2 replies to this topic

[shannonw]

We are a small snack food processing facility that makes dehydrated snack products sealed in foil bags ( 64g or 22g sizes).We also dehydrate products and pack them into bulk foil in 2 kg quantities as WIP, which is then packed off into consumer packaging at a later point (due to raw materials being harvest sensitive). We have a rework station where staff open up leakers or under weights so the product can be repackaged. Additionally, the 2 kg bulk foil bags are eventually opened and emptied onto the packaging line. My problem is that we often get metal detection events due to small bits of the foil being deposited into the product from staff opening the bags. We have tried a variety of methods to open these bags as cleanly as possible ie : scissors (many metal events), opening by hand (sometimes the foil seal has remnants in it = metal events) using a milk cutter (best results but still sometimes get very small pieces tearing = metal events) using a tear notch (2kg bags are difficult to handle and the tear notch on smallest bags sometimes results in end pieces being dropped accidentally by staff  = metal events).  Every time we detect Metal, I have to create a CAR/CAPA according to our current procedures. I am trying to decrease the number of metal events, keep the packaging OUT of the rework and ensure that the product is handled appropriately. Does anyone have a suggestion as to how we could improve this rework process?

[SQFconsultant]

I have a client that packs Tarro chips in foil bags and they use a vacuum over the top and sides of a box that is in the inspection area of plant - they found they had to play with the setting of the suction tarro chips are heavier than the light weight of the foil and thus it sucks out the foil and not the chips - they have close to no issues this way.

[shannonw]

Thank you for the suggestion. I was thinking of using some sort of screen, but the rework/vacuum box concept would be less of a bottle neck. Did your client just engineer the apparatus themselves?