Food and Beverage Traceability Solutions for FDA and USDA Compliance and Rapid Recall Readiness
Food processors and beverage manufacturers operate under some of the strictest recordkeeping rules in industry — and a single missed lot record can turn a small quality issue into a broad, costly recall. KnarrTek's food and beverage traceability solutions — the BellHawk and MilramX platforms — replace manual paperwork and spreadsheets with one real-time record of materials, production, and shipments, supporting FSMA, HACCP, and SQFI documentation requirements while giving plant and quality teams the visibility they need to catch problems before they reach a customer.
What is food and beverage traceability software?
KnarrTek's food traceability software combines lot and material tracking, production monitoring, and quality documentation so processors and manufacturers can meet FDA and USDA recordkeeping expectations without relying on paper forms and manual data entry. KnarrTek delivers this through two connected platforms: BellHawk, which captures barcode and RFID scan data on materials, lots, and production activity at every handling step, and MilramX, which layers rules-based automation and system integration on top of that data. Together they replace scattered spreadsheets with one real-time record spanning receiving, production, quality control, and shipping.
Comprehensive Lot & Material Tracking
Track materials by lot and serial number, location, expiration date, storage requirements, and quality control status from receiving through finished goods.
Traceability Database & Rapid Recall
Record which materials went into which intermediate and finished products, enabling one-step-backward and one-step-forward traceability that narrows a recall's scope.
Quality Assurance Documentation
Capture quality control approvals and test data at every manufacturing step, so audit-ready records exist without being reassembled by hand after the fact.
Real-Time Operational Visibility
See inventory, work-in-process, equipment, labor, quality holds, customer orders, and shipments in one current view across the plant.
Where food and beverage operations lose time and control
Food processors and beverage manufacturers work under some of the most demanding regulatory regimes in industry, and manual tracking methods create risk at every handoff. KnarrTek's BellHawk and MilramX replace scattered spreadsheets and paper logs with one connected, real-time record.
Overlapping Regulatory Requirements
FSMA, the Bioterrorism Act, HACCP, and SQFI each carry their own recordkeeping expectations, and tracking them separately on paper multiplies the chance something falls through.
Slow, Manual Recall Response
Without a searchable lot-level record, tracing which finished products contain a suspect ingredient can force a broad, costly recall instead of a narrow, targeted one.
Perishability & Cold Chain Visibility
Expiration dates, storage conditions, and shelf life all have to be tracked in real time, and a paper log can't flag an aging lot before it becomes a quality problem.
Fragmented Multi-Site Data
Plants, distribution centers, and co-packers often run on disconnected spreadsheets or legacy systems, leaving leadership without one current view of inventory and production.
What BellHawk does for food and beverage processors
BellHawk is food traceability software built as a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) and Warehouse Management System (WMS) for food processors and beverage manufacturers, replacing paper forms and manual data entry with barcode scanning and mobile devices.
Comprehensive Tracking
Track materials by lot and serial number, location, expiration dates, storage requirements, quality control parameters, and hazardous materials status.
Traceability Database
Record materials used in intermediate and finished products, enabling rapid one-step-backward and one-step-forward traceability to identify defect sources and limit recalls.
Quality Assurance
Track every manufacturing step, including quality control approvals and test data, to support your organization's quality plan.
Automated Labeling
Print product- and customer-specific labels based on database contents, helping keep labeling accurate and consistent with what's actually in the lot.
Real-Time Visibility
See inventory, work-in-process, equipment, labor, quality control, customer orders, and shipments in one current view.
From material receipt to traceability record
Raw materials, lots, and production activity are scanned by barcode and RFID at receiving, storage, processing, and packaging into the BellHawk engine as product moves through the plant. BellHawk records lot and material status, tracks work-in-process across production steps, and applies labeling at the lot and case level — the same data layer that supports food processing and packaging, RFID asset management across multi-site operations, and product- and customer-specific labeling. That record feeds the data MilramX uses to trigger rules-based alerts on quality holds or shortages, consolidate visibility for plant and quality leadership, and synchronize selected data with ERP and accounting systems such as QuickBooks or Oracle, without requiring a costly system replacement.
- Barcode and RFID capture at receiving, storage, processing, and packaging.
- Lot, expiration, and storage status tracked in real time across every location.
- One-step-backward and one-step-forward traceability linking raw materials to finished products.
- Rules-based alerts flag quality holds, shortages, or missed process steps.
- Multi-site and distribution center visibility consolidated into one record.
- Selected data synchronized to ERP and accounting systems via MilramX.
What happens to a lot as it moves through the plant
Each of these stages is a real sequence a BellHawk-enabled plant follows, and each one writes something to the traceability record — so a lot stays tracked end-to-end, quality holds stay visible, and FDA and USDA documentation happens automatically instead of by hand.
Receive & Track
Raw materials are scanned on arrival with lot, expiration, and storage data recorded before they reach a cooler, freezer, or dry-storage location.
Process & Verify
Mixing, cooking, and packaging steps are monitored in real time, with quality control checks and label printing tied directly to the lot moving through the line.
Pick, Pack & Ship
Finished goods are picked, packed, and shipped with real-time data integration, and the traceability record stays accessible for the retention period your compliance program requires.
Deployment flexibility for food and beverage environments
KnarrTek's platforms adapt to how and where food and beverage operations actually run, supporting minimal disruption during implementation and long-term scalability as production and distribution grow.
On-Premise Deployment
BellHawk and MilramX install on internal infrastructure to align with plant IT policies while keeping full access to tracking, reporting, and automation — well suited to operations managing sensitive supplier data or integrating with legacy enterprise systems.
Plant-Ready & Offline Capture
Mobile devices capture barcode and RFID scans in coolers, freezers, loading docks, and other areas with limited connectivity, synchronizing automatically once a connection is restored.
Hybrid Deployment
Data capture stays local at each plant or distribution center while centralized dashboards give quality and operations leadership real-time visibility across every site.
Where MilramX extends BellHawk with automation
MilramX is the half of KnarrTek's food and beverage workflow solutions that turns BellHawk's real-time scan data into action. Built on the Microsoft stack (Visual Studio, IIS, SQL Server), it provides intelligent, automated solutions for materials management, integrating seamlessly with BellHawk and systems like ERP, QuickBooks, or Oracle so managers get actionable, real-time information instead of a stack of reports.
Intelligent Automation
An intelligent-agent framework schedules parallel tasks like data transfers and alerts, streamlining supply chain operations without constant manual oversight.
Data Integration
Fetches and monitors data from multiple systems, transforming it into High Level Data Objects (HLDOs) for simplified, consistent processing.
Management Console
Tracks purchase orders, work orders, move orders, and shipments in real time from one console.
Error Handling
Built-in error detection and correction supports 24/7 operation, with automated alerts for IT intervention when something needs a human look.
Flexible Integration
Integrates with ERP, CAD, and other systems, extending beyond food processing to support related supply chains like construction and medical supply.
Why food and beverage operations choose KnarrTek
KnarrTek's food and beverage traceability solutions tackle the core pain points of regulated production: overlapping compliance requirements, slow manual recalls, cold chain blind spots, and documentation assembled by hand.
Rapid Traceability
Instant one-step-backward and one-step-forward tracking supports FDA and USDA compliance and narrows recall scope when a problem does turn up.
Cost Savings
Labor savings, fewer errors, and reduced waste, spoilage, and expedited shipments commonly let the system pay for itself in six months or less, with results varying by facility.
Enhanced Safety
Tracking materials and personnel supports risk mitigation, including bioterrorism-related recordkeeping, alongside everyday consumer safety and regulatory compliance.
Operational Efficiency
Real-time visibility and automation reduce manual processes and improve inventory, production, and shipment management across the plant.
Scalability
Solutions are tailored for small to mid-sized producers and multi-site operations alike, with customizable configurations to fit unique business needs.
Two ways food and beverage traceability solutions are deployed
BellHawk and MilramX support a range of deployment shapes. These are representative patterns rather than a specific customer's results, described so you can recognize which one resembles your own operation.
Lot traceability consolidated across several production sites
Each plant captures receiving and packaging scans locally, while a hybrid deployment gives quality leadership one consolidated view of lot status across every site.
A processor running several plants deploys BellHawk at each site to capture raw material receipt, storage, and packaging scans, with mobile devices supporting offline capture in coolers and loading docks. MilramX consolidates lot status, quality holds, and work-in-process across sites into dashboards for quality and operations leadership, without requiring every plant to run on the same network.
One consolidated view of lot status across plants, faster narrowing of recall scope, and less time spent reconciling separate spreadsheets during an audit.
Production and shipping data synchronized with existing accounting systems
A lot created at receiving carries through production, labeling, and shipping, so quality and operations teams are always looking at the same status.
A beverage manufacturer or contract co-packer uses BellHawk to track a lot from raw material receipt through mixing, packaging, and shipping, with barcode and RFID scans updating status at each step. MilramX synchronizes that data with QuickBooks or Oracle, so quality holds and shipment status are visible to operations and finance without a parallel manual spreadsheet.
Fewer miscommunications between production, quality, and finance, and documentation that's already assembled by the time an auditor asks for it.
These are representative application patterns, not guaranteed outcomes. Actual results depend on facility scope, product mix, network availability, process design, implementation scope, data quality, integrations, procedures, training, and user adoption.
Three ways to run food and beverage traceability software
BellHawk and MilramX are the food traceability software underneath KnarrTek's product line, delivered as three packaged options. Which one fits depends on how much of your plant runs through the system, how you need to deploy it, and how much automation you want around exceptions.
BellHawk Online
Browser-based real-time tracking for lots, materials, barcode scans, and production activity, without replacing your ERP or accounting platform. Material receipts, quality holds, and shipment status are visible the moment they're scanned, with no local server to maintain.
WIPtracker
In-plant MES and WMS control covering work-in-process tracking, materials management, quality documentation, labeling, and barcode and RFID data capture — the deeper on-site foundation food and beverage operations use for lot-level traceability.
SmartOps24x7
ERP integration and smart operations monitoring built around KnarrTek's MilramX agents, adding rules-based alerts, 24/7 system oversight, and automated data exchange across connected accounting and distribution systems.
Food and beverage traceability is one part of a larger record
BellHawk's food and beverage traceability software works alongside the other ways KnarrTek collects data at the point of work. Most deployments combine two or three of these.
Real-Time WIP Tracking
Work-in-process visibility across every site, so a lot's status is always current wherever it sits.
WIP trackingInventory & Asset Tracking
Accurate material and asset visibility across your facility, the record that every plant transaction posts into.
Inventory trackingRFID Inventory System
KnarrTek's RFID tracking software delivers hands-free identification that streamlines and automates inventory tracking where barcode scanning alone is impractical, such as bulk pallet moves.
RFID trackingTrack & Trace Materials
Materials traceability software that makes it easy to track and trace materials from receiving to shipping.
Materials traceabilityMaterials Flow & Job Tracking
Material flow and job progress monitored throughout production, giving work-in-process transactions their operational context.
Job trackingCommon questions about traceability and compliance support
Practical answers about KnarrTek's food and beverage traceability solutions — BellHawk, MilramX, RFID, and what actually gets tracked once product starts moving through your plant.
What is food and beverage traceability software?
Is this FSMA compliance software and HACCP compliance software?
How does this reduce the scope of a recall?
Does BellHawk work in coolers, freezers, and areas with limited connectivity?
Can this track expiration dates and storage requirements?
Do we have to choose between barcode and RFID?
Can this integrate with our ERP or accounting software?
What deployment options are available?
What's the difference between BellHawk and MilramX?
Does this support audit-ready documentation?
Can this scale from a single plant to multiple sites?
What does implementation typically involve?
Ready to replace paper traceability with a real-time record?
Start with the compliance gap causing you the most risk — KnarrTek's food and beverage traceability team can help map your materials, lots, quality checkpoints, and integrations needed to keep every shipment audit-ready, on-premise, offline, or hybrid.
