and spec sheet reader
Reads supplier certificates of analysis and spec sheets attached at receiving, extracts lot, dates and test values, and flags results outside your spec or allergen statements that changed since the last version. Limits: it flags; QA releases the lot. We test it on your past COAs before relying on it.
Plain-language trace questions
Ask "which finished lots used tahini lot T-2261?" and get the answer from your genealogy records, with each linked batch listed so QA can verify it.
Who it's for and who it isn't.
A good fit if you are
- Sauce, bakery, snack, beverage, prepared-food and supplement plants with 15-250 staff
- Co-packers running many brand owners' formulas on shared lines
- Plants where batch sheets are paper or spreadsheets and lot genealogy is rebuilt by hand during audits
- Teams preparing for a GFSI scheme audit (SQF, BRCGS) who want mock recalls to take minutes, not days
Probably not the right fit if you are
- Large multi-plant processors already on an enterprise process-manufacturing ERP
- Discrete manufacturers without lots or formulas (see Agenbord Make)
- Very small kitchens that only need recipe costing and a label printer
Designed around the rules you work under.
Plain-English notes, not legal advice. Software supports your compliance process; it doesn't replace your attorney, CPA or compliance lead.
Allergen controls under preventive controls
FDA's preventive controls rule for human food (21 CFR Part 117) includes food allergen controls to prevent cross-contact and ensure correct labeling. The allergen and changeover module is designed to support those workflows. eCFR - 21 CFR 117.135.
Written recall plan
A facility must have a written recall plan for a food with a hazard requiring a preventive control, including how it will notify direct consignees and check that a recall worked. Genealogy and consignee lists are designed to support that plan. eCFR - 21 CFR 117.139.
Sesame is the ninth major allergen
The FASTER Act added sesame as a major food allergen; labeling requirements apply to foods sold in interstate commerce from January 1, 2023. Allergen profiles include it by default. FDA - Food Allergies.
FSMA 204 transformation records
If you make products from Food Traceability List foods, the Food Traceability Rule treats that as a transformation event with its own key data elements and traceability lot codes. The dates and requirements are covered on our food distribution page; the batch module is designed to record transformation data as part of production.
What exists today and what's being built.
Reused from our production engines
Capabilities of the engine this edition is built on.
- Materials and inventory management
- Procurement and supplier ledgers
- Mobile approvals with an audit trail
- Role-based access across web, desktop and mobile
- AI copilot over company data
Built for your project
Scoped and delivered as a custom build.
- Formula management with versions and allergen profiles
- Digital batch tickets with lot scanning and in-process checks
- Lot genealogy and mock recall reports
- Allergen-aware scheduling and changeover sign-offs
- COA capture and QA hold/release
- Co-packer brand-owner portal
Connects to the systems you already run.
Systems we integrate with
Named platforms are examples we build against through their public APIs - not partnership claims.
How it compares - honestly.
Established products are often the right answer. Here's when each one is the better choice.
| Product | What it is | The better choice when |
|---|---|---|
| Katana | Cloud manufacturing and inventory software popular with small makers and D2C brands, with batch tracking and e-commerce integrations. | You're a growing brand with simple recipes, sell heavily through Shopify, and want self-serve software you can set up this month. |
| MRPeasy | An affordable cloud MRP for small manufacturers covering production planning, inventory, lot tracking and procurement. | You need standard MRP with lot traceability on a small budget and are willing to fit your process to the software. |
| Aptean Food & Beverage ERP | A food and beverage ERP with process manufacturing, quality, traceability and compliance features from a large software group. | You want a broad packaged food ERP with established vendor support and can take on a larger implementation. |
| SAP Business One | A mainstream small-business ERP from SAP, often extended with food or process-manufacturing add-ons by resellers. | Your group already standardizes on SAP and a reseller offers a food add-on that fits your process. |
What it costs, up front.
Trace for Food & Beverage Manufacturing is a concept delivered as a fixed-scope custom build. Typical ranges for single-plant manufacturers and co-packers:
Batch records & genealogy
From $40k
Formulas, digital batch tickets with lot scanning, lot genealogy and mock recalls, synced to your accounting system.
3–4 months
Plant traceability ERP
$80k–$200k
Adds allergen scheduling and changeovers, receiving with COA review, QA holds, costing and yield, and FSMA 204 transformation records.
5–9 months, phased
Co-packer & multi-plant
$200k+
Brand-owner portal, several plants or lines, EDI with retailers and migration from legacy systems.
Phased
Food & beverage manufacturers: common questions.
What is lot genealogy?
It's the record of which ingredient and packaging lots went into each finished lot, and where each finished lot went. It lets you trace one step back to suppliers and one step forward to buyers - the core of a recall or mock recall.
Does it work for co-packers with many brand owners?
Yes. Formulas, lots and inventory can be separated by brand owner, and a portal gives each brand owner their own batch records and genealogy without seeing anyone else's.
Will it make us pass our SQF or BRCGS audit?
No software passes an audit for you. The edition is designed to make records complete and fast to retrieve - batch records, allergen changeovers, mock recalls - which is what auditors ask to see. Your food safety plan and team do the rest.
How does this relate to FSMA 204?
If you transform foods on the Food Traceability List, the rule asks for transformation records and traceability lot codes. The batch module records those as part of production. Our food distribution page covers the rule and its July 20, 2028 enforcement date.
Can operators use it on the line?
Yes - batch tickets run on rugged tablets or a kiosk with barcode scanning and large buttons. Where gloves or wet areas make screens impractical, scanning does most of the work.
Is this available as a product today?
No. It's a concept delivered as a custom build that reuses our engine's inventory, procurement and approval modules. Katana, MRPeasy, Aptean and SAP Business One are established alternatives if you want packaged software now.
Sources
- eCFR - 21 CFR 117.135 Preventive controls (food allergen controls)
- eCFR - 21 CFR 117.139 Recall plan
- FDA - Food Allergies (FASTER Act and sesame)
- FDA - FSMA Food Traceability Rule
Regulatory notes are plain-English summaries, not legal advice.
Concept
Want Agenbord Trace for Food & Beverage Manufacturing built for your business?
Send us your workflow and the systems you use. We'll reply within one business day, then a free 30-minute call, then a written scope with a fixed price - including an honest view on whether an off-the-shelf product would serve you better.
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