Abstract: A method of tracking, at a remote, central information store 140, elements in a production chain. The chain comprises a plurality of processes, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, each process having one or more input ingredients 10, 30, 50, 70, 90, 110 and one or more output products, 30, 50, 70, 90, 110, 130. The central information store 140 is remote from the location of at least one of the processes. The method comprises carrying out the following steps in respect of each of the processes 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120: (1) recording at the remote central information store 140, via a telecommunications link, an identifier identifying each of the input ingredients of the process; (2) marking each of the output products of the process with a respective identifier; and (3) recording at the remote central information store 140, via a telecommunications link, the identifiers of each of the output products.