Recurring complaints for mouldy, discoloration packs in pepperoni packed in modified atmosphere
How would you respond to this question in an interview (with no other additional information given).
"What approach would you take to tackle reoccurring complaints (mouldy, discoloration packs) for 1kg pepperoni packed in modified atmosphere. Packaging (formed on line tray and top film)."
Hey there, no need to post your question multiple times.
I've kept this one and deleted the others.
Why don't you tell us what you would say, and we can offer suggestions for improvement?
"I would conduct a root cause investigation and develop a corrective action plan based upon the results."
Hey there, no need to post your question multiple times.
I've kept this one and deleted the others.
Hi Simon, Sorry about that, and thank you.
Why don't you tell us what you would say, and we can offer suggestions for improvement?
Below is what I had brainstormed so far. I felt like I was going off topic a bit, which is why I wanted to see what other people's response would be.
The intervie response has to be in the form of a 10 mins presentation
"Spoilage of food occurs when foods start to decompose due to the action of the following:
- Bacteria, moulds & yeasts
- Enzymes
- Oxidation
- Contamination
Know about the organism specific to the environment/process i.e.
How is food preserved?
Low pH, chemical preservatives, decreased aw and Modified atmosphere packaging.
Controlled atmosphere: MAP (uses Carbon dioxide, Oxygen and Nitrogen to change the atmosphere around the product)
slows the growth of pathogens and spoilage organisms)
reduces enzyme reaction and oxidation.
extends shelf life but needs refrigeration.
Modified atmosphere will favour anaerobes (particularly Clostridium botulinum (C. botulinum) and its potent toxin). The other Clostridium species to note in cooked meats is C. perfringens: its spores will survive normal cooking processes but can germinate and grow during cooling, producing high numbers of vegetative cells which, if consumed, will cause food poisoning. Rapid cooling of such meats is critical to prevent growth and control the risks associated with this organism.
Chemicals (preservatives) : pH of pepperoni is 4.8 -6.1
Nitrates and Nitrites: used in curing of meats, stabilises the red pigment and reduces spoilage. Also prevents the germination of spores and the production of botulinum toxin
Curing salts will often reduce the aw of cured meat, but as long as this is above 0.88, bacterial growth is possible ( S.auerues {can grow at 0.89 Aw} and Listeria). Staphylococci will be prevented from growing at chilled temperatures but Listeria will continue to grow slowly even in chilled conditions (Proper handling is crucial in a chilled “high-risk” environment). If the temperature is poorly controlled, some Staphylococci will grow and may form a pathogenic toxin that is very heat resistant and not eliminated by cooking. Moulds can grow at 0.62 Aw (usually aerobic, grow in acid/alkaline conditions, can grow in high salt/sugar concentrations)
Use of low temp: stops the growth of most pathogenic bacteria (Psychrophilic spoilage bacteria and moulds still cause problems at chill at chilled temperature - L.monocytogenes and Yersinia enterocolitica still multiply at chill storage). Freezing inhibits enzyme reactions, reduces available water, destroy some bacteria inc. pathogens. Spores and toxins are unaffected. Mould and yeast can withstand a lower Aw and temp - growth recorded as low as -10C.
We may still have concerns about enteric, faeces-originating pathogens, but less concern with their growth.
Methodogy:
Traceability to determine if the complaints are originating from the same batch/production dates or several batches and production dates
Is the pepperoni close to its end of life or is it within life? (may need to review finished product start of life and finished product endo of life results carried out for ACC, staphs, Ecoli, Y&M, enteros, LAB, including clostridum validation work.)
Affected packet(s) need to be inspected in person to assist the further investigation (is the packaging still intact or punctured? any signs of being squashed? temp of product? Colour of mould? Is there any other sign of spoilage (slime, smell, swelling?))
(review raw material ACC results, review the finished pack analysis results for affected batches : ACC, staphs, Ecoli, Y&M, enteros, LAB, listeria); Review the chemical sampling for cure levels, aW, preservative and salt levels that were conducted,
people/handing during processing: (hand & env swabs for enteros and ACC, process deviations? Temporary storage?) adequate thermal processing followed? (70C for 2mins or equivalent) (DANGER: undercooking), Rapid cooling prior to refrigeration? (otherwise, risk spore germination/growth of surviving pathogens), raw and RTE separate at all stages of prep, storage (DANGER: cross contamination)
Machinery (review MAP gasses seal integrity checks for affected batches; check swab results, also if there have been similar complaints for other product lines)
Packaging (how is the packaging stored before use, are different products also getting the same complaint – review packaging specs – any changes recently that could affect the packaging atmosphere??)
Storage and distribution: rough handling during storage and distribution can contribute to damage to packaging (check packaging integrity of affected packs). Poor temp control during these stages can result in multiplication of spoilage bacteria of packaging – may need to review temp logs, door seals, stock rotation)
Spoilage of cooked meat products would primarily be due to post-process contamination by organisms as a result of poor hygiene and handling practices.
Display non-conformity photos on departmental boards, and train all production staff (including key microbiology involved) and carry out comprehension assessments.
More information would be helpful. Is the product refrigerated? What temperature is it kept at? Could there be higher temps in transit? And what are you doing currently?
There wasn't any further info provided; the instruction is to create a 10 min presentation based on the scenarion.The company's website shows that the product is supposed to be chilled.
See my reply to Scampi above on how I approached this (I included reviewing the temperatue logs for storage and distribution like you mentioned). I was just concerned that will all the other information I included, I had veered off topic and not answered what was asked.
"I would conduct a root cause investigation and develop a corrective action plan based upon the results."
Which root cause analysis tool in particular would you use here? Fishbone diagram perhaps?
You have that you MAY need to review refrigeration logs---I would suggest that gas concentration verifications AND refrigeration logs should be at the top of the list as they are the most obvious issues and then work your way down
It would also be useful to pick a processing type for the pepperoni to start with as that will affect the root cause (dry cured vs wet)
Determine if there is a CCP(s) in the process and verify that they were/were not within allowable limits for the production run
Moldy suggests a process failure on the product itself
Discoloration suggests the MAP gas wasn't correct (the meat has oxidized (which leads me down a wet product, and not a dry cured one)
You have that you MAY need to review refrigeration logs---I would suggest that gas concentration verifications AND refrigeration logs should be at the top of the list as they are the most obvious issues and then work your way down
It would also be useful to pick a processing type for the pepperoni to start with as that will affect the root cause (dry cured vs wet)
Determine if there is a CCP(s) in the process and verify that they were/were not within allowable limits for the production run
Moldy suggests a process failure on the product itself
Discoloration suggests the MAP gas wasn't correct (the meat has oxidized (which leads me down a wet product, and not a dry cured one)
This was very helpful, thank you. I'll go back to my drawing board.
Don't forget the teamwork- if I think back to the applications where we have successfully resolved micro issues etc it has been a team effort. As in - use a multifunctional team when you do the RCA. I think a fishbone style would work well here because you have a lot of possible contributing factors.
A fast way to work out what bacteria is causing spoilage is to send the samples away for identification. Then you have sometimes 1-2 types that you can identify, and it will save you from having to research every single type that it could be.
Reading it again, it seems like the product is going mouldy. I would be interesting to send all raw materials away, do some air sampling, and really take a good look at process and packaging.
Process hygiejne is also really important, often getting maintenance involved helps as you might very simply have a spot that needs to be taken apart for cleaning. Sometimes it can be as simple as a dirty spot in the proces.
Also I am sure you have named it already but check production records and get it tested for salt to see if the concentration is right.
Good luck
I haven't seen any mention yet about what I would consider the most obvious form of defect, seal/barrier failure of the package. Both the spoilage and discoloration could result from a simple leak in the seal for this type of product. Oxygen intrusion would allow all of this to occur and a simple 15sec headspace analysis would tell you if it did, and bubble emission testing would show you where the flaw is.
The OP does mention packaging integrity checks. It's just hidden in the long text. 🙂
That's so you can see if it was caused by temperature abuse in the cool chain.
If all of your samples don't show the defect.
You can't tell for sure of course but it's always one of the first things you do in a complaint investigation.
Hi nlets,
I would be confirming further details about the product, for example pepperoni can be ambient stable or requiring refrigeration. So what is the shelf life and under what conditions?
You have obviously looked at this in some detail, initially I would be looking at:
Analysis of complaints - for example are the complaints on product at end of life? possibly meaning the shelf life is excessive
Examine retained and shelf life samples
Micro analysis of packaging & modified air/system
Micro analysis of product at start and end of life
Kind regards,
Tony
The air used for MAP can also be contaminated.
You can get the filters checked/changed and also measure the quality of the air.
💪
Thank you all for you so much for your feedback on this, your input has been a massive help; I am more confident about my presentation now (and I will remember these key points in practice too).
As AJL said, teamwork helps, and was a good example of it - much appreciated
Now if we are thinking team don't forget to include the other stakeholders: your suppliers.
Your equipment suppliers, packaging suppliers are also knowledgeable and helpful. 💪