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Seal integrity on line and verification

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Jamming24

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Posted 31 May 2018 - 03:39 AM

Hello all,

 

I have joined a low acid facility/team and am preparing site to be more compliant on SQF.  While tackling the haccp I realized that there was no seal integrity visual checks nor destructive checks.

 

I was planning on doing 30 minute visual checks on line and 4 hour destructive but I have never really seen forms for this process.  I used to previously work with a facility who conducted filling but our haccp did not require seal checks nor vaccum tests due to a machine that was implemented to avoid these.  

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated!  I feel I might be overthinking the forms and structure needed for these checks.

 

Thanks!

-Debby W.



Jamming24

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Posted 31 May 2018 - 03:55 AM

I should mention the packaging is glass jars, lug lids and twist off metal lids.  The products under scope are pickles, salsa, jams.  The facility is small and just installed a massilly capper before that it was a manual process.  



Scampi

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Posted 31 May 2018 - 02:53 PM

Well howdy---we are also small (all by hand) pickling facility also packing the same way

 

I check 25 jars at 24 hours for seal integrity/vacuum. In Canada there is no requirement for destructive testing in glass jars.

 

We are running a pasteurizer so it's impossible to check seal integrity until the jars have cooled completely. This is the record I use and we have not had an issue with CFIA or SQF. We DO NOT perform any inline checks.  The finished product is either good or bad....our jars usually have 2 inchs of head room is the seal wasn't intact. When i inspect the seals for pop and test, I use good lighting to ensure there is a jar impression on the gasket all the way around

 

 

24 hour level

30 day level

Calibration of pH

Yes            No

Deviations

Brine pH

 

 

 

 

 

Puree pH

 

 

 

 

 

Pop & Rim Test

 

 

 

 

 

Colour, Smell, Taste

 

 

 

 

 

Visual of 25 jars

 

 

 

 

 

Initial

 

 

 

 

 


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Jamming24

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Posted 31 May 2018 - 07:03 PM

 

 

Greetings  Scampi,

 

May I ask, if you have other on the line testing regarding seal/torque integrity or packaging integrity?

 

My manager requested me to create forms for data capture and was super confused not because of the FDA guidance but because I didn't see why there would be measurement without waiting for the 24 hour cooling, as you stated.

 

I also asked my manager what the filling control was and how it was measured and/or confirmed  and I received odd looks.  

 

My background was juice/HPP processing so understand the need for controls for similar CCPs but am trying to find the "normal" balance of checks for seal integrity due to the required risk assesement against Clostridium botulinum.  

 

Thanks the help!

-Debby



Scampi

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Posted 31 May 2018 - 08:30 PM

For sure;

 

1-5 ppm of chlorine in the cooling tunnel (gets checked 1/batch as there isn't any introduction of material load into the water)

 

spice fill and packed fill weights, to ensure that we've kept it lower than our scheduled process for heat penetration;  we weigh 5 that have been spiced, take the average of those, then weigh 5 stuffed and subtract the spice weight to ensure we're not too heavy

 

We DO NOT measure head space (i'm not sure why, they never have) and brine is right up to the top of the jars

 

brine and pasteurizer temperature (obvs)

 

 

This is the CFIA inspection manual--it may help with the seal integrity question now that you have switched to a machine---this might be what your boss means:

The manufacturer controls the closing equipment to ensure the integrity of the container and the hermetic seal by:

  • protecting the cap/lid hopper from glass contamination
  • adjusting closing equipment to avoid chipping either the finish or glass edge and forming a hermetic seal
  • broken glass is removed from capping equipment and surroundings
  • closure heads are adjusted based on the results of the destructive examination to ensure hermetic seal

 

http://www.inspectio...18?chap=9#s42c9

 

If your boss is used to an auto fill line, there are alot more controls....but when it's still done by hand, and it's just hot packed and sealed, there's not that much to watch for


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Scampi

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Posted 31 May 2018 - 08:33 PM

I should add, all of our jars are hand washed, so there is an "inspection" there, but it isn't formal. Obviously is the washer finds something, the jar is discarded


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Scampi

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Posted 31 May 2018 - 08:34 PM

And sorry, we are SQF certified for 4 years running and have not had any auditor issues with our process. The biggest sticking point with the auditor was that 3 products contain mustard seed


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Venkateshkini

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Posted 02 June 2022 - 04:29 AM

Its good check seal integrity every hour (at least 5 jars).

1. Use a vacuum guage. Piece the vaccum gauge end through cap of filled jar ad check reading. Typically it shall be 6 - 12mm HG depending upon type of product.

2. Check the security of cap. While uncapping check how much distance it has travelled on jar threads

3. Check headspace. This is very imporatant in maintaining vacuum of jar

 

Also it is very important to to maintain some specific amount of steam purging the jar before capping. On capping machine this shall be kept constant as per your internal standard. This is responsibility of the capping machine operator to record every hour reading





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