Food Safety Magazine, April/May 2012

PACKAGING

Such systems were developed to provide precise, same-day results, more than six times faster than traditional methods. Because of these shorter testing cycles, packers and processors can get their perishable food items to consumers with the same assurance of product safety.

They also provide an APC or total viable count of a food sample’s microbial load using a sensing assay or vial. As bacteria in the test sample multiply and respire, they consume oxygen. The change in oxygen is used to calculate the original sample’s colony forming units per gram for solids or per milliliter for liquids.

•;Tray;and;carton;fillers;with;wash-down
construction and product contact parts
that can be removed by hand
•;Tray;sealers;designed;to;shed;water;and
feature product contact parts that can
be disassembled without using tools
•;Sanitary;packaging;platforms;built;to
eliminate flat frame surfaces where
debris and moisture can accumulate

Building in Sanitation

Maintaining immaculate sanitation inside the processing and packaging plant is paramount. Bacteria and contaminants can enter a food facility in multiple ways that could have picked up the contaminants from the farm field, livestock or poultry operation or in distribution.

Weighing and conveying equipment can be built to make fastidious cleanliness inside the plant an achievable reality. Packaging equipment can be designed and built to eliminate harbors for bacteria, allow for thorough sanitation with minimal labor, simplify sanitation with product contact parts that can be removed without tools, eliminate areas where water and product particles can pool and meet or exceed U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), USDA-Dairy or Wisconsin Dairy Products Association requirements.

Examples of sanitary features on
weighing and conveying equipment can
include the following:
•;Conveyors,;belts;and;rollers;that;can;be
removed without tools
•;Wash-down;construction;and;product
contact parts that can be removed by
hand
•;Horizontal;motion;conveyors;that;use
a one-piece welded stainless steel pan,
slide gates that can be removed without
tools and a drive cover that sheds water
•;Plastic;belt;conveyors;with;pivot-open
side guides and crumb trays that allow
complete access for sanitation
•;Clean-in-place;sprays;available;on
plastic belt and bucket conveyors
Label mix-up errors can include placing
the wrong label on a product, mismatched
front and rear labels and incorrect product
information on the label. When label
mix-ups occur on a production line, they
compromise product integrity, brand
reputation and company profits, and pose
a risk to the consumer. The opportunities
for label mix-ups on the factory floor are
numerous and encompass many different
factors, including unintentional human
error and ineffective line changeovers.

Mislabeling Causes Problems, Even
Recalls

Mislabeling violates U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations and mandates a recall of the packaged product. Research done by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service found that 43 percent of food recalls were required because of mislabeled products.

Because of mislabeling recalls, most companies have established automated inspection regimens. These systems are able to detect defects, nearly eliminating the possibility of defective products and incorrect packaging reaching the customer.

PMMI holds PACK EXPO each year, where processors and packagers can find these and other innovations to support their food safety efforts. PACK EXPO International 2012 will be held October 28–31 at McCormick Place, Chicago.