Organoleptic Testing of Incoming Raw Materials
Good day :happydance:
This is my first time posting, thanks to all the members for sharing your ideas and helpful documents, however I'm struggling to find information on Incoming Raw material testing methods.
Recently we had an audit, and my auditor indicated that we need to test every single raw material that enters our factory for functionality and organoleptic testing to ensure that the raw materials actually meet the spec and we not just relying on the COA for acceptability.
I have been searching the net for days now, I have even started asking my Suppliers for help .....but have not found what I'm searching for, so I'm here now :helpplease:
Where can I find a standard or a legislation or codex documents that can provide me with organoleptic testing for Soya Mince, Maize Flour, Salt, Maltodextrin, Herbs , Spices, Colourants, Gelatine, Flavourants.
Currently the method I use for gelatin testing is, 6.67% solution made up with hot water to determine the aroma and stability, for herbs and spices I use 1g in 100ml hot water and then taste, smell and look at the sample, however I need to find proper references or documents that indicate whats the correct way of doing Organoleptic tests on these different kind of Raw materials or if members can assist me with their current testings methods or references
Thanks in advance
Hi twinkle,
Pls inform what standard is being audited.
If this is for Food Safety, you might consider informing yr auditor that organoleptic characteristics are typically unrelated to FS !!!
I have no idea what "functionality" means ??
Do you utilize "Approved Suppliers" ?
Regardless, IMEX, prior to receiving raw materials, most FS Standards require yr possessing a mutually agreed specification with the supplier as part of the supplier approval process. The specification typically covers BCPA aspects (safety/non-safety) and should define what needs to be tested, and sometimes by what procedure..
Just as one example, if you buy salt (I assume as a food ingredient) you should have an agreed specification to validate its being food grade. The relevant requirements are probably available from Food Chemicals Codex, should also be (readily) available from a reputable supplier and, hopefully, are complied with by the items in yr COA.
Hi the Organoleptic specs will be on the raw ingredient specifications.
It should give you the colour, the taste, size, smell, and texture. then I would just note it on a spread sheet.
there will be no legislation or codex documents that can provide me with organoleptic testing for Soya Mince, Maize Flour, Salt, Maltodextrin, Herbs , Spices, Colourants, Gelatine, Flavourings. because each suppler / company will have there own standards.
I hope this of help.
Hi the Organoleptic specs will be on the raw ingredient specifications.
It should give you the colour, the taste, size, smell, and texture. then I would just note it on a spread sheet.
there will be no legislation or codex documents that can provide me with organoleptic testing for Soya Mince, Maize Flour, Salt, Maltodextrin, Herbs , Spices, Colourants, Gelatine, Flavourings. because each suppler / company will have there own standards.
I hope this of help.
Hi gazza,
try googling "codex specification salt"
Hello twinkle,
You can have the specification of your supplier if you don't have one for organoleptic testing. Make a parallel testing during receiving of raw materials, until when you have your own specific requirements of raw materials.
regards,
rf
Where can I find a standard or a legislation or codex documents that can provide me with organoleptic testing for Soya Mince, Maize Flour, Salt, Maltodextrin, Herbs , Spices, Colourants, Gelatine, Flavourants.
Thanks in advance
Hi twinkle,
Commercial publications are usable for Specifications where "Official" documents are not readily available. But they need to be "meaningful" which means they have to be scrutinized for realistic content which may sometimes involve further investigation/comparison. I have not scrutinized the documents below and they will undoubtedly vary in usefulness for yr specific application(s).
1. Soya Mince - attached
2. Maize Flour - attached
3. Salt - attached
4. Maltodextrin - attached
5. Gelatine - attached
6. Herbs , Spices - ASTA - attached
7. Colourants – EC No. ?
8. Flavourants – EC No?
1-5 are specific and can be searched for. I have attached examples below direct from Google.
6 - 8 are categories which can be generalised. For 6 - I have attached "ASTA" below. For 7-8, Lists of EC Nos of Approved Food Items are I think available, possibly on IT.
I suggest you compare the contents with yr submitted COAs.
s1a-Soya Mince (1).pdf 1.36MB 94 downloads
s1b - Soya Protein.pdf 21.09KB 45 downloads
s1c- soya mince (2).pdf 106.42KB 33 downloads
s2 - Maize-Flour.pdf 486.75KB 61 downloads
s3a - salt (2).pdf 648.98KB 111 downloads
s3b - salt (1).pdf 300.15KB 98 downloads
s4a - Maltodextrin (1).pdf 29.15KB 54 downloads
s4b - Maltodextrin (2).pdf 342.86KB 43 downloads
s5a - Gelatin (1).pdf 1.1MB 41 downloads
s5b - gelatine (2).pdf 1.21MB 37 downloads
s5c - Gelatine (3).pdf 679.55KB 39 downloads
s6 - ASTA.pdf 498.56KB 79 downloads
Hi twinkle,
Pls inform what standard is being audited.
If this is for Food Safety, you might consider informing yr auditor that organoleptic characteristics are typically unrelated to FS !!!
I have no idea what "functionality" means ??
Do you utilize "Approved Suppliers" ?
Regardless, IMEX, prior to receiving raw materials, most FS Standards require yr possessing a mutually agreed specification with the supplier as part of the supplier approval process. The specification typically covers BCPA aspects (safety/non-safety) and should define what needs to be tested, and sometimes by what procedure..
Just as one example, if you buy salt (I assume as a food ingredient) you should have an agreed specification to validate its being food grade. The relevant requirements are probably available from Food Chemicals Codex, should also be (readily) available from a reputable supplier and, hopefully, are complied with by the items in yr COA.
Hi Charles
thank you so much for your input
We had a retailer audit, and one of the NCRs raised was that we do not do proper checks of raw materials on receiving
I currently have an approved supplier list as well as Supplier Questionnaires completed for all my raw materials
On receiving , samples are drawn, all raw materials are accompanied with a COA, Gelatine is a functional ingredient- meaning that we need to check its stability at receiving to determine that our jellies will set., so for this check i do a 6.67% solution made up with hot water to determine the aroma and stability, and I test herbs and spices using 1g in 100ml hot water, colourants i use 0.1g in 100ml of water for testing purposes
According to my auditor, i need to provide Legislative evidence as to how i have come up with these procedures to test my raw materials,
I have now included in my supplier questionnaire a section where the Supplier needs to indicate their organoleptic testing method as well as a reference to assist me in providing this information to our auditor.
Hi twinkie,
Commercial publications are usable for Specifications where "Official" documents are not readily available. But they need to be "meaningful" which means they have to be scrutinized for realistic content which may sometimes involve further investigation/comparison. I have not scrutinized the documents below and they will undoubtedly vary in usefulness for yr specific application(s).
1. Soya Mince - attached
2. Maize Flour - attached
3. Salt - attached
4. Maltodextrin - attached
5. Gelatine - attached
6. Herbs , Spices - ASTA - attached
7. Colourants – EC No. ?
8. Flavourants – EC No?
1-5 are specific and can be searched for. I have attached examples below direct from Google.
6 - 8 are categories which can be generalised. For 6 - I have attached "ASTA" below. For 7-8, Lists of EC Nos of Approved Food Items are I think available, possibly on IT.
I suggest you compare the contents with yr submitted COAs.
Thank you so much for these documents
I will go through them and start drawing up my spreadsheet, we currently have over 400 raw materials, once i have completed this spreadsheet, I will gladly upload to this site to assist others as well.
Hi Twinkie,
I know this was a few years ago that you posted, but I'm curious to see if you have done your spreadsheet and what it looks like. I'm starting one myself for the company for which I work and am also at a bit of a loss as to how to start one.
Hi Twinkie,
I know this was a few years ago that you posted, but I'm curious to see if you have done your spreadsheet and what it looks like. I'm starting one myself for the company for which I work and am also at a bit of a loss as to how to start one.
Hi aliar,
From memory there are one or two excels posted here but they tend to be rather encyclopedical lines of columns for A,B, C,D etc. More like a database. :smile:
Hopefully Twinkle will see yr request.
Hi
Apologies for the late response, prepping for unannounced audit.
So basically what i did was group my raw materials, for example:
Category
Raw materials
Testing method
Specification Results
Fats & Oils
VEGETABLE OIL
Physical analysis- check for any foreign particles in oil
Check for off odors
Golden yellow liquid with no off odours or floating particles
Hope this helps
Thanks
Hi, Is see it didnt get posted the way I intended
Please see attachment