Post process container handling
My advice: Note the code of the can for traceability purposes and then dispose of the can because the floor of the warehouse is more than likely less than sanitary, regardless of the can being hermetically sealed, not to mention that the integrity of the double seam may have been jeopardized upon impact.
Management's advice: Find the pallet that it would have come from and put it back. Just make sure the can codes match up so there isn't a mislabeling incident. No sense destroying good product. It's a sealed can, after all.
What would your recommendation to management be? Would you step aside and let them continue to run the show, or would you stand your ground and try to convince them that it's not worth taking the chance? If so, how?
Now if it was a full pallet you’d need a stronger argument, I would want to know the risks and alternatives…
List the hazards that could have compromised the product (broken seal and subsequent microbial contamination/growth of contents is one of them, external contamination of the sealed can is another - aspects like potential of pathogen survival on exterior of sealed can need to be considered as well, maybe it is possible to wash the can without compromising product safety) and evaluate their importance for product safety in the specific case (e.g. not every fall of a can results in its seal being broken). If the risk analysis indicates the product is likely to be compromised, you should have a case against management and be able to easily convince them to dispose of the compromised product for reasons of brand protection, avoiding of negative publicity or compensation claims. If the risk analysis tells you the product is unlikely to be compromised you might be able to follow management's advice and reduce wastage. In any case, the two parties, management and QC/Food Safety should get together and devise a protocol (standard) to deal with situations that involve potentially compromised product.
Here is a scenario: A warehouse employee finds a can of finished product that fell from a pallet onto the floor.
My advice: Note the code of the can for traceability purposes and then dispose of the can because the floor of the warehouse is more than likely less than sanitary, regardless of the can being hermetically sealed, not to mention that the integrity of the double seam may have been jeopardized upon impact.
Management's advice: Find the pallet that it would have come from and put it back. Just make sure the can codes match up so there isn't a mislabeling incident. No sense destroying good product. It's a sealed can, after all.
What would your recommendation to management be? Would you step aside and let them continue to run the show, or would you stand your ground and try to convince them that it's not worth taking the chance? If so, how?