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Traceability of product and ingredient storage containers

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DropOfJoyVT

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Posted 06 July 2017 - 02:12 PM

Good morning, gang.

 

I'm working on an SQF system for a very small food production co-pack (5 employees). Focusing on our traceability and recall plans, I'm confident that all ingredients and finished product are fully traceable, but I'm worried about my ability to trace the reusable HDPE 5-gallon pails and 1-gallon jugs we use for food storage in-house. Would these kinds of materials be checked for traceability in an SQF audit? Finished product (i.e. bottled beverages, RTE food) is shipped in traceable packaging, but our inventory of storage containers and pails sent to clients for further processing before distribution is not currently traceable. I have a fear that we'll need to scrap all our packaging materials and start over from scratch (a prohibitive expense for us).

 

Much gratitude for any help or insight!



Gabby

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Posted 06 July 2017 - 03:26 PM

Hi, DropOfJoyVT

 

Are sent these reusable gallon pails and gallon jugs to your client and then them back to you?, I'm not pretty sure, but at least you can give a code for each one and make a inventory to have control, also you can keep an entry, exit and cleaning & disinfection records.
 
 
:)


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FurFarmandFork

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Posted 06 July 2017 - 03:51 PM

I'm not sure how you're using the pails and jugs. But I have some reusable ingredient storage "bins" and 5g pails used to weigh up materials.

 

We have a validated wash between each use so that there's no need to trace further. For my ingredient storage bins I wash every time there is a lot change in the storage bin so that one supplier lot could not contaminate another, but we can refill with the same supplier lot without cleaning.

 

Tracing equipment like that is about scope. If you're using something product contact, you want to be able to trace the sanitation events that set the "brackets" so that you know what was potentially cross-contaminated. If you can't identify specific pieces of equipment then a blanket policy of "clean before each use" eliminates that scope so that possibility is eliminated in the event of an investigation.


Austin Bouck
Owner/Consultant at Fur, Farm, and Fork.
Consulting for companies needing effective, lean food safety systems and solutions.

Subscribe to the blog at furfarmandfork.com for food safety research, insights, and analysis.

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DropOfJoyVT

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Posted 06 July 2017 - 04:51 PM

Ok, excellent. I was worried that I'd be asked to trace the history of a given bucket's use through its lifetime or something like that. We have validated cleaning and sanitation procedures for all our reusable storage materials, and every production procedure specifies that equipment be sanitized before use. I think that answered my question. Thanks, folks!



tdunkley

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Posted 26 June 2018 - 10:33 AM

How did that audit go?

I would think a log would be needed to show what product is added to the bins each time, the sprcific name and lot code, with a confirmation the cleaning was done between different lots...how can you prove traceability without a record? Also, the process should be monitored and verified as being effective.

Regards,

Theresa


Edited by tdunkley, 26 June 2018 - 10:34 AM.


Charles.C

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Posted 26 June 2018 - 10:40 AM

How did that audit go?

I would think a log would be needed to show what product is added to the bins each time, the sprcific name and lot code, with a confirmation the cleaning was done between different lots...how can you prove traceability without a record? Also, the process should be monitored and verified as being effective.

Regards,

Theresa

 

Hi Theresa,

 

It's a I year old thread so maybe a delay. Or you might get lucky !


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C




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