Jump to content

  • Quick Navigation
Photo

Tiny pieces of non-brittle plastic found - what to do?

Share this

  • You cannot start a new topic
  • Please log in to reply
6 replies to this topic

Plant Guy

    Grade - Active

  • IFSQN Active
  • 1 posts
  • 0 thanks
0
Neutral

  • United States
    United States

Posted 23 October 2015 - 07:24 PM

I wasn't sure which category to put this under. 

 

At a recent end of shift sanitation, the crew retrieved 2 small (think 2 centimeters) pieces of what appear to be plastic bagging material stuck on a very small screen (soup line, no particulates).  Various other screens after had nothing.  Investigation found that material wasn't a match to anything used in the plant, due to color.  Likely was introduced at an ingredient suppliers plant. 

 

My question is what do you do for a situation like this?  It seems unreasonable to condemn an entire run.  Thoughts?



qalearner

    Grade - MIFSQN

  • IFSQN Member
  • 93 posts
  • 17 thanks
7
Neutral

  • Canada
    Canada
  • Gender:Not Telling

Posted 23 October 2015 - 07:46 PM

Risk assessment showing that there is minimal risk of any plastic being in the final product. 

 

It sounds like the screen was effective in stopping anything smaller than 2 cm from entering the final product so as long as you document that you will be ok to continue with the release of product. You might also want to investigate further with your suppliers as to the source of the plastic. 



Plastic Ducky

    Director of Food Safety

  • IFSQN Member
  • 175 posts
  • 42 thanks
41
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Provo, Utah
  • Interests:FDA, USDA, SQF, BRC, FSMA, FSM (Flying Spaghetti Monsterism), Acidified Foods, LAFC, using a spotlight to hunt C.H.U.D.s at night, cooking, mycology, the middle path, epistemology, waffles, and being an all around student

Posted 23 October 2015 - 08:05 PM

qulearner nailed it.



herdy

    Grade - AIFSQN

  • IFSQN Associate
  • 29 posts
  • 11 thanks
5
Neutral

  • United States
    United States

Posted 05 November 2015 - 06:25 PM

Safety glasses is my thing. I have joked about getting people forehead protectors because their safety glasses are constantly pushed up onto their foreheads! Some of them have just managed the trick of jerking their heads back which causes their safety glasses to fall back on their nose over their eyes when they see me coming. Like I can't see that myself?!



Charles.C

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Moderator
  • 20,542 posts
  • 5662 thanks
1,544
Excellent

  • Earth
    Earth
  • Gender:Male
  • Interests:SF
    TV
    Movies

Posted 05 November 2015 - 09:51 PM

I wasn't sure which category to put this under. 

 

At a recent end of shift sanitation, the crew retrieved 2 small (think 2 centimeters) pieces of what appear to be plastic bagging material stuck on a very small screen (soup line, no particulates).  Various other screens after had nothing.  Investigation found that material wasn't a match to anything used in the plant, due to color.  Likely was introduced at an ingredient suppliers plant. 

 

My question is what do you do for a situation like this?  It seems unreasonable to condemn an entire run.  Thoughts?

 

Combine likelihood of occurrence and consequences (Economic/safety) to yr company (and you?) if further instances are found by consumers


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


Tony-C

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 4,223 posts
  • 1288 thanks
608
Excellent

  • United Kingdom
    United Kingdom
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:World
  • Interests:My main interests are sports particularly football, pool, scuba diving, skiing and ten pin bowling.

Posted 06 November 2015 - 04:39 AM

My question is what do you do for a situation like this?  It seems unreasonable to condemn an entire run.  Thoughts?

 

A combination of those posted:

 

You might also want to investigate further with your suppliers as to the source of the plastic. 

 

Also maybe sieve ingredients prior to use as part of the investigation.

 

Combine likelihood of occurrence and consequences (Economic/safety) to yr company (and you?) if further instances are found by consumers

 

I agree, I've had a similar situation where the minimum penalty for recall/withdrawal was around $80,000 regardless of the quantities involved. We investigated further by extensive finished product inspection and decided the incidence of foreign material was too high to take a risk when considering the potential penalties. In this case it appears that filtration will have removed the risk of finished product contamination.

 

Regards,

 

Tony



Thanked by 1 Member:

swanswal

    Grade - AIFSQN

  • IFSQN Associate
  • 38 posts
  • 7 thanks
3
Neutral

  • Australia
    Australia
  • Gender:Male
  • Interests:Infinite Improbability Drives

Posted 11 November 2015 - 12:01 AM

Combine likelihood of occurrence and consequences (Economic/safety) to yr company (and you?) if further instances are found by consumers

 

I would add that you sample production and examine contents, looking for plastic as a way of verification.  Sample size will be related to the occurrence level and consequences piece Charles mentions above.  But definitely do the sample.  It will help you in court....



Thanked by 1 Member:


Share this

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users