Recent events concerning horse meat in the food supply chain have renewed focus on the need for integrated systems that can provide a total plant IT solution for the food industry.

A seminar this week on the IT solutions for the sector aims to provide food industry managers with an insight into technologies that can ensure traceability of products and packaging, from production to store shelf.

"Having the best systems in place that ensure traceability, quality control, food safety and financial management across the food processing supply chain enables real-time visibility and control for management and eliminates risks if an event was to occur, protecting the company's reputation," Simply Dynamics chief executive Ger Foskin said.

These systems must be fully integrated to understand the whole picture within the production, financial and quality departments, according to David McMahon, CEO of Emydex.

The seminar, which takes place tomorrow at the Microsoft European Development Centre, will look at how joined up IT systems can enable reporting of financial management and control, stock control, food safety management production and traceability reporting and factory line and operator performance.