Keep pace with evolving safety standards

THE NEED to equip meat and poultry processing and packaging lines  with  top-quality  product inspection equipment is more pressing than ever. Tightened regulatory standards and heightened consumer awareness require that meat and poultry manufacturers take all measures necessary to protect both customers and their brand reputation. Below is a five-point checklist of your route to the highest-quality product inspection.

Understand the regulations

The first step in satisfying food regulations and standards is to acquire a full understanding of what they entail and which particular ones apply to your organisation. It’s important to select equipment and suppliers that can ensure compliance and have knowledge of global and local quality standards, regional differences and industry variations.

Checkweighers, metal-detectors, x-ray equipment and vision inspection systems must satisfy legislation implemented by state regulators in their ability to guarantee process and product security. In many cases, it is also important to choose technology and equipment that adhere to the demands of the industry.

Know your product

Armed with an awareness of relevant regulations and standards, manufacturers must turn their focus to the nature of their product. Product density, thickness and moisture content, etc. Is the product wrapped or loose? If it’s packed, what sort of packaging material is it wrapped in? Are the products being inspected as individual packs or are they combined as multi packs? These are just a few examples of the questions to be answered. Different combinations can affect the optimum inspection solution.

For complete safety, it is important to understand at what point (or points), in the production process your meat and poultry product needs to be inspected and what potential contaminants you are looking for at each point.

Product or pack orientation has a similar bearing on the type of inspection needed, as well as product format and positioning as it passes through the inspection system.  Part of knowing your own product is in understanding the factors that could limit inspection sensitivity. This draws upon knowledge of individual product and inspection technology, potential contaminants and environmental factors.

Increase risk awareness

Good manufacturing practices, such as those outlined in a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) programme, should be in place no matter where or what your company is manufacturing. A comprehensive process audit should be put in place which in the case of HACCP requires the implementation of a structured ‘seven key principles’ approach. This procedure involves the systematic identification of manufacturing risks, and the incorporation of means to mitigate the risk when identified. Risk mitigation could include the establishment of Critical Control Points (CCP’s) to inspect at points where contamination could have occurred. The process should also include the implementation of a corrective actions programme to manage non-compliances. The seven key principles apply across the board, regardless of the product you are producing.

Optimise productivity

A well-designed product inspection system will maximise product quality and safety. Additional features which deliver key process benefits can be selected to facilitate increased productivity and minimise downtime. These goals can be attained by choosing efficient, easy-to-use and flexible equipment, specific to your requirements.

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