Seeing it safe

Food safety is a major concern for both consumers and retailers. To ensure consumer safety and protect manufacturer and retailer brands from costly product recalls, the regularly updated International Featured Standards (IFS) Version 6 quality regulations require manufacturers to maintain tighter control over processing lines and introduce key production changes, especially in the areas of senior management responsibility, production processes, measures and analysis.

Training essential
The updated requirements for senior management responsibility relate to ensuring that staff are sufficiently trained, understand their individual responsibilities in relation to food safety and know that their performance is monitored [Clause 4.1.5].

In order to ensure optimum food safety, the IFS Version 6 puts the onus on every person involved in the production process, not just the machine operatives. Product inspection systems that offer comprehensive monitoring and data collection software, as well as options for remote access to contaminant detection records, can enable manufacturers to demonstrate their due diligence in processes and their adherence to food safety guidelines in the event of a product recall.

At the same time, inspection technology with enhanced security features, such as password-protected reject bin locks and touchscreen displays, and the recording of login attempts, optimises manufacturers' control over their production lines.

To mitigate the risk of food contamination from foreign bodies, such as metal and broken glass, the regulation requires the implementation of a comprehensive training programme in the use of any product inspection equipment, like metal detectors and X-ray inspection systems. It is important, therefore, that product inspection systems are easy to use to simplify the training process.

Inspection systems with features such as touchscreen Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs), intuitive software and pre-set functions for product changeovers can reduce the amount of training necessary to ensure optimum detection sensitivity and minimise the risk of reputation-damaging recalls.

Vision for labelling
Product labelling is another key focus of the IFS Version 6. All information must be legible and indelible, comply with customer-applicable product specifications, and should correspond to the product contained within the packaging. Moreover, the updated regulations oblige food manufacturers to ensure that all product labelling adheres to the current legislation of the destination country, including the display of ingredients, product weight and expiration date.

For food manufacturers, fully automatic vision inspection systems are capable not only of examining labelling information at high speeds, but also removing sub-standard packs from the line, while minimising the risk of non-conforming packs reaching end consumers.

It is interesting to note that, for the first time, the IFS Version 6 contains guidelines regarding traceability of food products to identify the relationship between product batches and their labels. In the event of a product recall, manufacturers must now store samples of each product batch appropriately until expiration date and, if required by retailers, for a determined period beyond.

Advanced vision inspection and serialisation technology installed at key points on the production line can help manufacturers identify the origin of the sample. Indeed, these systems enable products to be tracked from the raw ingredient stage until they are ready to be transported to the retailer, whereas the product information is stored for later use.

Regular testing
Finally, and most importantly for food manufacturers, IFS Version 6 stipulates that all measuring devices be tested regularly for accuracy, adjusted and calibrated as necessary under a comprehensive monitoring system. The results must be documented and any necessary corrective action on weighing technology or production processes carried out. Product inspection systems with easy-to-use displays and dedicated test procedures built into the software can facilitate this process. Remote monitoring services can test product inspection system performance parameters and undertake corrective action in real time with no need to disrupt production.

Being aware
If manufacturers want to ensure growth and continue to supply their products to global markets, they must adhere to the updated regulations. To do so, they should develop a good relationship with product inspection experts who understand global food safety regulations, and who will be able to select the right technology. Manufacturers can then ensure their processes meet current and future international requirements while maintaining or enhancing production efficiency.

Mettler-Toledo Safeline is the world's leading supplier of metal detection and X-ray inspection solutions for the food and pharmaceutical industries. Together with Garvens Checkweighing, CI-Vision and Pharmacontrol Electronic (PCE), Mettler-Toledo Safeline forms the Product Inspection division of Mettler-Toledo.

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