How do You Manage Traceability with Bulk Oil Tank?

Hi all,
We are considering moving from IBC's to a bulk storage tank in order to cut costs of sunflower oil, Engineers want to go for a single 38000litre tank (we use 11k per week) as that is the cheapest option for both the tank and deliveries, however I am concerned about the trace and cleaning issues this raises with a constantly topped off tank.

What do you guys use and how do you manage it?

Hi all,
We are considering moving from IBC's to a bulk storage tank in order to cut costs of sunflower oil, Engineers want to go for a single 38000litre tank (we use 11k per week) as that is the cheapest option for both the tank and deliveries, however I am concerned about the trace and cleaning issues this raises with a constantly topped off tank.

What do you guys use and how do you manage it?

This is a significant problem throughout the food industry. AFAIK, there is no "solution" to the problem of either cleaning the tank or for the traceability issue.

At a previous employer, once a year we managed to figure usage and production scheduling just right so that we could CIP the bulk soy oil tank. Most places simply do not bother.

As far as traceability goes, log the lot number, date and exact time that a new load of oil begins to pump into your holding tank. If there ends up being a problem with that lot number, everything produced with that ingredient and every lot after will have to be traced. By logging the date and exact time the ingredient began filling your tank, at least you have a starting point for your traceability.

The same holds true for any bulk ingredients that are mixed in a single holding tank, silo, etc.

Marshall

Dear All,

I think it's time we started a scientific list of short forms, what the heck is an IBC ? I guess it's something that requires a COC ?

Rgds / Charles.C

Added 231111 - Answered (thank you[s] ) -

IBC = Individual Bulk Container
COC = Certificate of Conformance

Hello Lanser,

Besides the tank and the cleaning proces look at where the tank is located. It is even possible to fill the tank with a tankcar? There need to be enough room to connect the tankcar with hoses to the tank. And remember the other problem besides the tank the hoses need to be cleaned as well in case of product/quality changes.

For Charles see attachment for the anwser the the question what is an IBC.

Anne

Thanks for the quick replies.

@Marshal only having a starting point to trace from is the bit that worries me i.e. possibly having to recall 3-4 weeks worth of production.

@Anne Engineering had atready costed a single tank and made sure there was room before coming to me

@ Charles IBC=Intermediate Bulk Container a pallet sized container for fluids usually holding 900-1200litres

Thanks for the quick replies.

@Marshal only having a starting point to trace from is the bit that worries me i.e. possibly having to recall 3-4 weeks worth of production.

@Anne Engineering had atready costed a single tank and made sure there was room before coming to me

@ Charles IBC=Intermediate Bulk Container a pallet sized container for fluids usually holding 900-1200litres

Here is where your Supplier Approval and Monitoring Programs kick in.
Hopefully, your oil supplier is doing THEIR proper job and it will not be 3-4 weeks before they discover and inform their customers of a problem with an ingredient.

Marshall

Problem persists in oil and other silos related industries but Marshall is right as more vigilance is needed in quality control.You can design and implement your vendor approval process in a good way. You can also go for certificate of analysis and compliance from vendors. Cleaning is also difficult but you have to look out a way according to your environment and design.

Faisal

This is quite easy and straight forward, but takes some extra work. The first batch received is documented with a batch or parcel number and a receipt date. The quality of the product is also documented. If the tank is not empty and the next batch is received on top of the remains of the previous one, then the whole contents is considered a new batch, since both batches mix in the tank and a new quality specification is "born" due to the mixing of the two tanks. For the whole of the new tank contents the quality is recalculated and documented in a Tank Composition List. This recalculation of the quality of the new batch created is confirmed by taking a sample after tank homogenisation and an analysis of the quality parameters. This process is repeatedly done for each new batch received. This way one keeps track of each batch received, new new quality in the tank after receipt of each batch and a chronological traceability of each batch received. Other companies operate a procedure that a tank is considered "empty" if the volume of the product inside is less than 2% of the tank capacity, this way one can start with a "fresh" tank composition list. Also, a a tank requires regular maintenance and inspection, the interior wall and bottom thickness is also verified with certain intervals, the tank has then to be empty. Also this is a moment to re-start the tank composition. The only disadvantage is that once in the tank, the combined batches form one new batch once these are stored together in one tank, this increases the size of a product recall should one of the batches be out of spec or not meeting food safety requirements. However, this is only an issue if there is a product safety issue with one of the batches. Hope this all helps.

Hi Lanser,

Other posters have made some good valid points and there a couple more I would like to add myself.

Before setting up my own food ingredients and quality risk management technical consultancy based in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire in 2006, I previously worked for a major global petfood manufacturer for over 26 years. In this time, I had quality risk management responsibility for oils and fats used in their petfoods and wrote "Best Practice" oils and fats guidelines for their factories around Europe, focusing especially on rancidity prevention.

Whilst there are advantages with using a material like sunflower oil in bulk, there are disadvantages like those highlighted eg traceability.

Whilst you might not get to the point that a major product recall is associated due to loss of oil quality, mixing batches of oil together will mean that there is the possibility oil of different qualities corrupting the quality of the highest quality material. For example, if the Peroxide Value or other quality parameters eg Free Fatty Acid levels are higher in either the incoming delivery or the oil already in the bulk tank, this can degrade the quality of the higher quality material. In turn this can lead to problems with taste and rancidity.

In addition to raw materials risk management procedures and supplier quality assurance another consideration (but with an on-cost) is the use of a "buffer tank" into which the bulk reception tank is emptied immediately before reciept of a new delivery.

Unless you use specialist tank cleaning companies there are also risks associated with tank cleaning that can lead to quality problems with the oil and your finished product (assuming the oil is an important part of this).

What your company is trying to do is not easy from a quality risk management viewpoint with many areas to consider.

I note you are based in Norfolk (England), I will send you a personal message if you would like to talk this through further.

In the meantime, Good Luck!

David