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Supply Chain Visibility Can Fight Fraud in the Time of COVID-19

Posted on by rfxadmin

Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted an update about actions it’s taking to keep fraudulent COVID-19 treatments off the market. The examples of fraud the Agency gave illustrate why all industries — not just the pharmaceutical industry — need to embrace supply chain visibility. Let’s take a look at what the FDA said and why supply chain visibility is a panacea for the problem.

Consumer vulnerability, scammers, and unproven and potentially dangerous products

The FDA’s update addressed “the extremely concerning actions by companies and individuals that are exploiting or taking advantage of widespread fear among consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

This statement reveals one reason fraud exists: consumer vulnerability. When people are confronted with a problem, especially one they feel they cannot control (such as a pandemic), some may tend to seek solutions without pausing to think them through. Peddlers of fake and substandard products are always ready to exploit this situation.

Which brings us to the scammers, many of whom use the internet to sell their bogus goods. Today, the FDA says, unscrupulous actors are claiming their products “mitigate, prevent, treat, diagnose, or cure COVID-19.” With the pandemic dominating headlines and weighing heavily on people’s minds, these quacks are only more than happy to offer unproven and potentially dangerous products.

What is the FDA doing, exactly?

The Agency has launched Operation Quack Hack to find and stop scammers. It’s located scores of phony products online, including fraudulent drugs, COVID-19 testing kits, and personal protective equipment. The FDA has issued 42 warning letters to companies making false COVID-19 claims and has sent hundreds of abuse complaints to domain name registrars and internet marketplaces, most of which have voluntarily removed the offending product pages.

One of the warning letters went to an organization selling fraudulent chlorine dioxide products as a COVID-19 treatment. When it refused to cease and desist sales of its so-called Miracle Mineral Solution, or “MMS,” a federal court issued a preliminary injunction requiring it to immediately stop distributing the product. The FDA characterizes chlorine dioxide as the equivalent of industrial bleach and since 2010 has been warning consumers about MMS and other products with names such as Master Mineral Solution, Chlorine Dioxide Protocol, and Water Purification Solution (WPS).

The FDA also intercepted and investigated a case of mislabeled COVID-19 “treatment kits” that someone was trying to import into the United States. Also, an FDA investigation led to a U.S. Department of Justice criminal complaint against a British man “who sought to profit from [the] pandemic and jeopardize public health.”

How supply chain visibility can fight fraud

Visibility means using data to gain insight into how a supply chain is functioning and to take steps to make it run more efficiently. The goal is to see everything.

A company must have systems that can gather and report data from one end of the supply chain to the other. Data should be as “rich” as possible; today, that means a digital supply chain with real-time access to unit-level data about everything from ingredients to temperature.

Here’s a rundown of how supply chain visibility can fight fraud. We’re using the pharma industry in our example, but the tenets apply to any product in any industry.

    • You know the origin of your ingredients. Supply chain visibility allows a manufacturer to verify that all the ingredients of a drug are legitimate. It can track every ingredient up until the time they’re combined to make the drug.
    • You can follow the drug’s every move: Part 1. After the drug has been manufactured, bottled, and packed into cases, you can see everywhere those cases go after they leave the plant — warehouses, stores, pharmacies, hospitals, etc. — and you can track their movements in real time. With supply chain visibility, you can anticipate traffic bottlenecks and reroute the delivery vehicle, keeping the shipment on time. You’ll also know if the delivery vehicle has been diverted from its prescribed route, which could indicate theft.
    • You know if the drug has been harmed or compromised. Supply chain visibility means you’ll be alerted if there’s a problem with the shipment. For example, if there’s been a change in temperature, light, or humidity that can affect the drug’s efficacy, or if the cases have been dropped or jolted in a way that might have damaged the bottles, packets, or vials inside. And we’ve already mentioned route diversion and theft.
    • You can follow the drug’s every move: Part 2. When the cases are separated (e.g., taken off a pallet), you can follow each one; when a case is opened, supply chain visibility lets you follow the individual bottles or packets all the way to check-out at the cash register or stocking at a pharmacy or hospital.

Final thoughts

Supply chain visibility creates an “airtight” supply chain that leaves virtually no room for unproven, potentially dangerous, fake, or otherwise fraudulent products to sneak in. And if such a product does appear, supply chain visibility means you can remove it faster. After all, when you can see everything, it’s easier to spot imposters and get rid of them.

rfxcel can provide supply chain visibility in any industry. Our signature rfxcel Traceability System (rTS) is a full-stack visibility and track and trace platform that comprises solutions that empower end-to-end supply chain visibility, including:

    • rfxcel Integrated Monitoring (rIM) is an award-winning solution that uses Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled devices to provide real-time data about 12+ environmental conditions (e.g., location, temperature, shock) of products anywhere in the world.
    • rfxcel MobileTraceability brings the power of an rTS digital supply chain to your smartphone, tablet, or other mobile device.

As FDA Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs Dr. Judy McMeekin said, “It is imperative that we continue our efforts to find and prevent the sale and distribution of products that may be harmful to the public health.” Supply chain visibility is the way to do this. Contact us today to find out how we can help you.

COVID-19: Now Is the Time for Food Supply Chain Transparency

Posted on by rfxadmin

The novel coronavirus pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities in food supply chains around the world. It’s also pushed the conversation about food supply chain transparency into the public square. Indeed, it’s likely that more people are thinking about supply chains today than at any other time in history.

However, it’s prudent to point out that the industry has resisted full end-to-end transparency. In light of the pandemic — and with the U.S. food supply chain in the news in recent weeks — we might have approached what’s commonly referred to as a teachable moment. The question is, will stakeholders finally realize that food supply chain transparency is in everybody’s best interest?

Why is there industry resistance to food supply chain transparency?

The main reason for resistance is that the industry views food supply chain transparency as a cost instead of an investment. As we pointed out in our “Seafood Supply Chain Traceability Trilogy,” it takes money — sometimes a lot of money — to implement the necessary systems.

Resistance also stems from the fact that supply chains weren’t really designed to be transparent. Companies see their supply chains as things to be guarded, proprietary infrastructure that’s nobody’s business but their own. Why should they “give away” information that could jeopardize their market position or possibly harm their reputation?

Another facet of this built-in opaqueness is that companies can’t always keep tabs on what their trading partners are doing. If an upstream or downstream partner is bending or breaking the law or otherwise doing something they shouldn’t, how can the company know? The gist of this problem is data: If it’s collected at all, it may be incomplete or just plain wrong.

And one final thought: Does the resistance mean the industry actually doesn’t want to be held accountable? Though some companies say that they care and want to held accountable, if they don’t embrace food supply chain transparency, this amounts to an empty promise and deflecting accountability to their trading partners.

Why we need food supply chain transparency in the time of COVID-19 — and beyond

The benefits of food supply chain transparency are not contingent upon world events (though transparency helps companies stay steady when events bring risk and uncertainty). They are what they are, no matter the circumstances. But the pandemic has illuminated the benefits, like a lightbulb going off over the collective head of the industry. Specifically, we need food supply chain transparency now for several key reasons:

    • It decreases risk. Food supply chain transparency helps companies identify problems and risks before they escalate into a crisis (or crises). If all trading partners adhere to the same clear standards and can be held accountable for their actions, they’re more likely to self-govern to avoid trouble. Furthermore, with everybody “on the same team,” it’s significantly easier to solve a problem.
    • It boosts efficiency. As we just said, food supply chain transparency gets everybody on the same team. And with teamwork comes efficiency. Stakeholders keep each another informed, enabling upstream and downstream trading partners to make better decisions, take pre-emptive action when needed (instead of waiting to react to a problem after the fact), and keep the supply chain moving.
    • It helps increase the volume of actionable data. Transparency means being open about what you’re doing — which means sharing data about your operations with your partners, customers/consumers, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders. With more high-quality data flowing inside and outside of the supply chain, every aspect of your operations can be improved.
    • It encourages cooperation. When trading partners have seen their risks lowered and efficiency increased, they’ll be motivated, if not inspired, to cooperate more. Cooperation is great when things are going well; it’s even better if a problem arises. For example, if there’s a recall, everyone will know how to work together to get the product out of the supply chain.
    • It increases supply chain resiliency. Transparency means you can know what’s going on in your supply chain, share information with your trading partners, put it in the context of events, and execute course corrections quickly. For example, if a factory closes due to a natural disaster, political unrest, or a pandemic, transparency intel empowers you assess the situation, see the real and potential impacts on your operations, and make necessary changes. All of this makes your organization more agile and the supply chain stronger.
    • It inspires trust. The ultimate result of food supply chain transparency is trust among all supply chain stakeholders, from manufacturers all the way to consumers. Without trust, systems can break down. That’s the last thing you want to happen during a crises.

Final thoughts

rfxcel is committed to transparency in every supply chain — food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, and government. As we’ve shown, it’s an indispensable tool that’s more important today than ever before.

When external factors such as the current pandemic affect supply chains, transparency helps ensure products are delivered on time, safely, and to exactly the right location and/or person. It helps vital supply chains keep moving. It helps guarantee a product’s authenticity (i.e., no food fraud or counterfeit drugs). It helps protect the public health and safety.

For food supply chain transparency, our signature rfxcel Traceability System (rTS) offers the most complete and flexible raw materials and finished goods traceability solution for the industry. Our rfxcel MobileTraceability app heightens transparency even further, able to track any batch, movement, and handler at any location. And our rfxcel Integrated Monitoring (rIM) solution lets all stakeholders see their products in real time and mine rich unit-level data about more than a dozen environmental conditions.

Learn more about these and our other solutions for food and beverage here and contact us to start a conversation about transparency in your supply chain.

 

Why F&B Needs Real-Time Supply Chain Environmental Monitoring

Posted on by rfxadmin

The F&B supply chain is becoming more complex. Routes that involve road, rail, sea, and air create many potential points of failure that, until recently, companies could not control or even detect. These “blind spots” include problems safeguarding food safety, deviations from required environmental conditions, theft, food fraud, and poor handling practices. This is why F&B needs real-time supply chain environmental monitoring.

Let’s take a closer look at some of these blind spots and how real-time supply chain environmental monitoring can minimize or eliminate them.

Common blind spots in the F&B supply chain

Food fraud. Food fraud costs the F&B industry at least $65 billion a year. All kinds of foods are counterfeited and incorrectly labeled, from luxury products such as Japanese Wagyu beef to more common items such as olive oil and seafood. Furthermore, buyers and consumers often have no way to trace the origins of what they’re purchasing.

Diversion and theft. Diversion and theft can happen at any supply chain blind spot. F&B cargo is valuable, easy to sell, and often perishable, and evidence of the theft does not last very long. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates that cargo theft costs U.S. businesses $30 billion each year, and food and beverages were among the top commodities targeted by thieves in North America last year, accounting for 34 percent of all cargo theft.

Ensuring quality and safety. It’s virtually impossible to ensure food quality and safety when cargo is poorly handled. Products can be exposed to and damaged by water, heat, and cold. Food is susceptible to contamination and spoilage if environmental conditions aren’t just so. Such damage can be particularly acute in the cold chain, where perishable products must be moved quickly under exacting parameters of temperature, humidity, and light.

Routing inefficiencies. Not monitoring traffic? Not using GPS location tracking? Not adhering to local, state, federal, or international transport regulations? No matter how basic or complicated, routing inefficiencies have the same consequences: delayed shipments, product spoilage, shortened shelf life, lost revenue. Plus, routing and environmental monitoring have become even more important as governments tighten oversight of the F&B supply chain. A perfect example is the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration designed to better protect consumers by strengthening food safety systems for foodborne illnesses.

Recalls. Though not a blind spot, per se, recalls can take companies by surprise and are a particularly important consideration. According to a study published in 2012 by the Food Marketing Institute and Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), the direct costs of a recall can reach $10 million. A separate GMA-sponsored survey reported that 5 percent of companies incurred more than $100 million in direct and indirect costs.

How does real-time supply chain environmental monitoring work for F&B?

Real-time environmental monitoring solutions give a vibrant and detailed picture of where products are and what is happening to them. Integrated monitoring in the F&B supply chain provides better continuity, visibility, security, and productivity. But how does it work, exactly?

Pallets, cases, or containers are equipped with Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled sensors that send data over communication networks at regular intervals. The sensors provide real-time information about how long an item has been in transit, if the vehicle transporting it adhered to the approved route, and, if the shipment stopped, where and for how long. This is crucial information, especially for highly perishable goods. For example, leafy greens can be ruined if a truck’s engine and cooling system are turned off for hours at a border crossing. With real-time environmental monitoring and tracking, companies can understand and act upon specific risks with detailed, unit-level data.

Data is made available via a software platform, through which users can set parameters (e.g., minimum and maximum temperature) to alert the system of irregularities or generate reports for analysis. This data is associated with the traceability data and becomes part of a product’s pedigree, making it a powerful tool for F&B supply chain visibility.

Environmental monitoring allows F&B companies to monitor their supply chains, protect consumers, protect their brands, and realize considerable return on investment. The technology can show companies how to maximize route efficiencies, change shippers, or detect theft or diversion in real time. The IoT-enabled sensors transmit alerts, empowering manufacturers and suppliers to use data to halt shipments that may have been adulterated, redirect shipments to extend shelf life, and manage food recalls — or avoid them altogether.

Final Thoughts

FSMA has shifted the responsibility for safety to F&B companies. Now, they must be proactive, not reactive. With real-time supply chain environmental monitoring, companies get actionable data that they can deploy to make decisions immediately, not after the fact when it’s too late. When necessary, they can divert or reroute shipments or take actions to remedy temperature excursions and other environmental concerns. Third-party logistics firms and contracted delivery companies can be held accountable for incidents and inefficiencies. This saves money and protects brand reputations.

Our rfxcel Integrated Monitoring (rIM) solution lets you see your products in real time and mine rich unit-level data about more than a dozen environmental conditions. It can integrate with multiple sensor devices or data loggers on land, sea, and air. With rIM, you get a truly complete view of your shipment — at a top-level (e.g., case, pallet, truck) and at an item level (e.g., packet, bottle). You’ll reduce costs and make proactive decisions based on variables such as temperature, tilt, humidity, light, and shock. By mitigating damage, delays, and diversion, your products will arrive safe and on time.

rIM also combats the key blind spots we talked about above: food fraud, diversion and theft, quality and safety concerns, routing inefficiencies, and recalls. Its real-time supply chain environmental monitoring will streamline your operations, prevent waste and financial losses, protect your investments and brand identity, and give you an advantage in the marketplace. If this sounds good, contact us today to talk about rIM with an rfxcel supply chain expert!

COVID-19 and the Retail Food & Beverage Supply Chain: Industry Update

Posted on by rfxadmin

March 31, 2020: Chances are your life isn’t the same as it was just two or three weeks ago. In the time of COVID-19, you might be self-quarantining. Your local government may have closed your neighborhood playgrounds and parks. Or maybe your governor has issued a stay-at-home order.

There’s also a very good chance that many of your favorite restaurants and bars are closed. In fact, all the “non-essential” or “non-life-sustaining” businesses in your community might be shut down.

One thing hasn’t changed, however: You can still go to the grocery store. You may have to wait in a line, standing on lengths of tape or spray-painted lines spaced at the proper social distance (six feet). Your store may limit how many people are allowed inside at one time. It may have set up special hours for senior citizens to shop.

But your grocery store is still open. This means the food and beverage supply chain continues to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Let’s take a look at a few things you should be aware of today.

1. The Basics: What is the CDC saying about grocery stores and COVID-19?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) doesn’t have specific guidance for grocery stores; instead, it provides “Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).” It clearly states that businesses and employers can prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19.

The CDC’s key recommendations are summarized below. See the full details here, and visit the CDC website regularly to get the latest news about COVID-19 and recommendations for staying safe.

Reduce transmission among employees

    • Actively encourage sick employees to stay home.
    • Identify where and how workers might be exposed to COVID-19 at work.
    • Separate sick employees.
    • Educate employees about how they can reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Maintain healthy business operations

    • Identify a workplace coordinator who will be responsible for COVID-19 issues and their impact at the workplace.
    • Implement flexible sick leave and supportive policies and practices.
    • Assess your essential functions and the reliance that others and the community have on your services or products.
    • Determine how you will operate if absenteeism spikes (e.g., from employees getting sick or having to stay home to care for family members or to watch children).
    • Establish policies and practices for social distancing.
    • If you have more than one business location, give local managers the authority to take appropriate actions outlined in their COVID-19 response plan based on local conditions.

Maintain a healthy work environment

    • Consider improving the engineering controls using the building ventilation system (e.g., increase ventilation rates and the percentage of outdoor air that circulates into the system).
    • Support respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene for employees, customers, and worksite visitors.
    • Perform routine environmental cleaning.
    • Perform enhanced cleaning and disinfection after people suspected/confirmed to have COVID-19 have been in your place of business.

2. What are industry associations saying about COVID-19?

Grocery workers are being hailed as heroes and front-line fighters; they are the penultimate link the retail food supply chain, the people who literally hand products to consumers. Here is what some industry associations in the United States are saying about COVID-19.

The National Grocer’s Association provides best practices for its members. These follow the CDC guidance, but also have grocery-specific recommendations, such as:

    • Assigning employees to regularly sanitize shopping carts and other high-traffic or high-touch areas
    • Increasing or adding hand sanitizing stations around stores for customers and employees
    • Changing store hours to encourage shopping at times with fewer people
    • Scheduling specific hours of operation for vulnerable populations to shop without other customers

The Food Industry Association provides extensive resources about COVID-19. Visit its “Key Resources” page here. It also offers two excellent publications for download: Guidance for the Food Industry: Coronavirus Outbreak: I. Best Practices and Planning for the Immediate Situation (March 17, 2020) and Guidance for the Food Industry: Coronavirus Outbreak II. Short-Term Best Practices (March 26, 2020). Both offer guidance and information about the food supply chain, including:

    • Evaluate receiving and delivery practices to minimize human-to-human contact. For example, limit the sharing of pens or equipment.
    • Work with suppliers to identify local manufacturers and producers of essential products.
    • Coordinate with buying departments or retail customers; learn about their plans to “bulk up” on core items so facilities can be secured for emergency storage.
    • Increase volumes in-demand items such as pasta, sauces, canned foods, instant noodles, frozen meals/foods, cleaning detergents, alcohol, hand sanitizer, and paper products.
    • Offer to collect from suppliers where stock is available; agree on basic commercial terms to cover costs.
    • Accept deliveries when they’re available from suppliers and prioritize inbound bookings.
    • Relax on-time performance metrics.

The American Beverage Association is one of 60 signatories to a letter advocating for a national public framework in which food, beverage, and consumer packaged goods manufacturers and their transporters are exempt from bans and curfews. It called for “uniformity and consistent policies,” noting that food, beverage, and other packaged goods manufacturing facilities have been exempted from bans and curfews in some states but not others. These groups say a uniform national policy will “ensure continuous delivery of essential services.”

Furthermore, on March 18, the association sent a letter directly to President Trump “advocating for common-sense actions to help our industry operate and deliver products during this challenging time.” These include (quoted verbatim):

    • Exempting employees involved in the manufacture, distribution, delivery, and stocking of food and beverage items from federal, state, or local restrictions to ensure continuous delivery of essential services.
    • Putting forth an executive action to lift truck weight limits, historically governed by state law, to facilitate meeting the critical need of delivering essential goods in response to COVID-19.
    • Clarifying ambiguity surrounding the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) hours of service guidance. Specifically, requesting the FMCSA clarify in writing that the restocking of grocery store shelves by delivery drivers is included in what constitutes direct assistance for supporting emergency relief efforts.

3. What is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) saying about COVID-19 and the food supply chain?

The FDA released its latest statement concerning the food supply chain on March 28. In it, the agency said it was “working around the clock to make sure that Americans have access to safe food and medical products.” Here are the key statements concerning the food supply:

    • Retail supply chains remain strong.
    • The FDA is working with food manufacturers and grocery stores to identify shortages in the human and animal food supply chain. It is in contact with industry and trade associations about supply chain issues.
    • There are “no widespread disruptions reported in the [human and animal food] supply chain.”
    • “Empty grocery shelves” resulted from “unprecedented demand,” not shortcomings in the ability to produce, process, and deliver goods.

On March 26, the FDA released “Temporary Policy Regarding Preventive Controls and FSVP Food Supplier Verification Onsite Audit Requirements During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: Guidance for Industry” (Docket No. FDA-2020-D-1108). It states the FDA’s “current intent … in certain circumstances related to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19).” It contains nonbinding recommendations, not a legal pronouncements; companies “can use an alternative approach if it satisfies the requirements of the applicable statutes and regulations.”

The document address regulations in three areas

    1. Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food
    2. Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals
    3. Foreign Supplier Verification Programs for Importers of Food for Humans and Animals

Final Thoughts

The situation is changing every hour, every day. Like all responsible companies, rfxcel is monitoring the spread and affects of COVID-19. Foremost in our minds is the well-being of our employees and their families and our customers and their employees and families.

As for the F&B supply chain, we have powerful solutions to help keep things moving. The latest version of our signature rfxcel Traceability System (rTS) is the most complete and flexible raw materials and finished goods traceability solution for F&B. And our rfxcel MobileTraceability app can track any batch, movement, and handler at any location, putting the power of a digital supply chain at your fingertips. Learn more about these and our other solutions for F&B here.

And we want our customers to know we are open and operating at full capacity. Our supply chain solutions are designed to keep working under extraordinary circumstances. If you have any questions or concerns, contact your rfxcel account and project managers.

Please keep an eye out for further updates via email and on our website, and contact us if you have any questions, We are here to help and answer your questions.

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