record breaking numbers - Ontario Independent Meat Processors

[ Industry Development]
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
While traceability can be a lot of work, there are ways to make it easier
By - Wendy Pineo, BSc, Minotaur Software
Traceability is no longer a luxury as
customers, suppliers and consumers
become more demanding. Compliance
can do more than ensure your business
remains viable; it can go further to offer
you a competitive advantage. During our
25 years in business, we have found that
processors typically need to approach their
recall in one of two ways--by a specific
lot number (supplier, WIP or finished
good) or by production date(s) and line
(if a piece of equipment was the problem).
Being able to quickly access accurate and
reliable information is a primary goal
for a traceability system. With the 3rd
year of the FSTI Growing Forward grant
program approaching, more businesses
will receive assistance in implementing
solutions. Details of upcoming ONTRACE
traceability workshops can be found at
www.ontrace.ca.
While traceability can be a lot of work,
there are ways to make it easier. Traceability
begins at receiving, where options include
KEYS TO CONTROLLING
MICROBIAL GROWTH
By: Sara Alexander, Malabar Super Spice Co.
Ltd.
Contamination Sources
Contamination sources include incoming
raw materials, openings to outside,
pests, standing water, floor drains, leaks,
equipment, cleaning and maintenance
tools, bio-film in water hoses, condensation,
and unwashed hands, shoes or coats.
Key Factors:
Food
• Microorganisms need carbohydrates
and protein to live just like people.
Cleaning excess debris from equipment
helps remove their food sources.
Acidity
• Microbes typically grow in the pH
range of 6-9, with some bacteria able to
survive pH as low as 4, yeast as low as
1.5, and mold at 1. Pickling foods with
acids has been used for many years &
bringing the pH below 4 significantly
reduces spoilage.
12 BLOCKtalk January/February 2011
receiving in total cases and corresponding
lots for fixed weight cases, scanning
serialized catch weight cases on properly
labeled product or receiving in total
number of cases and overall weight with
a daily lot number for companies not yet
ready for scanning or for products without
proper labels. For label issues, relabeling
is an option and has the advantage of
allowing for a standard label format, which
is easier for production and warehouse staff
later on. Training staff to read GS1 labels
and having a conscientious receiver helps
ensure accurate and timely information
tracking.
One of the most daunting tasks is how to
track catch weight production from an
inventory control, traceability and costing
perspective - basically tracking product
as you break it up. If you are using stand
alone weighing and labeling equipment,
exporting a file or scanning finished
barcodes can be an efficient, cost effective
way to capture information. In ERP
Time
• Bacteria will grow exponentially
after a short rest period once they are
introduced to a new environment.
Limiting the time food is exposed and
shortening high risk processing steps
limit bacterial growth.
Temperature
• Most bacteria grow between 0-60°C with
the optimal temperature range being
30-40°C. Lowering the temperature at
which the food is stored and processed
greatly reduces microbial growth.
Oxygen
• Microorganisms of concern are typically
aerobic - reliant on oxygen for growth.
Oxygen can be reduced by packaging
food in sealed bags or cans and storing
product under carbon dioxide.
Moisture
• The water activity of food determines
how available water is for microbes;
most foods have a value of 0.99, while
microbes require as little as 0.8 for
growth. Reduce available moisture by
drying or curing by smoking meats, or
by adding salt, sugar or alcohol.
systems with integrated accounting, raw
materials are depleted, finished goods costs
calculated and yields are available. Touch
screen production capabilities are available
which enable staff to select the order/item
they are working on from a list without the
need to manually key information. These
systems allow for printing of customer
specific labels while building the shipping
manifest as you weigh and label tying
production to your accounting system.
While manual and Excel based lot
traceability can work, these options
are often time consuming, tedious and
allow for human errors. Implementing a
computerized system where lot traceability
is simply one aspect can improve both
operational efficiencies and give you
important profitability and costing
information to help you grow your business.
Pathogen Control
Physical Measures
• Keep temperature of product as cool as
possible.
• Keep raw materials and finished product
separate to avoid cross contamination.
• Implement a strict hand washing policy.
• Monitor and verify cooking temperature
to ensure its high enough to kill
microbes.
Chemical Measures
• Wash equipment and facility using
the proper product, at the correct
concentration, for the required amount
of time and at the right temperature.
Sanitation
• A number of facility-safe sanitizers
are available, including Sodium
Hypochlorite, Iodine, Peracetic Acid,
Acid Anionic, Quaternary Ammonium
Chloride and Chloride Dioxide.
www.oimp.ca