3 replies to this topic

[KingaZ]

Hello, I hope I could pick some of your knowledgeable brains. I was recently asked by operations team if e.g. RTE Spinach could be reworked and used in a Wash Before Use Salad bag instead? It would be opened and transferred on the line either solo or with other FRESH PRODUCE raw material spinach that has not been washed. Background: Ready to Eat Salad Leaves e.g. Spinach with Use by date set and validated. Washing process validated (water doesed with Peroxyacetic Acid) then there is centrifuge drying process and bagging into microperforated packaging. Operating micro product life Life is P+8 days, quality is P+14 or even more (we work to P+8). If the product is not sold on P+1/2 – the whole batch is then rejected and dumped. I was recently asked by operations team if that e.g. RTE Spinach could be reworked at P+1 or maximum P+2 and used in a Wash Before Use Salad bag instead? it would be opened and transfered on the line either solo or with other FRESH PRODUCE spinach that has not been washed. Therfore downgraded, and with customer washing as final micro control and it will no longer have use by date. The process can be traced to ensure tracability, orgnolpetics (texture, test, shelf life) are aslo fine.

Please share your thoughts.

 

[Charles.C]

 

Hello,

I hope I could pick some of your knowledgable brains. 

I was recently asked by operations team if e.g. RTE Spinach could be reworked and used in a Wash Before Use Salad bag instead? it would be opened and transfered on the line either solo or with other FRESH PRODUCE raw material spinach that has not been washed.

 Background:

Ready to Eat Salad Leaves e.g. Spinach with Use by date set and validated. Washing process validated (water doesed with Peroxyacetic Acid) then there is centrifuge drying process and bagging into microperforated packaging. Operating micro product life Life is P+8 days, quality is P+14 or even more (we work to P+8). 

If the product is not sold on P+1/2 – the whole batch is then rejected and dumped.

I was recently asked by operations team if that e.g. RTE Spinach could be reworked at P+1 or maximum P+2 and used in a Wash Before Use Salad bag instead? it would be opened and transfered on the line either solo or with other FRESH PRODUCE spinach that has not been washed. Therfore downgraded, and with customer washing as final micro control and it will no longer have use by date.

The process can be traced to ensure tracability, orgnolpetics (texture, test, shelf life) are aslo fine.

Please share your thoughts.

 

 

Hi Kingaz,

 

I'm curious - What is the meaning of  "P" ?

[SQFconsultant]

why would it not have a use by date or does it have a picked on, packed on or harvested on date/

[KingaZ]

Hi

 

P = Production day

 

 

The material with Use by date is Ready to Eat Salad, but by opening it and reworking on day 1 or 2 of life, we would be downgrading it to "Wash before use" so its no longer Ready to Eat product, but Wash befre use fresh produce bag.

 

We have two facilities, one is  Washed and Ready to Eat Salads - where all leavves undergo decontamination wash in water with Peracetic Acid. These product will have Use by date as microbiological safety is prescribed via process validation. 

 

Second facility packs same leaves into bags just without washing - straight from the filed, there is no processing step. Those are labelled as "wash before use"

 

For our records we keep harvesting dates etc. and apply batch code on the bag for tracebility purpouse. 

 

Regards