13 replies to this topic

[nateolson1981]

I work for a small confectionery repackaging company that receives bulk product from outside vendors and packages it onsite and sells to distribution centers. We are currently evaluating what lot coding is required while we are working towards our SQF certification. We currently lot code using a year out from production date for most items as that is their best buy date. Example: product run today will be lot coded 2017-0621.

 

My question is do we need to specify on our lot code what machine they were run on or what shift? Right now if there was a recall we would pull all product for that day's production. We are able to trace one up and one back already it is just the traceability of the product on site. If a bag was pulled by our customer I would not know what machine or shift it was run on. Only the day it was run. Don't know if SQF requires that or not?

[Irishlass105]

I worked for a large manufacturing company which would have asked for tractability back to our other suppliers. We would defiantly have wanted to have the exact batch which it came from, date, time and place of production aka the line it was produced on. If anything, for yourselves, in a case of a recall or even a mock recall, you would need to be able to trace it back to the exact time. If you did have a product recall the cost implications of recalling all for that day would be HUGE never mind the additional time it would take. An auditor tracing any product or packaging would usually want to see how you can get it to the exact. Has this issue never been brought up before? if it was something that was due to human error have you the ability to show who ran the line or completed checks etc? 

[Charles.C]

Based on typical definitions of Traceability, i suggest that it may depend on how you define a Production  "Lot". Often related to Product / Process.

[rns5z6]

I trace product every month to ensure the process is efficient and paperwork is accurate.  Traces are "one up, one back," which covers all ingredients and materials entering the facility through the finished product being shipped out.  The trace includes all information that I would need in the event of a recall.  I created a checklist for product trace that lists all documentation necessary (i.e. daily finished product count shipped, daily production batch totals, combo labels, mixer batch log, mixer batch labels, bills of lading for ingredients and packaging, outbound shipping reports, make to order reports and bills of lading for finished product.  

As far as lot codes are concerned...I need to be able to tell what day it was made, what production line it was produced on and the time it was made.  Many companies use a combination of numbers to achieve this.  For example, for today, 6/22/2016 you could have 174124, which means 174 (174th day of the year, found on most calendars), 1 (production facility #1), 2 (shift 2), 4 (line 4).  Now you would know exactly where and when a product was produced by the coding.  Going one step further, you could add a best by date with the time produced listed below.  

In summary, you need to be able to find the necessary information needed for a trace/recall in a relatively quick time (~2 hours).  Where did the materials come from and where did they ship to?

[nateolson1981]

Irishlass105 - Since we are a small company we look to simplify everything as much as possible and as of yet we have not had an issue with our current process. With the current system I would know what day it was run and have the documentation to find the 2-4 staff responsible if human error. Don't know if that is enough to satisfy the SQF code? Currently management has decided they are ok with the increased cost of us pulling the whole days run vs. only pulling the shift in case of recall.

[nateolson1981]

rns5z6 - I can trace where the materials came from and where they shipped for the batch and I can do all that in under 2 hours easy. It's just while it is on site that I couldn't tell you exactly who ran that product.

[rns5z6]

Nate,

Do you have documentation for production personnel to fill out during their shift?  Or QC paperwork?  We include initials and signatures on all documents.  For example, our mixers have logs that list the times and codes for all ingredients used for the products produced.  The mixers sign the document and QC initials after they observe the process.  Our QC techs also check packaging info, label verification, etc.  Maybe you could include a section on those documents for who is running what machine?

[nateolson1981]

rns5z6,

I do have that documentation. However, if you pulled a bag of product off the shelf and using the lot code listed on there it would only get me to the day it was run. I would then pull the paperwork and see that it was run on one machine but during two shifts. So I would not be able to tell you which shift or what staff in particular ran that specific bag. 

[Irishlass105]

Do you use a Julian calendar for coding? i think its a simple and easy way - your packaging would say 131(day of year) 4b(line 4b) and a time such as 2109. Put together looking like 1314b2109 - a consumer wont know what it means and it allows you to have the time and area it was produced. The time would allow you to tie it up with which shift it was done as i'm sure the shifts run the same times every day. 

[nateolson1981]

Irishlass105,

We don't use the Julian calendar for coding we us the date. This way it also serves as our best buy date as well. We could change our lot coding system if needed but what we are wondering is if it is required by SQF code to do so or not. I wasn't able to find any specifics on it will digging through the code myself. 

[rns5z6]

Specifically, we use a reverse reverse Julian date combined with the year and production line.  Code 68911 was produced on June 16, 2016 on line 1.  I make calendars every year and give copies to each department.  The sell by date and time stamp is applied next to the lot code.  

Nate, sounds like you just need to update your lot codes since your paperwork is on point.

[nateolson1981]

If I am to suggest we change our lot coding I will need to present to management the legalities behind it or where it specifically states the change is needed in the SQF code. Does this exist? or is it something that I will have to wait for our desk audit and an auditor will tell us this? 

[Charles.C]

I presume this is sqf, 2.6.1 - 2.6.2

 

To allow for effective trace back (refer 2.6.2), recall (refer 2.6.3) and stock control and rotation (refer 2.4.9),
materials and products at all stages of production must be labelled and identified.  How the supplier goes about this is
entirely their own choice, as long as product can be identified and tracked at every stage of production.

 

 

 sqf 2.6.1, 2.6.2.pdf   561.48KB   62 downloads

Edited by Charles.C, 22 June 2016 - 02:15 PM.
.png >> .pdf

[gud2ya]

The information on the batch code cannot reveal all the details. You just need a marker in your batch code to point to a reference document where other details are available.