Metal Dector Deviations
Hello,
I just started in this new company that the only CCP is metal detection. Their policy reads as follows:
Corrective Actions
- If test fails, stop line, determine root cause of failure and correct.
- Identify product to last good check, isolate and place on hold.
their interpretation of the metal detection is if the metal detector is functions and the test is successful, a product is rejected with metal finding during normal production run, product is not place on hold. no re-check from the last good check, and product from last good check has no need to be re-check since metal detector is functioning as it should, metal detector regular checks are good, no need to re-inspect the product, this has been audited by BRC and never had a bad note from auditors.
Is this procedure right? if my metal detector is working, hourly test are passing, when a metal reject occurs and metal is found, no need of corrective action is needed?
I need guidance information.
Thank you
Depends on the product and whether metal detection is just foreign material prevention that's expected (e.g. raw agricultural products) or whether metal contamination shows a potential for microbial contamination (e.g. rusty nail found in scrambled eggs, problem isn't just the nail). I agree with your procedure in general, if your metal detector is meeting all of it's verificaton checks, if it identifies metal during the shift then there's no reason to place the product run on hold UNLESS the metal suggests there could be more. It's still a problem that you need to investigate the source of, but it doesn't necessarily implicate all of the product.
Examples:
Metal detector finds a clean nut, we stop the line and check for loose hardware and either find them all in place or find just one missing. So we know that's where it came from and there's no chance of more, keep running.
Metal detector rejects some product with metal shavings, place material on hold and investigate source of shavings. Determine if in process equipment or raw material, potentially destroy product produced on broken equipment or discard raw material lot whichever was the culprit.
This is how I have mine. And the procedure is correct but it may be a little confusing.
-So when you do a "Test", it involves passing metal through the metal detector they can be Stainless Steal, Ferrous...etc. So the MD MUST detect it and alarm you and reject it. No need for CA because your MD is functioning properly. (This is to check your MD is working properly and that it WILL detect metal in your product).
-If you pass this metal through the MD and your MD DID NOT ALARM you and reject it, then there is something wrong with your MD and you need to open a CA. And you must place products your ran through the MD before you did this test to see if they had metal in them and your MD did not detect.
-Now if you are running PRODUCT and it passed through the MD and your MD alarmed you and rejected it, that means your PRODUCT has metal in it and YOU MUST place it on hold to determine a ROOT CAUSE and a CA.
I hope it helps?
This is how I have mine. And the procedure is correct but it may be a little confusing.
-So when you do a "Test", it involves passing metal through the metal detector they can be Stainless Steal, Ferrous...etc. So the MD MUST detect it and alarm you and reject it. No need for CA because your MD is functioning properly. (This is to check your MD is working properly and that it WILL detect metal in your product).
-If you pass this metal through the MD and your MD DID NOT ALARM you and reject it, then there is something wrong with your MD and you need to open a CA. And you must place products your ran through the MD before you did this test to see if they had metal in them and your MD did not detect.
-Now if you are running PRODUCT and it passed through the MD and your MD alarmed you and rejected it, that means your PRODUCT has metal in it and YOU MUST place it on hold to determine a ROOT CAUSE and a CA.
I hope it helps?
-Now if you are running PRODUCT and it passed through the MD and your MD alarmed you and rejected it, that means your PRODUCT has metal in it and YOU MUST place it on hold to determine a ROOT CAUSE and a CA.
Aa smoke detector tell you that you might have a fire and need to do something about it. A metal detector tells you that you might have metal in your product and need to do something about it. It seems like so many miss this.
There are several reasons why MDs are not 100% effective even if tested and functioning properly (metal type, orientation through the md, contaminant dimensions, etc)
many people don't include evaluating rejected product in CCP monitoring. The PCQI course manual has a good example of how to document it - IMO
agree with FFF on raw ag products as well.