Summary

Guinness Steak Cuts makes shelf-stable protein products that need every unit traceable to its production run. We validated the existing inventory, then built lot, batch and expiration capture into receiving so a recall could target one lot instead of everything.

The situation

Food brands don't get to treat traceability as a nice-to-have. If a production run has a problem, the question is whether you can identify which units it affected, and the answer is decided long before the problem happens.

Guinness Steak Cuts was scaling distribution across both direct-to-consumer and retail. Demand was fine. What needed building was the inventory control underneath it.

Three gaps mattered.

Traceability was incomplete. Lot numbers, batch information and expiration dates weren't fully captured, which means reduced visibility day to day and a slow, broad response if a recall were ever needed.

Inventory needed validating. Carton condition and packaging integrity varied, and without an inspection step, products that shouldn't ship can reach a retailer or a customer.

Growth was outpacing process. Retail partnerships expanded alongside DTC, with fulfillment workflows that hadn't been standardized to match.

What we did

Validated the existing inventory. Every product was assessed for packaging condition and carton integrity. Product suitable for fulfillment was confirmed and released into sellable inventory. Product that didn't meet standard was pulled and removed rather than shipped.

Built lot, batch and expiration capture into receiving. Every unit is recorded with its lot, batch and expiration at intake, so it stays traceable from arrival through delivery. That data is captured at receiving because it cannot be reconstructed afterward.

Standardized fulfillment workflows. Consistent handling, controlled inventory movement and consistent documentation, so compliance is part of how orders are processed rather than a separate check someone remembers to do.

Structured inbound processing. New inventory verified, documented and integrated as it arrives, which stops discrepancies entering the system in the first place.

Supported both channels from one operation. DTC and retail distribution running off the same traceable inventory.

Results

Full lot-level traceability, with every unit traceable to its production run from intake through delivery.

A validated inventory baseline, with unusable products removed rather than shipped.

Recall readiness. If a specific run needs isolating, the records exist to identify exactly which units and where they went.

Consistent fulfillment across both channels, with compliance built into the workflow.

Why this one matters

Every 3PL will tell you it can handle food products. The question that separates them is what happens when a lot has to come back.

A warehouse with lot-level records identifies which units from a given run shipped, to whom, and what remains in stock. A warehouse without them pulls everything, because it can't prove which units are affected. That's the difference between isolating one production run and writing off your entire inventory.

And it's decided at receiving. If lot and expiration data isn't captured when product arrives, no amount of good intention reconstructs it later.

Questions this raises

What is lot and batch tracking? Recording each product's production information at receiving so inventory can be traced from manufacturing through final delivery. It's what makes a targeted recall possible and what supports regulatory compliance.

Why does expiration tracking matter for shelf-stable products? Shelf-stable doesn't mean indefinite. Capturing expiration at receiving allows FEFO picking, so the earliest expiring stock ships first rather than aging out behind newer inventory.

What happens in a recall? Lot-level records identify which units from a production run shipped and what remains in stock, so the affected lot is isolated instead of pulling all inventory.

Are your facilities FDA registered? Yes. Las Vegas, NV is FDA Reg. No. 16910886318 and Orlando, FL is FDA Reg. No. 16104984420. Our operations follow Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines across receiving, storage, fulfillment, and inventory management.

Do you inspect product condition at receiving? Yes. Packaging condition and carton integrity are checked, and product that doesn't meet standard is pulled rather than entering sellable inventory. We work with sealed and packaged products and don't repackage.

Want to learn more?

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