Lot tracking and FEFO rotation mean every case is received with its lot and date, every order ships the earliest-dated stock first, and every shipment can be traced back to the lot it came from. It is the backbone of food fulfillment and of any recall plan.
FEFO vs FIFO for food inventory
FEFO, first-expired first-out, ships the unit with the earliest best-by or expiration date first. FIFO, first-in first-out, ships the unit that arrived earliest. For food, those are not always the same thing: a co-packer may deliver a newer run before an older one clears, or a returned pallet may carry an earlier date than current stock.
FIFO in those situations quietly ages your inventory and leads to write-offs and short-dated shipments. We enforce FEFO in the warehouse management system, directing pickers to specific lots, so rotation is correct regardless of arrival order.
Lot and date capture from dock to doorstep
Traceability only works if the data is captured at the first touch. At receiving we record lot number and best-by or expiration date for each case or pallet, along with the supplier and receipt date. Those attributes stay with the inventory through putaway, replenishment, kitting and picking.
When an order ships, the lot it was picked from is attached to the order record. That gives you a one-up, one-down chain: which supplier delivery a lot came from and which customers, retailers or distributors received it. For kits and variety packs, every component lot is recorded against the finished kit.
Recall and withdrawal response
When a supplier or your own quality team flags a lot, speed matters. We can place affected lots on system hold immediately so no further orders allocate against them, physically quarantine the stock, and produce a report of every order, customer and retail shipment that contained the affected lots.
We support mock recalls as well, so you can test how quickly your traceability records produce answers before a real event. Disposition of held stock, such as destruction with documentation or return to the supplier, follows your instructions and any regulatory guidance.
Shelf-life reporting and the FSMA traceability rule
Shelf-life reports show on-hand inventory by lot and days remaining, so you can see which stock is approaching a retailer's minimum shelf-life window or its best-by date while there is still time to promote, donate or reallocate it.
FDA's FSMA Food Traceability Rule adds recordkeeping requirements, built around Critical Tracking Events and Key Data Elements, for foods on FDA's Food Traceability List, such as certain cheeses, shell eggs, nut butters, fresh produce and seafood. FDA has extended the compliance date to July 20, 2028. If any of your products are on the list, our lot data provides a foundation for the shipping and receiving records the rule requires.
What's included
- Lot and best-by capture on every receipt
- System-enforced FEFO allocation
- Lot linked to every outbound order and kit
- Instant lot holds and physical quarantine
- Customer-level recall shipment reports
- Mock recall support
- Shelf-life and days-remaining reporting
Frequently asked questions
Why is FEFO better than FIFO for food?
FEFO ships the earliest-dated stock first even when lots arrive out of date order, which FIFO does not guarantee. That reduces expired write-offs and short-dated rejections.
Can you tell me which customers received a specific lot?
Yes. Lot is attached to each outbound order, so we can produce a list of every customer, retailer or distributor that received a given lot.
Do you support mock recalls?
Yes. We can run a mock recall on a lot you choose and deliver the trace report, so you can test your recall plan before you need it.
When does the FSMA Food Traceability Rule take effect?
FDA has extended the compliance date for the Food Traceability Rule to July 20, 2028. It applies to foods on FDA's Food Traceability List, not to all foods.