Is Foreign Body Detection Always Needed
Hi all, we have the option to re-pack small amounts of dried goods - flours, cake mixes etc. The process would involve decanting from a large sack to smaller bags to be sold to industry. Would we need some kind of Foreign body detection? Or could we show our due diligence by performing a visual check on a certain percentage of bags. There would be a very small amount produced maybe 100 bags a day. If it is required, would you suggest a filter or a magnet system? Any advantages or disadvantages to these? If a magnet system is used, would this detect metal in the final packaged product? Or would it detect before the product is packaged? Looking for a low cost solution due to the low volumes. Many thanks
Are these goods all powders?
If so, is there any real reason not to do this through a sieve, given the relatively low cost of such things?
You might be able to get to a risk-assessed position that you're comfortable with based on no direct FB controls, but I'd be doubtful that all customers/auditors would be very accommodating of it as a practice, and there doesn't seem to be any significant reason not to implement something, given the potentially low cost of doing so.
Magnets would require you to pass the product across them before packing - the type of magnet that is strong enough to pull metal pieces out of a bag of e.g. flour from the outside would almost certainly not fall within your "low cost" requirements, and even then would only address foreign bodies that are magnetic. This may be ok with other controls in place and/or your assessment demonstrates that this is the only significant risk, but personally I'd prefer to just dump from the larger bag into a hopper and through a sieve, as you know it's catching pretty much everything over a set size.
Does the vendor from whom you get the material have foreign material detection in place
Have you performed a risk assessment on your facility?
Without the answer to those 2 questions-cannot make a good suggestion
You need to do RISK ASSESSMENT and a HAZARD ANALYSIS
To determine HOW may foreign material be present in your products and why you will be doing the detection.