8 Best ERPs For Food and Beverage Manufacturers (2025)

Food and beverage manufacturing isn’t just about producing goods at scale, it’s about doing it safely, consistently, and efficiently while navigating a maze of regulations and fast-changing consumer expectations. Whether you’re managing short shelf lives, multi-stage recipes, or batch-level traceability, a generic ERP system probably won’t cut it.

That’s why more and more manufacturers in this sector are turning to industry-specific ERP platforms. These systems are built with the tools and workflows needed to stay compliant, minimise waste, and keep production running smoothly even when things don’t go as planned.

In this guide, we’re breaking down what makes food and beverage ERP software different from standard options, which features are essential, and which platforms are worth your time. We’ve also included tips on how to choose the right partner and get your implementation right the first time.

What Makes Food and Beverage ERPs Different

A typical ERP system is designed to handle finance, sales, inventory, and procurement. But food and beverage businesses deal with a completely different set of challenges, from raw ingredient variability to complex health and safety standards.

Here’s what sets a food-focused ERP apart:

Lot and batch traceability: In the event of a recall or audit, you need to trace every ingredient from supplier to consumer in seconds.
Recipe and formula management: Food manufacturers must scale, modify, and version recipes across product lines while maintaining quality and compliance.
Shelf-life and expiry tracking: Your ERP needs to track best-before dates, apply FIFO or FEFO rules, and stop expired stock from being picked or shipped.
Catch weight and variable units: Products like meat, cheese, and produce don’t come in fixed weights, and your system must support accurate pricing and inventory.
Built-in compliance workflows: From allergen tracking to HACCP and FDA documentation, these systems should help you stay audit-ready.
Real-time quality control: Spot checks, lab results, and production inspections should feed directly into the ERP and trigger holds or alerts as needed.

In short, a food-grade ERP is built with process manufacturing in mind, giving you more control over production, quality, and safety while reducing manual effort and risk.

What Features Are Required of an ERP to Handle Food and Beverage Needs

When you're evaluating ERP systems, it's not just about checking boxes, it’s about making sure the features actually solve your day-to-day challenges. Food and beverage operations are complex, and your ERP needs to handle that complexity without slowing you down.

Here are the key features you should be looking for:

Full lot and batch traceability with forward and backward lookup
Shelf-life and expiry date controls, including FEFO inventory logic
Recipe/formula management with version control, scaling, and substitution handling
Production planning and scheduling tools tailored to process manufacturing
Integrated quality control (QC) with in-line checks and non-conformance management
Allergen and nutritional data management, including label generation
Regulatory compliance tools (e.g., HACCP, FDA, GFSI, BRC) with audit trails and documentation storage
Inventory control and warehouse management with real-time tracking and stock visibility
Catch weight support for products with variable weights
Mobile access and shop floor data collection via scanners or tablets
Supplier management and procurement visibility, including raw material quality tracking
Built-in or integrated reporting and analytics tailored to food manufacturing KPIs

If your ERP doesn’t support these out of the box, or requires major customisation just to get started, it probably isn’t the right fit.

Best ERPs for Food and Beverage Manufacturers

BatchMaster ERP

BatchMaster is built specifically for process manufacturers and is widely adopted across food, beverage, nutraceutical, and chemical industries. What makes it a strong fit is its deep focus on formula-based production and regulatory compliance. It doesn’t just bolt onto a generic ERP, it’s built from the ground up to manage recipe management, traceability, and quality control.

Key Features:

Recipe and formula management with version control
Batch production and lot traceability
Shelf-life and expiry management
Integrated quality checks
Compliance support for FDA, HACCP, SQF, and more

Pricing:

Starts around £1,000/month for base licences; implementation varies based on customisation needs.

Best suited to:

Mid-size to large food and beverage manufacturers who want an ERP that already speaks their language, especially those with complex recipes and strict compliance needs.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is a flexible, cloud-based ERP solution well-suited to small and mid-sized food and beverage manufacturers looking for a scalable and cost-effective system. While it isn’t purpose-built for the food industry, it supports a wide range of customisations and integrates easily with industry-specific add-ons like Foodware 365.

These enhancements allow manufacturers to manage recipe and batch production, traceability, shelf-life tracking, and quality control within a familiar Microsoft environment. With strong financials, supply chain tools, and real-time data visibility, Business Central provides a solid foundation for growth, especially when paired with a partner who understands food manufacturing requirements.

Key Features:

Inventory and warehouse management with lot tracking
Recipe and BOM management with batch control
Integration with Power BI for reporting and dashboards
Mobile access and automation tools
Available industry add-ons (Aptean, Foodware 365) to extend functionality for food manufacturers

Pricing:

Starts from £58/user/month for the Essentials licence; expect to pay more for advanced modules, add-ons, and partner customisation. Implementation typically ranges from £10,000–£75,000 depending on scope.

Best suited to:

Small to mid-sized food and beverage companies looking for flexibility, modern cloud tools, and a familiar Microsoft environment. Ideal if you want to start simple and scale up over time.

Aptean Food & Beverage ERP

Aptean Food & Beverage ERP is a comprehensive, industry-specific solution designed to manage every stage of food and beverage production. It brings together recipe management, traceability, quality control, and compliance tools within a single platform.

With strong support for multi-site operations, real-time visibility, and global regulatory standards, it helps manufacturers streamline production, reduce waste, and maintain consistent product quality.

Key Features:

In-depth traceability and compliance workflows
Recipe scaling and formula control
Multi-site production management
Integrated financials, inventory, and quality
Shop floor and mobile access

Pricing:

Premium pricing, typically £3,000–£10,000/month depending on size and scope.

Best suited to:

Larger manufacturers or those with multiple sites and strict regulatory requirements.

SAP S/4HANA (Food & Beverage Configuration)

SAP S/4HANA is a heavyweight, comprehensive ERP system. It has the flexibility and power to handle extremely complex operations. It’s an expensive option and is more suited to larger enterprises. With the right partner, it can be tailored to handle food safety, traceability, and formula-based manufacturing at global scale.

Key Features:

Deep integration across production, finance, and supply chain
Advanced compliance tools and reporting
Catch weight, expiry, and batch controls
Scalable to multi-national operations
Real-time analytics and process automation

Pricing:

Significant. Starting from six figures annually for licences, with high implementation costs.

Best suited to:

Enterprise-level food manufacturers with global operations and the budget for extensive customisation.

Infor CloudSuite Food & Beverage

Infor’s CloudSuite Food & Beverage is a purpose-built, cloud-based ERP designed specifically to meet the complex demands of food and beverage manufacturers. It offers full visibility across your supply chain, from procurement and production all the way through to distribution and customer delivery.

The system includes specialised functionality for shelf-life and expiry date tracking, allergen management, and advanced lot traceability, making it easier to stay compliant with food safety regulations.

Key Features:

Advanced production scheduling
Allergen, nutrition, and labelling support
End-to-end supply chain visibility
Traceability with recall management
Built-in analytics and compliance reports

Pricing:

Mid to high tier; pricing varies by user count and modules but typically starts around £3,000/month.

Best suited to:

Growing manufacturers with multi-product, multi-location operations looking for cloud scalability.

IFS for Food & Beverage

IFS is a full-suite ERP platform that brings together manufacturing, supply chain, finance, quality management, and enterprise asset management (EAM) in a single, unified system. It’s particularly well-suited to food and beverage manufacturers that rely on complex machinery and equipment, as it seamlessly integrates asset maintenance and performance monitoring alongside core ERP functions.

With strong support for batch tracking, compliance, production scheduling, and inventory control, IFS helps businesses streamline operations while maintaining equipment reliability and food safety standards. Its flexibility also allows for multi-site management, mobile access, and industry-specific configuration, making it a robust solution for manufacturers looking to connect plant-floor operations with business-wide decision-making.

Key Features:

Lot and serial tracking
Shelf-life and expiry controls
Preventative maintenance and asset tracking
Real-time operations visibility
Compliance and audit documentation

Pricing:

Enterprise pricing, typically starting at £50,000+ per year depending on deployment.

Best suited to:

Food and beverage manufacturers with heavy reliance on production machinery and assets.

Epicor ERP (Food & Beverage)

Epicor is a modular ERP platform that gives food and beverage manufacturers the flexibility to tailor the system around their specific processes and production workflows. It supports both cloud and on-premise deployment, making it adaptable to different IT environments and growth plans.

With built-in tools for traceability, inventory control, production scheduling, and regulatory compliance, Epicor helps improve visibility across operations while reducing manual work and risk. Its user-friendly interface and scalable architecture make it a strong option for manufacturers looking to modernise without overcomplicating their setup.

Key Features:

Recipe management and version control
Batch production and scheduling
Catch weight and variable unit support
Regulatory compliance and documentation
Real-time dashboards and reporting

Pricing:

More affordable than many enterprise systems; starts around £1,500/month.

Best suited to:

Mid-sized producers looking for flexibility and scalability without heavy IT infrastructure.

SYSPRO ERP (Food & Beverage Edition)

SYSPRO is a long-established ERP solution with a strong track record in manufacturing, and its dedicated food and beverage edition is tailored to meet the specific needs of this industry. The system includes built-in tools for end-to-end traceability, allergen and food safety control, and batch-based production, all delivered through a clean and intuitive user interface.

It also supports features like quality inspections, expiry date management, and multi-location inventory visibility, helping manufacturers maintain compliance and reduce waste. With flexible deployment options and a modular structure, SYSPRO is a practical choice for food businesses that need a powerful ERP without unnecessary complexity.

Key Features:

Batch traceability and inventory control
Built-in allergen and safety features
Compliance documentation management
Forecasting and demand planning
Multi-location stock visibility

Pricing:

Modular pricing starting around £1,200/month; good value for feature set.

Best suited to:

Mid-sized food manufacturers wanting a capable, cost-effective ERP without overcomplexity.

Tips on Choosing the Right ERP Partner

Choosing the software is only half the equation. Who you choose to implement it can make or break your ERP project. Here’s what to look for when choosing an ERP partner:

Industry expertise: Make sure the partner has actual experience working with food and beverage clients. They should understand the regulations, process flows, and terminology your business deals with every day.
Local support and responsiveness: A partner with a local or regional presence can offer on-site training, faster response times, and more personalised service.
Implementation methodology: Ask how they approach rollout. Is it phased, big bang, hybrid? Choose one that matches your company’s risk tolerance and internal resources.
Change management and training: ERP implementation will impact your teams. The right partner will provide user training, documentation, and change management strategies, not just technical configuration.
Post-go-live support: You’ll need help once the system goes live. Ask about ongoing support plans, SLAs, and whether you’ll get access to the same consultants who implemented your system.
Honesty about limitations: A good partner won’t promise the world. They’ll be upfront about what the software can and can’t do and where workarounds might be needed.

Best Practices for Implementing an ERP into Your Food and Beverage Business

Start with clean data; especially allergens, shelf-life and batch history

It’s not enough to clean just your product codes and supplier lists. In food and beverage, you’ll need to carefully verify allergen declarations, shelf-life parameters, product categorisation, and historical batch traceability records. If this data is wrong or missing, you’ll face compliance risks and disruption from day one.

Prioritise critical workflows like traceability, expiry blocking, and clean-down scheduling

You can’t implement everything at once. Start with the processes that have the highest compliance risk or biggest operational impact. Typically, that’s forward and backward traceability, expiry date logic (like FEFO picking), and production sequencing that accounts for allergen or meat-to-veggie changeovers. These are foundational for running safely and legally.

Train your production and QA teams on real-life floor scenarios, not just screens

ERP training for food and beverage needs to go beyond the system UI. Run mock production days where staff must scan batches, log quality checks, or flag a failed temperature reading in real time. Your line operators and QA staff need to know how the system behaves under pressure, not just how to click through a demo.

Rebuild processes for auditability, not just efficiency

ERP is your single source of truth for every inspection, recall, and traceability requirement. Design your workflows so you can produce a full audit trail with minimal manual input. That means capturing supplier lot codes at goods-in, enforcing batch-level issue/pick at production, and locking down how non-conformances are escalated and resolved.

Give extra time for integrations with industry-specific hardware

Food and beverage businesses often rely on weighing scales, barcode scanners, temperature sensors, or label printers. These devices need to be mapped to ERP processes and tested under load, especially if they're tied to traceability or packaging compliance. Build time for this into your project plan, or you’ll delay go-live.

Involve your technical and QA leads in every configuration decision

Whether it’s deciding how to handle a short-dated ingredient or configuring how rework batches are logged, your technical and quality assurance leads need to be hands-on throughout. These teams understand the day-to-day detail that can make or break a production run, and they’re the ones who’ll face the auditors later.

Final Thoughts

Food and beverage ERP systems are an investment in visibility, traceability, and long-term stability. The right solution gives you control over every batch, every shipment, and every customer order. It helps you grow without losing grip on quality or compliance. Choose wisely, implement properly, and it can become the backbone of your operations for years to come.

To discover how Business Central can help your food and beverage business, get in touch>/a> now. Or, get your personalised quote using our pricing calculator below!