How Repacking Services Impact Traceability — and What Manufacturers Can Do About It

Retailers often request mixed-product displays to drive in-store sales — eye-catching pallets or half-skids stocked with assorted flavors and packaging. To fulfill these requests, food and beverage manufacturers frequently rely on repacking services that can assemble and ship these customized displays at scale.

While this approach saves time and labor, it introduces a hidden risk: loss of lot-level visibility. When products are removed from original cases and combined into new retail displays, traceability becomes significantly more complex. And in today’s environment — where compliance, recalls, and retailer demands are more intense than ever — that complexity matters.

The Efficiency and the Risk

Repackers play an essential role in the supply chain. They receive pallets of finished goods and packaging materials, assemble retail-ready displays, and prepare them for shipment. The process is fast-paced and people-intensive, often involving multiple SKUs and partial lots.

However, that same efficiency can obscure key traceability data.

• Multiple lots, one display: When products from several production lots are combined into one pallet display, the direct connection between the original lot and the finished shipment is broken.
• Waste and rework: Damaged products or packaging are common during repacking, creating discrepancies between what was received and what is shipped.
• New labeling challenges: Once displays are assembled, they often receive new item codes or skids, creating additional traceability layers that are difficult to reconcile later.

Without robust enough data capture, it becomes difficult — if not impossible — to trace which ingredients or production batches ended up in which retail locations.

Improving Traceability in the Repacking Process

Manufacturers can take proactive steps to close the traceability gap without sacrificing efficiency:

1. Ship single-lot quantities whenever possible.
    When re-packers receive consistent lots for each SKU, it reduces the complexity of tracking what ends up in each finished display.
2. Request repack usage data.
    Ask repacking partners to provide records of which lots and quantities were used in each assembly job. Even a simple digital record helps connect the dots if a recall or quality issue arises.
3. Invest in connected tracking tools.
    Many repacking services use handheld systems for warehouse management but lack the capability to record lot-level details. Upgrading to connected software that syncs with manufacturers’ systems enables both speed and visibility.
4. Treat traceability as a shared responsibility.
    True end-to-end traceability extends beyond the production floor. By treating repackers as an extension of the manufacturing process — and equipping them with the right tools — brands can maintain visibility from raw material through to retail shelf.

The Bottom Line

Repacking services can save manufacturers significant time and cost — but they can also become a blind spot for traceability if data isn’t properly managed. By consolidating systems and setting clear expectations with partners, food and beverage companies can strengthen compliance, reduce recall risk, and protect their brand reputation.

Traceability doesn’t stop when the product leaves your facility. It extends through every handoff — including the ones assembling your retail displays.