14 replies to this topic

[trubertq]

Good morning all

I want to carry out a mass balance audit next week on an IQF product ... has anyone any input for me?I have never done a mass balance audit before so it I could have sight of one so I know what I'm looking for. I am assuming that it is a vertical audit with the numbers added in to show the product/waste ratio ...

Any insights greatly appreciated


Trudy

[Jason H.Z.C.]

Hi turbertq.

My way to review the mass balance during the audit:

1, mass balance always accompanies with traceability test. Thus first of all I will sample a batch number and relevant information in a sample bank,
2, Ask for all records of such sampled batch,
3, Obtain the conversion rate from raw material to the final products. This step could be done by experience or you can ask information from auditee.
4, According to the conversion rate, you can calculate if the quantities of raw materials and end-product quantities present in records are reasonable.
5, Before doing traceability documents I suggest you should have known the recipe before,
6,According to the recipe you could check if the relation between the usage of ingredients and of end product is logical.
7,If all quantities logical exist, I will accept the mass balance is fine.

Above is only my way to check, I am also expecting the methods recommended by professsional here,

Best regards,

Jason

Edited by Jason H.Z.C., 11 March 2011 - 01:18 AM.

[Charles.C]

Dear trubertq,

Some more info. here -

http://www.ifsqn.com...dpost__p__29566


http://www.ifsqn.com...dpost__p__35984
(the title of thread was interpreted both as traceability / mock recall )

Rgds / Charles.C

[Tony-C]

Hi turbertq.

My way to review the mass balance during the audit:

1, mass balance always accompanies with traceability test. Thus first of all I will sample a batch number and relevant information in a sample bank,
2, Ask for all records of such sampled batch,
3, Obtain the conservation rate from raw material to the final products. This step could be done by experience or you can ask information from auditee.
4, According to the conservation rate, you can calculate if the quantities of raw materials and end-product quantities present in records are reasonable.
5, Before doing traceability documents I suggest you should have known the recipe before,
6,According to the recipe you could check if the relation between the usage of ingredients and of end product is logical.
7,If all quantities logical exist, I will accept the mass balance is fine.

Above is only my way to check, I am also expecting the methods recommended by professsional here,

Best regards,

Jason

Fair summary but include packaging and consider waste.

Regards,

Tony

[Jason H.Z.C.]

Thanks Tony,

That is the thing bother me in my audit.

Chinese factories normally do not statistic waste amounts in total.They only consider conversion rate and cost. The missing parts in conversion rate is indicating the waste amount.

And sorry I forgot packagings... Thank you for reminding.

Best regards,

Jason

[trubertq]

Thanks you people

I am dealing with shellfish so the levels of waste are quite high... shell gut etc.... I suppose the best way is to do and see how it works out.

I intend to use the flow diagram and record weights at each step...

Wish me luck...

[Simon]

Can anyone explain in a simple sentence what a mass balance audit is? Never heard the term in 9 years of my food safety forum experience.

[GMO]

Basically what you put in = what you get out.

For example, if you were making a chicken sandwich and you take 100kg chicken out of a freezer. Then you need to work out through your defrosting, slicing and making up process whether you can account for the 100kg of chicken (with a reasonable level of waste which is along the lines of your bill of materials). If you end up with 150kg of chicken used on that batch code, then you have as much of a problem as if you only have 50kg as either will show a loss of control of your traceability system. So that's the point really. Once you get your head around it, it makes you realise that traceability without it is kind of meaningless as you have no measure of its accuracy.

[Charles.C]

Dear GMO,

I'm not too sure about a typical Production Manager's interest in traceability but daily recovery figures are certainly motivational to "those who must be obeyed".

Rgds / Charles.C

[GMO]

Absolutely. When you have decent batch traceability, it can give you more accurate information on waste which is useful to production...

[Charles Chew]

"Total Traceability System" is a must in today's cost competitive world.

[Tony-C]

Dear GMO,

I'm not too sure about a typical Production Manager's interest in traceability but daily recovery figures are certainly motivational to "those who must be obeyed".

Rgds / Charles.C

Yes mass balance exercises mean a comprehensive traceability system is easier to sell to Senior Management.

[trubertq]

I did the audit yesterday and it worke dvery well... their traceability records for that product are excellent... I got inputs and outputs and all matched up...alas the next product won't be so easy but I have a template to work from now

Note: Don't wear a skirt when visiting the Cold Store!! brrrrrrrrrrrr

[GMO]

I did the audit yesterday and it worke dvery well... their traceability records for that product are excellent... I got inputs and outputs and all matched up...alas the next product won't be so easy but I have a template to work from now

Note: Don't wear a skirt when visiting the Cold Store!! brrrrrrrrrrrr

Generally my rule is to wear trousers anyway. Get far too many comments otherwise. What a delightful, forward thinking industry we work in!

[Shafeeq]

I did the audit yesterday and it worke dvery well... their traceability records for that product are excellent... I got inputs and outputs and all matched up...alas the next product won't be so easy but I have a template to work from now

Note: Don't wear a skirt when visiting the Cold Store!! brrrrrrrrrrrr

Great.. can you please send the template over?