Week 8 Process, Environment & Equipment Control - We've Got SALSA Sussed

Week 8 Process, Environment & Equipment Control

PROCESS CONTROL

Hi Everyone!

I hope you’re well and your week is a successful one so far…..

This week, I am trying to do a bit of promotion of my own for my SALSA Documentation pack, so if you are interested please do get in touch, I have developed it to help businesses get it right first time for SALSA. It is a pack of procedures and records which covers 90% of the implementation of SALSA into your business. However, due to every business being different, there is 10% required for you to do. Such as todays topic which is Process control. Every food business is carrying out different processes depending on their product, so hopefully you will find this really useful!

PROCESS CONTROL

Process control is unique to each food business, as it is dependent on the processes being carried out. What I mean by this, is what processes your ingredients go through, to become your finished product?

We have to think about how each process is carried out. Then put procedures in for carrying them out. And finally train them all to staff members. This ensures the product being made is of the quality and standard required.

This ensures the customer or consumer is always getting the specification of product you agreed with them.

What’s coming next…

Week 9 & 10 PROCESS, ENVIRONMENT & EQUIPMENT CONTROL Week 9 Environmental Control Week 10 Equipment Control

 

Please see the attached file for getting SALSA sussed…

Process Control – what do you need to show your SALSA auditor?

What you need:

Process Control Procedure

On your process control procedure, you need to document how you are going to make sure all of your products are made to the correct standard and quality, every time.

There are many different methods you can use to achieve this, and they are very dependent on your type of product and size of business.

I am going to run through a few examples of how you can go about controlling your process.

1.       Recipe specifications & separate records

2.       Production Traceability Records encompassing all

3.       Processing Station Instructions & Records

1.    Recipe Specifications and Separate Records

See below a really simple recipe specification.  You would document all information on how to make your product on this. It would also be used as a training document for staff members. You can laminate these and put on the line ready for use. It has all of the following: Recipe, Method & Equipment Setting instructions & Quality parameters.

 

PRODUCT NAME:
RECIPE
Ingredients		Supplier			Weight g / kg
METHOD
STEP 1:
STEP 2:
STEP 3:
EQUIPMEMT SETTINGS:
QUALITY ATTRIBUTES:
REJECT	ACCEPT (AMBER)		TARGET	ACCEPT (AMBER)		REJECT
Add photo	Add photo		Add photo	Add photo		Add photo

 

In addition to the above, you need to ensure you have records to document

·         Batch code of ingredients (to write in)

·         Ingredient weights (if you do one batch size, or leave it blank to write weights in)

·         Ingredient BB / Use By Dates (to write in)

·         Area to record the product CCP’s (with the limits on for reference) such as times and temperatures, metal detection, blast chilling, or whatever your HACCP plan has defined your CCP’s to be

·         Finished product weight checks

·         Finished product batch code

·         Labelling checks

·         Coding checks

·         Quality checks

 

2.    Production Traceability Records

Another solution is to have all information on a Production Traceability Record, where you not only have the recipe, method, equipment and quality attributes, just as we have gone through above, but you also include everything you have to record as well. It includes your traceability information as well!

 

I have found this method one of the most efficient way to tackle the procedure. Every business who has used it has worked really well for them. It is more suited to smaller businesses.

 

You need one production traceability record for each product. The document would include the following:

 

·         Recipe ingredients

o   List all of the ingredients and suppliers on the record. This is useful to make sure staff members know exactly what ingredients to use.

·         Batch code of ingredients (to write in)

o   The batch numbers of ingredients need to be written down at the point of use on the record. This is to make sure if there is a problem with any of the raw materials we can trace them into whichever products they have been used in – it a very important part of your traceability.

·         Ingredient weights (if you do one batch size, or leave it blank to write weights in)

o   If you make set batch sizes, you can prepopulate the weights required when weighing up of ingredients. If not, it will be necessary to have batch recipe cards for staff members to use in addition to this record with the different batch weights. The weight will then need to be manually written in.

·         Ingredient BB / Use By Dates (to write in)

o   Writing in the BB/Use By dates is an important check for staff to make sure they do not accidently use something past its shelf life date. If you are making dried powder mixes such as bread mixes, then you will need the shortest shelf life ingredient to use as your finished product shelf life date.

·         Method for producing the product including the equipment settings

o   The method for making a product is important; you need a step by step ‘how to’ method for staff to follow. You also need to think about every piece of equipment they will use to make it, and give them the exact settings they need to use. When writing these, sometimes it feels as though your telling people how to suck eggs, but really, you are just making sure your process is spot on, every time.

·         Area to record the CCP’s (with the limits on for reference)

o   CCP’s on your site could be a variety of things, such baking or cooking times and temperatures, metal detection, pH and aw values for recipe control etc. If you have these documented on the record, they’re all in the right place for reference, and recording purposes. You can see looking at one record, that everything has been done correctly for that batch of product produced.

·         Finished product weight checks

o   Weight checks are a legal requirement and you will more than likely be working towards minimum weight or average weight. You will need to record a number of weights per product run. You might have quantity checks as well if the pack of product you are selling is by number – this will need to be recorded as well.

·         Finished product batch code

o   Writing the batch code down and checking it against the batch code you have on your product to make sure it is correct

·         Labelling checks

o   Check that it is the correct label for the product being packed – this is one of the biggest reasons for recalls in the industry – Wrong product in wrong pack. Retaining a label and any coding stickers by attaching them to the record, is best practice and a great way to prove you have ensured it’s the right product in the right pack!

·         Coding checks

o   Writing the BB or Use By Date code down and checking it against the code you have on your product to make sure it is correct

·         Quality checks

o   The quality attributes for shape, size, colour, sample retained etc

 

There may be other things to include depending on your product, but the above is a good starting point.

 

If you complete it this way, this document provides a full picture or journey of everything that happens to the product throughout production, and is all recorded in one place.

 

Of course, your process might be a little more complex, and there may be different components of the product made separately, such as…

·         cooking of sandwich fillings, and assembly of the sandwich

·         or baking of cakes, and making fillings and toppings

…which come together as the finished product at the end.

 

We just need to think of it a little different. We could produce a production traceability record for each component of the product, then when it all comes together, we bring the component paperwork together with the final packing, labelling and weight checking.

 

3.    Process Station Instructions & Records

Having instructions per processing station, and records to support them is another way you ensure you have control of your process. This is for more complex processes and usually larger sites.

 

Recipe Specification documents will still be required, however will consist of just recipes and weights, this will probably be located in the weighing up area.

 

Process Stations

The method will be broken down per processing station – example below for a bakery:

·         Weighing up

·         Mixing

·         Dividing

·         Proofing

·         Baking & Cooling

·         Quality Checks

·         Packing & Labelling

 

Using your HACCP process flow diagram will help you to decide which separate processing areas you have and need the instructions and records for.

 

Equipment & Method

It is a good idea to have laminated posters up, or to hand at each station, on how to use equipment or the method of production needed. Some equipment might have different settings or methods per product, so list the products, and list the settings required for each. Some processes may be manual and not equipment, so the instructions for those will need writing too.

Records

Each station will require a supporting record to evidence that the process has been carried out correctly. The traceability information on each of the records used at each station needs to flow from one station to another.

 

Of course, I always say, the least number of records to complete the better, keep it as simple as possible. But also make sure you have captured everything necessary.

 

I am here to help with process control if you need me. I have developed many different systems for all sorts of food categories.

 

If you need assistance, please feel free to contact me!

 

On that note, that is the end of this section. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions.

 

Be careful and stay safe!

Ruth

Ruthshawconsultingltd@gmail.com

07732 966 836