The supply chain for any manufacturer can be complicated, but when it comes to food, the stakes are as high as human life. All it takes is one compromised ingredient and a long and complicated chain must be quickly untangled to make things safe again. The key to managing a tight supply chain is communication. For many years, companies have managed with a manual system of paper records to document their supply chain. With global food distribution, this has become tougher to do. Manufacturers must be able to trace all ingredients back to their origin and forward to the consumer’s shopping cart. If food needs refrigeration, that also must be traceable along its entire route, and common allergens must be kept separate from other ingredients, with checkpoints all along the way.