Associated Grocers of New England Sets New Standard in Food Traceability, Prepares for FSMA 204 Recordkeeping

The advancement signifies a commitment to transparency, quality, and safety through end-to-end traceability

SALT LAKE CITY & PEMBROKE, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Associated Grocers of New England, the largest retailer-owned, wholesale grocery distribution center in New England, has advanced efforts to comply with FDA’s FSMA 204 food traceability law through automation with the ReposiTrak Traceability Network^®. As the world’s largest operating traceability network, the ReposiTrak solution enables the exchange and maintenance of FDA-required data between the co-op’s suppliers, distribution center and retail locations.

“AGNE services the needs of independent retail grocers of every store size and format. It’s absolutely essential that any technology or solution we choose is efficient to use and economical for them, and also for our valued supplier partners,” said Mike Violette, president and CEO of Associated Grocers of New England. “Complying with the FDA’s regulation is a non-negotiable, but finding the best solution for our total supply chain was up to us.”

The FDA’s FSMA 204 food traceability regulation requires manufacturers, processors and those who pack or hold foods on the Food Traceability List (FTL) to establish and maintain Key Data Element (KDE) records for specific Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) in a product’s journey through the supply chain. As that product changes hands or changes form, a compounding string of data must be transferred between trading partners to provide full, end-to-end traceability. The AGNE supply chain consists of hundreds of suppliers, a distribution center and more than 350 corporate and independent retail locations operating under multiple banners.

“Thousands of SKUs are moved through our distribution center every day, many of which are directly impacted by the food traceability law,” Violette continues. “The ReposiTrak Traceability Network makes it easy for our hundreds of suppliers to get connected and send us the required data, without disrupting their workflow or ours.”

The ReposiTrak Traceability Network is the only solution that’s scalable for the total food supply chain, without the need for new hardware, software or even labeling systems. It is built upon the largest, already-connected network of more than 110,000 individual supplier facilities, making the onboarding process faster and easier for retailers. In addition, ReposiTrak’s team of experts is prepared to have real conversations with food supply chain operators to understand each company’s unique challenges and determine the best approach. There is no cost for retailers and suppliers can connect to an unlimited number of customers and begin sharing data for a low, flat fee.

Food supply chain operators interested in discussing the impact of FSMA 204 on their business should contact Derek Hannum ([e-mail]).

About Associated Grocers of New England

Founded in 1946, Associated Grocers of New England is the largest retailer-owned, wholesale grocery Distribution Center in New England. AGNE serves the needs of Independent Retail Grocers of every store size and format: multi-store independent supermarket groups, community supermarkets, country stores, and convenience retailers. While we continue to do the majority of our business in the six New England States of New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, we have expanded beyond New England and have retailers in the Upstate New York/Albany area, and we even will deliver as far as Eastern Pennsylvania. For more information, visit https://www.agne.com/.

About ReposiTrak

Park City Group, d/b/a ReposiTrak (NYSE:TRAK), provides retailers, suppliers and wholesalers with a robust solution suite to help reduce risk and remain in compliance with regulatory requirements; enhance operational controls; and increase sales with unrivaled brand protection. Consisting of three product families – food traceability, compliance and risk management, and supply chain solutions – ReposiTrak’s cloud-based platform’s integrated applications are mutually reinforcing and work synergistically to create value and positive impact. Park City Group is in the process of changing its corporate name to ReposiTrak. For more information, please visit https://repositrak.com/.