9 replies to this topic

[Ms_Darya]

Hey everybody!

We have potato chips producing from dehidratated potato flakes. Please can you give me some example of batch number for continuous producing with absolutely automatic equipment. Now for batch number we use producing day, but it’s not right, because we change the raw materials during the day. So, to correct this mistake we try to change the batch number, but we cannot imagine how can it be, because it`s will be very hard to stop the process while we change the one of four raw materials. Maybe you have some ideas for batch number?

Waiting for some opinions and some ideas!

Darya

[GMO]

Why do you need to stop the process to change the batch number? Also if your batch coding is accompanied by a time, presumably you can more accurately trace back to ingredients?

Traceability is a window, it doesn't have to be absolute. How big that window is depends upon the ability of your system to make it smaller, the cost of making it smaller and the implications of an issue with one ingredient (would your company be prepared to recall a day's production?) If your company is happy with a day then I see no issue with that.

[Heidi VdW]

Indeed, as GMO says, there are systems which accompagny the batch code (which can be on a daily base) with the hour of production/packaging. This way, your trace ability will be already a lot more narrow.

good luck with it!

[Ted S]

Hello. You really cannot accurately "batch number" with a "continuous process" because there will always be overlap from one batch to another batch during the manufacturing process. One of the most common ways to manage batch numbering in a continuous process is by using a "time stamp" both when raw material lot numbers change and for identification on each of the finished units as they are packaged. For example, when a raw material lot number gets changed, the exact "time" of day that this happens should be documented on the production recipe for the product being manufactured. For example: " At 11:00 am we changed to Lot Number XXX for ingredient Dehydrated Potato Flakes". Then, assuming that you can also print a Time Stamp on each package or case of produced product, you can "associate" the two together. So if you know that you changed to a new lot number of Flakes at 11:00 am, you then will know that all finished product that is time stamped after 11:00 am as well will start to have this "new lot" of material in it. Obviously, the point at which this new lot number of the ingredient actually ends up in the final product depends on how long it takes for the new lot of material to actually get into the system. But this can be "theoretically calculated" based on the production throughput for each ingredient in the recipe. I hope this helps.

[carine]

In fact, our production is continuous process by the machines and raw material is only water keep running into production line and  production batch is on daily basis (24 hours). Literally, 1 day 1 production batch.We have no timing indicated on our packaging and we only recorded machines on or off time.. Hi all, is this good enough for us to perform traceability??  . 

[Slab]

In fact, our production is continuous process by the machines and raw material is only water keep running into production line and  production batch is on daily basis (24 hours). Literally, 1 day 1 production batch.We have no timing indicated on our packaging and we only recorded machines on or off time.. Hi all, is this good enough for us to perform traceability??  . 

 

Depends on your output, Carine.  How much would a recall cost you?  Do an assessment based on that, and if the system can be coded into smaller units of time it may be a good investment to have time stamped lots of a much smaller interval than 24 hours.

[Tony-C]

Re. Ms Darya - Have you considered adding an hourly batch code to your days batch code simply by adding a letter to your code and changing each hour 00:00Hrs - 01:00Hrs Batch A 01:00Hrs - 02:00Hrs Batch B etc.

 

Re. Carine - A batch could be defined as a days production and as your product is low value and your production day is 3 hours & 3,000 bags from memory this may not be a major financial cost if you need to recall.

 

Regards,

 

Tony

[shrikant Kulkarni]

It can be a combination of date, shift and time (hour code) will be easy for traceability

[Charles.C]

 

Re. Carine - A batch could be defined as a days production and as your product is low value and your production day is 3 hours & 3,000 bags from memory this may not be a major financial cost if you need to recall.

 

Regards,

 

Tony

 

Hi Tony,

 

AFAIK, the process involved is basically freezing water (origin  unspecified), packing it and selling it. HACCP / PRP monitoring unknown but i presume minimal (ie worst case scenario).

 

(Carine process is here -

http://www.ifsqn.com...eet/#entry65155

 

If something goes (safety-related) wrong, eg microbiological , I presume a logical corrective action would necessitate being able to demonstrate that the, for example, previous and subsequent day's production was "OK".

Agree ?

 

Rgds / Charles

 

PS - getting sort of cross-threaded but c'est la vie.

[Tony-C]

Hi Tony,

 

AFAIK, the process involved is basically freezing water (origin  unspecified), packing it and selling it. HACCP / PRP monitoring unknown but i presume minimal (ie worst case scenario).

 

If something goes (safety-related) wrong, eg microbiological , I presume a logical corrective action would necessitate being able to demonstrate that the, for example, previous and subsequent day's production was "OK".

Agree ?

 

Rgds / Charles

 

PS - getting sort of cross-threaded but c'est la vie.

 

Yes Charles,

 

In this situation I would +ve release of the product (water) using ATP technology and reduce the chances of an issue even more. Retained sample could be checked in the same way and both verified by traditional micro.

 

Regards,

 

Tony