Nitrotick · QA Governance & Product Traceability

From product to trusted information.

Governed QA workflows, batch traceability and recall with verifiable evidence — and approved product information published to consumers, partners and auditors through GS1 Digital Link.

Request a pilot See how batch recall works
  • Food & feed
  • Agriculture & fertilizer
  • Chemicals
  • Other physical products
One GS1 2D code serving four audiences A product pack carries a GS1 2D code with the GTIN and batch. It resolves through a GS1 Digital Link on the producer's own domain to four audiences: consumers see public product information, business partners see specifications and certificates, QA teams see batch status, and auditors see evidence. The approved batch status, such as approved, hold or recalled, is shown on every scan. Product pack GS1 2D code GTIN + batch GS1 Digital Link · on your own domain ConsumerProduct infopublic PartnerSpecs & certificatesauthenticated QA teamBatch statusauthenticated AuditorEvidenceauthenticated APPROVED BATCH STATUS · SHOWN ON EVERY SCAN APPROVED HOLD RECALLED
One GS1 2D code on the pack — each audience sees only the information approved for it.
The problem

QA lives in spreadsheets. Customers ask for proof.

Inspections, lab results, label approvals and batch decisions are spread across paper forms, e-mail and spreadsheets. When an auditor, a retailer or a regulator asks what happened to one batch, the answer takes days to reconstruct.

What that costs you

  • Slow recallsFinding every affected lot, supplier and customer is manual and error-prone.
  • Unattributable approvalsIt is unclear who approved a label, a lab result or a release — and under which procedure version.
  • Records that can be changedA spreadsheet or shared folder offers no evidence that a record was not edited afterwards.
  • Outdated information on the packPrinted information cannot change when a batch is put on hold.
Batch recall

From QA decision to public status

A governed, traceable and publicly visible process — every step attributable, every status change evidenced.

How batch recall works, from QA decision to public status Step one: an incident is registered, the affected lot is identified and an authorized person decides on hold or recall. Step two: the decision is executed and recorded as tamper-evident evidence. Step three, optional: the evidence is timestamped by a qualified trust service provider in the background. Step four: scanning the GS1 Digital Link shows the current approved status, such as hold or recalled. A GS1 Digital Link does not itself remove products from shelves or block a sale at checkout. 1QA decisionAn incident is registered,the affected lot identifiedand an authorized persondecides hold or recall.2Execution & evidenceThe decision is executed;who, when and which processversion are recorded astamper-evident evidence.3Qualified timestampOptionally, the evidence istimestamped by a qualifiedtrust service provider —in the background.Optional4Public statusScanning the GS1 DigitalLink shows the currentapproved status on theproduct portal.HOLDRECALLED i A GS1 Digital Link shows the approved status. It does not itself remove products from shelves or block a sale at checkout — that requires a separate integration with retailer point-of-sale systems.
Publication never waits for the optional external timestamp.
QA workflow catalogue

Governed workflows for the records auditors ask for

Each workflow has its own forms, validations, approval policy and evidence. Start with the three that matter most to you and add more over time.

WorkflowWhat it governsIndicative EU reference
Batch traceability & incidentLot, suppliers, recipients, hold and withdrawal decisionsEC 178/2002, Art. 18–19
QA inspection & corrective actionChecklists, deviations, corrective actions and supervisor reviewEC 852/2004 (HACCP)
Laboratory result reviewLab reports, criteria review and authorized release or holdEC 2073/2005
Label version approvalIngredients, allergens and label versions approved before publicationEU 1169/2011
Consignment evidenceQuantities, parties, dispatch and receipt documentsEC 853/2004 · EU 931/2011
Sampling & result approvalSampling, results and responsible follow-upEC 2160/2003
Packing recordPacking date, producer, class, quantity and lotEU 2023/2465
Origin declarationOrigin statements and supplier documentsEU 1337/2013, where applicable
Feed lot declarationFeed lots, suppliers and farm useEC 183/2005
Fertilizer quality recordProduction lot, provenance, laboratory and conformity reviewEU 2019/1009, where applicable

Regulatory references are capability mapping, not legal advice. Applicability depends on your products, markets and competent authority. Nitrotick supports audit preparation; it does not guarantee audit acceptance or regulatory compliance.

GS1 Digital Link

One code. The right information for every audience.

A GS1 Digital Link connects your existing GTIN — and, where needed, the batch — to a web address on your own domain. The destination can change without reprinting the pack.

  • ConsumersApproved product information, ingredients, allergens, usage instructions and sustainability.
  • Business partnersSpecifications, certificates and trade data behind authenticated access.
  • QA teams and auditorsBatch status and evidence in role-based portals — confidential reports stay private unless approved for disclosure.
  • SystemsMachine-readable product and batch data for partner applications.
Available

Governed publication

Only information approved in a QA workflow is published, and only the fields classified as public.

In development

GS1-conformant resolver

A resolver tested against the published GS1 conformance suite, running on your domain. Passing the suite is not GS1 certification or retailer approval.

GS1 Sunrise 2027 is an industry goal for retail scanners to read 2D barcodes — not an EU law or a deadline for manufacturers. Existing linear barcodes may still be needed.

Agriculture & circular economy

From production to field — and back to soil

For fertilizer and agricultural producers, traceability does not end at the shelf. Nitrotick follows each batch through the whole value chain and back into production as recycled input.

  • Verified product identityBatch, production date and composition on every pack.
  • Nutrient content and usage guidanceApproved instructions for farmers, in several languages.
  • Sustainability claims with evidenceCertificates and recycled-input records linked to each batch.
  • Feedback from the fieldUsage and returns feed the next production cycle.
Circular value chain for agricultural products Seven stages in a circle around Nitrotick: raw materials, production, packaging and product identity, distribution and retail, use on the field, organic waste and residues, and recycling into new inputs that return to production. Circular value chain with Nitrotick 1Raw materialsnutrients & inputs2Productiongoverned batches3Packaging& product ID4Distribution& retail5Use on fieldusage & feedback6Organic waste& residues7Recycling& new inputs
Each stage is a governed, evidenced step on the same batch identity.
Honest evidence

What the evidence proves — and what it does not

It shows

  • Who recorded and who approved each decision
  • Which version of the procedure applied
  • That the record has not been altered since it was approved
  • The full history of each batch, independently verifiable from an export

It does not, on its own, prove

  • That a laboratory result was scientifically correct
  • That an inspection was performed properly
  • That a product is safe
  • Legal compliance or audit acceptance
Integrations

Keep your systems

ERP, LIMS, QMS, MES and read-only industrial data from SCADA, OPC UA or IoT — connected through scoped integrations.

Optional

Qualified timestamps

Approved evidence can be timestamped by an eIDAS qualified trust service provider where an audit, dispute or export market requires it.

Your data

You own it

Your QA records, documents, domains and product links remain yours, exportable in documented open formats.

FAQ

QA Governance & Product Traceability — frequently asked questions

Can a GS1 Digital Link QR code stop a recalled product from being sold?

Not on its own. Scanning the code shows the current approved status, such as HOLD or RECALLED, on every lookup. Blocking a sale at the checkout requires a separate integration with the retailer's point-of-sale systems.

Is a GS1 Digital Link the same as an EU Digital Product Passport for food?

No. Food and feed are excluded from the general EU Ecodesign (ESPR) framework, so a GS1 Digital Link does not create a mandatory Digital Product Passport for food. It is a standards-based way to give consumers and partners verified product information, and physical labelling rules still apply. For products that do fall under ESPR, see Digital Product Passport.

Does verifiable evidence prove that a product is safe?

No. Evidence shows who recorded and approved what, under which process version, and that the record has not been altered since. It does not prove that a laboratory result was scientifically correct or that an inspection was performed properly.

Do we have to replace our ERP, LIMS or QMS?

No. Existing systems stay in place. Nitrotick connects to them through scoped, read-only integrations and adds the governed QA workflow, evidence and publication layer.

Who controls the GS1 Digital Link domain?

You do. The domain encoded in your QR codes belongs to your company, so you can change providers later without reprinting packaging.

Pilot

Start with three QA workflows and one product line

Tell us your products, your current QA tools and the records your auditors and customers ask for. Message the founder on LinkedIn for a presentation or a tailored offer.

Message on LinkedIn Digital Product Passport