Category: Food Safety Compliance

What is FSSC 22000?

With the industrialization of food, there is an increasing need for affordable, safe, and good-quality food products. FSSC 22000 provides a brand assurance platform to the food industry. Food Safety System Certification 22000 (FSSC 22000) is an internationally accepted certification scheme for certifying and auditing food safety within the food and beverage industry. It is accepted worldwide because it is recognized by Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).

What is the backbone of FSSC 22000?

FSSC22000 is based on 3 components:

1. ISO22000- Provides a basic framework across the entire framework.
2. PRPs- Includes requirements derived from BSI, PAS, and ISO Technical Specification Standards.
3. FSSC22000 Additional Requirements- Covers those requirements missed in ISO22000 and PRPs.

Aims and Objectives

1. Create and maintain an accurate and reliable register of certified organizations that have demonstrated that they meet the system’s requirements.
2. Support the accurate application of food safety and quality management systems.
3. Promote national and international recognition and acceptance of food safety and quality management systems.
4. Provide information and campaigns on food safety and quality management systems and support for the certification of food safety management systems in food safety and quality.

Which organizations can get FSSC22000 certification?

FSSC supports the whole food supply chain. It covers:

• Processing of ambient stable products
• Production of feed
• Production of pet food (only for dogs and cats)
• Production of pet food (for other pets)
• Catering
• Retail /Wholesale
• Provision of transport and storage services for perishable food and feed
• Provision of transport and storage services for ambient stable food, feed, and packaging materials
• Production of food packaging and packaging materials
• Production of Bio-chemicals

Difference between FSSC 22000 and FSSC 22000 QUALITY

Combining FSSC 22000 and ISO 9001 is called FSSC 22000 QUALITY. FSSC 22000 QUALITY is for an organization that wishes to integrate its Food Quality Management System into the scope of certification.

Audit and Certification Process of FSSC 22000

The certification process and audit proceeds according to the steps below:

1. Initial Certification Audit – The initial certification audit includes: – fixing a mutually convenient date for both the certification body and the applicant, applicant, ensuring that it has all the required documents, staff members, and all the operations and processes ready to be audited on the audit day.
2. The two Stages for the FSSC 22000 Audit –
   • STAGE 1: Stage 1 verifies that the applicant follows the FSSC 22000 standards, own internal documents, and regulations of the country. The applicant organization must have at least six months of verifiable records for the audit. After review, it will include “areas of concern,” which will be categorized as Major or Minor areas of concern. Finally, the applicant will have up to 6 months to fix the errors. The main objective of this stage is to assess the preparedness for stage 2 of the organization.
   • STAGE 2: In stage 2, activities subjected to the proposed certification shall be assessed and shall take place during the initial six months after stage 1. The site shall be fully operational during the audit. Applicants are issued with either Minor, Major, or Critical findings. In the case of Major and Critical results, the certificate will be issued once these issues are resolved.
3. Certificate Issue – After all the issues have been resolved to the auditor’s satisfaction, the Certification Body shall issue a certificate which essentially gives assurance that all the standard’s requirements have been met.
4. Surveillance Audits – After the certification is issued, annual surveillance audits shall be conducted within the three-year, of which at least one must be unannounced.
5. Recertification Audits – Recertification audits are conducted every three years and usually coincide with a newer version of FSSC 22000. It is a complete audit that encourages the latest compliance and demonstrates the organization’s competence.

 

Why FSSC 22000?

• Economical – Organizations can pay all at once or divide the payment over three years. It is economical compared to other schemes, such as British Retail Consortium (BRC), where the organization should pay annually.
• Valid for three years – Once certified, the organization does not have to worry about certification for three years if they maintain the given standard.
• Benefit of Surveillance Audit – The auditors will audit each year, which provides room for improvement, if any.

Conclusion

FSSC 22000 is designed to help an organization establish and control and improve its food safety management. The scheme is recognized by GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) and is accepted worldwide.

FSSC 22000 integrates quality management with food safety by including all the requirements of ISO9001, making it a one-stop solution for an organization that wishes to incorporate quality into the scope of certification.

It ensures visibility up and down the supply chain. The scheme has both flexibilities with accountability, meeting the needs of individual organizations.

Reference

1. https://www.fssc.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/FSSC-22000-Scheme-Version-5.1_pdf.pdf
2. https://ascconsultants.co.za/how-to-get-fssc-22000-certification#Step_12_Understand_the_FSSC_Certification_Audit_Process
3. https://onecert.com/wordpress_documents/FSSC%2022000%20Guideline.pdf
4. https://online-training.registrarcorp.com/resources/what-is-fssc-22000/
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIwUD6fY8h0
6. https://www.fssc.com/schemes/fssc-22000/scheme-documents-version-5-1/
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Food_Safety_Initiative#References
8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdA7x1Fgogo

1. Introduction:

Process control systems (PCS) also known as industrial control systems (ICS) are an integral part of the food & dairy processing industries. It is basically a tool that ensures plant efficiency and reliability. Process control systems function as pieces of equipment along the production line during manufacturing that tests the process in a variety of ways and returns data for monitoring and troubleshooting.

Food and Dairy products have a very vast application which ranges from dairy products to beverages and even bakery items, to fulfill this large demand food processing equipment with a control system is used to execute the various unit operations necessary during a complete production cycle.

2. Objectives:

The need to install a process control system is to improve the economics of the process by achieving, the following objectives:

• • Reduce variation in the product quality,
  • Achieve more consistent production and maximize yield,
  • Ensure process and product safety,
  • Reduce manpower and enhance operator productivity,
  • Reduce waste and
  • Optimize energy efficiency

Mainly two common classes of control actions are used in industries:

1. 1. Manual control: In manual control, an operator periodically reads the process parameter. When the value changes from the set value manual process are required to control the operating process.
   2. Automatic control: In automatic control, the process parameter is measured by various sensors & instrumentation which is controlled by using control loops.

All process control configurations whether manual, automatic, or computerized mainly have three essential elements:

1. 1. A measurement
   2. A control strategy
   3. A feedback element

Regardless of the nature of the product and process. Control in food processing has moved on from just attempting to control single variables, e.g., level, temperature, flow, etc., to systems that ensure smooth plant operation with timely signaling of alarms. Process control systems also work to gather and transmit data obtained during the manufacturing process.

These are:

1. 1. Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)
   2. Manufacturing execution systems (MES)
   3. Enterprise resource planning (ERP)

3. Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition (SCADA):

SCADA is one automation solution that can improve production efficiency and increase profitability. In the food processing industry, SCADA is used to ensure food quality and to achieve production goals. All phases of food preparation are typically monitored and controlled by SCADA. SCADA is also used to control the exact mix of ingredients as well as the time and temperature required to process foods. This prevents foods from being spoiled due to a heating process that was off by a few degrees. SCADA applications are also important in food production to document the fact that the production process meets industry standards and complies with governmental regulations.

Nowadays SCADA systems can do more than simply collect data and operate devices. They use artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze data and make decisions without the help of humans. They can operate in a cloud environment so that SCADA monitoring and control can be accomplished remotely by using tablets and smartphones.

SCADA is used to control and monitor all operational technology (OT) in the plant. And at the same time also sends and receives information from the MES or ERP system For Information that has to do with business planning & scheduling.

SCADA works in the following way:

• • SCADA begins by communicating directly with controllers in the field in real-time, typically through a PLC or RPU.
  • Then the SCADA system gathers all the data obtained from connectors in the field and transfers it to SCADA itself.
  • Later the data is shown graphically to operators that are executing whatever process.

There are many areas in food/dairy industries where SCADA is used to optimize production:

1. 1. Packaging
   2. Recipe Re-creation
   3. Maintaining Quality standards
   4. Visualization of products
   5. Creation of reports

4. Manufacturing execution systems (MES):

Manufacturing execution systems (MES) are computerized systems used in manufacturing to track and document the transformation of raw materials to finished goods. MES works as a real-time monitoring system to enable the control of multiple elements of the production process (e.g., inputs, personnel, machines, and support services).

 

MES software can do more for food and beverage manufacturing companies than traditional management. It can:

• • Optimize your shop floor on the go.
  • Identify issues or potential problems before they happen.
  • Integrate easily with existing systems.
  • Empower employees with the data and insights to make manufacturing smarter.
  • Remove non-value-adding actions and anecdotal evidence of losses.
  • Build a reputation of trust and quality with the supplier base using auditable, quality data.

Five things your food industry MES system should have:

1. 1. User-Friendly Operator Interfaces –The golden rule of developing software for the food processing industry plant floor is that must be easy to use.
   2. Integration to Production Equipment – Food manufacturing production equipment is filled with valuable data and can be used to streamline and optimize manufacturing processes.
   3. Offline Operating Capability- manufacturing processes are network dependent then they will come to a screeching halt if the network fails. MES should have offline operation capability in Your food industry.
   4. Food Industry-Specific Functionality – Modern MES systems and especially one developed specifically for the food manufacturing industry will manage more challenges, making them the ideal solution for your production management and data collection needs.
   5. Food Industry-Specific Modularity –In the same vein, a food industry MES system will likely feature software modules that align well with your production processes.

5. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): 

Enterprise Resource Planning refers to a software system which are used for business management. An ERP system enables food companies to manage and optimize their business processes – from purchasing, accounting, finance, human relations, and production to logistics. In short, ERP is the software that keeps your business up and running.

An ERP software for the food industry helps you introduce new products to market faster and cheaper than competitors & also ensures absolute compliance to the food safety regulations.

There are a few must-haves in ERP System:

1. 1. The ERP software must be able to supply precise cost information for all components, such as finished products, joint products, and byproducts. This is essential for the calculation of material and manufacturing costs as well as for pricing.
   2. Make sure that the system does not have any problems with portraying and optimizing recipes, bills of materials, and product calculations.
   3. Evaluations, gross margins, monitoring of processes and products: only if essential information and key performance indicators can be retrieved from the ERP system at the press of a button will decision-makers be able to get the most out of their business.
   4. The software must allow automated handling of variable weights. Otherwise, you will run into problems in weight price labeling, especially with non-equalized products.
   5. Production planning must take requirements of the fresh goods production into account.

Advantages of ERP:

• • Cost reduction: Save the investments in your own server, other expensive hardware, and skilled staff (which are quite hard to find these days)
  • Savings in time: No need to worry about keeping your ERP system and the hardware up to date. This will save you precious time.
  • Scalability: Add or remove IT resources cost-efficiently and in a very short time.

Benefits of Process Control System: 

• • Reduces wastage of expensive compounds
  • Provides improved production reliability
  • Increases productivity & quality
  • Improve the consistency of the product
  • Minimize the influence of external disturbance
  • delivers the continuous data required to meet regulatory standards
  • Standardized business processes

7. Reference:

• • Process Control in Food Processing Article Written by Keshavan Niranjan, Araya Ahromrit and Ahok S. Khare
  • https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/machinery-tools-supplies/overview-of-food-processing-equipment
  • https://www.energyventures.in/supervisory-control-systems.php
  • https://www.automationit.com/blog/73-5-ways-scada-can-improve-food-and-beverage-manufacturing
  • https://www.thermopedia.com
  • https://www.hitachi-hightech.com
  • https://www.google.com/www.sciencedirect.com
  • https://www.thebalancesmb.com/
  • https://www.plcacademy.com/scada-system/
  • https://slcontrols.com/solutions/manufacturing-execution-systems/
  • https://www.cioinsight.com/enterprise-apps/erp-software/
  • https://www.cic.es/en/scada-system-and-industry-4-0
  • https://www.matrixcontrols.com/food-industry-mes-system/
  • https://www.hitachi-hightech.com/global/product_detail/?pn=hsl_ins_mes_cyb_005
  • https://food-blog.csb.com/us-en/the-erp-system-what-food-companies-need-to-know-to-know

 

1. Introduction:

Process control equipment in the food industry are the types of equipment that measure the variables of a technical process, direct the process according to control signals from the process computer system, and provides appropriate signal transformation. Examples of process control equipment include actuators, sensors, transducers, etc.

These are the equipment used to ensure that food processing equipment operates correctly and the processing stages are continued as specified SOP.

These are equipment, that can be used

• • to analyze ingredients and machines,
  • allowing manufacturers to perform and duplicate processing procedures.
  • monitor existing systems and machinery, such as logging data during product testing or quantifying typical performance statistics.

Control equipment’s are particularly crucial during food production, as minor changes in cooking temperature, ingredient ratios, and operation times can lead to drastic changes in the finished product. 

2. Objective:

The main objective to implement control equipment’s in the food industry is to improve the economics of the process by achieving the following objectives: 

• • Reduce energy consumption and increase versatility
  • Enable cost-effective operation of the manufacturing process
  • Reduce the air consumption of pneumatically operated valves

3. Sensors:

In the food industry sensors are designed with process connections for clamping directly onto the process. They have a high mechanical strength to withstand the temperature and pressure associated with food production. The use of sensors to monitor temperature throughout the production process helps to ensure an optimum final product and assures food safety.

3.1 Sanitary Sensor:

Hygienic Pressure Transmitters are used in food & dairy application mainly with strong features like high-performance, long-term stability, high performance of temperature characteristics, etc. To accomplish these objectives many types of sanitary sensors are used in the food industry. Few are listed below:

• • • • Hygienic Adapter System (Fluid less Type): This system composes of replaceable adapters (16 adapters in total) with the hygienic function of pressure detection. fluid less type’s pressure sensor doesn’t need liquid such as silicon oil. It adapts duplex stainless steel as a sensor material. This duplex stainless-steel material has both high corrosion resistance and high tension.

• • • • Digital Remote Sensor (DRS): Transmitter connects two pressure sensors, master (high-pressure side) and slave (a low-pressure side) in a remote location, with DRS dedicated communication cable to measure differential pressure. These are suitable for various kinds of pressure measurement.

• • • • Differential/gauge pressure diaphragm seal: Diaphragm Seal System consists of differential pressure or gauge pressure transmitter with one or two diaphragm seals.  Suitable for various kinds of pressure measurement.

• • • • Distributed Temperature Sensor: These sensor is capable of intelligently monitoring temperature distribution up to 50 km in the lengthways direction in real-time with the help of a fiber optic sensor cable. This helps achieve fire detection, fire prevention, and preventive maintenance of equipment over a wide area which has up till now been difficult with thermocouples, resistance temperature detectors, or radiation thermometers. DTSX supports the HSE (Health, Safety, and Environment) plus the maintenance of plants and the social infrastructure, and aids safe operation.

When a large-scale fire or equipment failure causes the production line to stop, the damage is not limited to just customers’ assets or loss of revenue opportunity, but the supply chain is also affected. The economic and social loss is immeasurable. DTSX can precisely identify abnormally hot locations as a fiber optic sensor cable is installed along the length of the measurement target. This enables a quick initial response for safety, which ensures that the operation of the plant and social infrastructure is maintained, and the customers’ assets and social credibility are protected.

• • • • Tunable Diode Laser Spectrometers (TDLS):

It allows real-time gas analysis to increase efficiency, safety, quality, and environmental compliance. The non-contacting sensor allows measurement under severe conditions, such as high temperature, high pressure, corrosive/abrasive conditions, high dust concentration, etc. Maintenance can also be performed without taking the process offline because the TDLS is isolated from the process. The TDLS is a robust process analyzer that contributes to stable and efficient operation.

• • • • Sushi Sensor:

To improve the availability ratio and profitability of plants, timely identification of health conditions and efficient maintenance of aged equipment are required. Various sensing technologies are needed to monitor conditions and maintain diverse equipment. To maintain equipment distributed across a plant efficiently with limited man-hours, quantification of measurement data and automated data acquisition and storage systems are required Sushi Sensor measures vibration, temperature, and pressure as data for maintaining equipment.

• • • • Level sensor:

level sensors are used for in-line measurement and control of the food processing operation. Typically, they may be used to monitor temperature and liquid levels rates, acid/alkali inputs, and gas flow. For example, a level sensor is used to determine specific volumes of liquid dispensed during the cooking phase, too much or too little may mean the product is spoiled. So, to take care of this level sensors are used in the food industry.

 

• • • • Coriolis Mass Flowmeters: 

Coriolis mass flow meter, which is widely considered the most accurate type of mass flow meter and is widely used in industrial applications for accurate measurement. Coriolis flowmeters feature instrumentation that function on the principles of the Coriolis effect – a notable (and strange) phenomenon whereby a mass moving in a rotating system experiences a force acting perpendicular to the direction of motion and the axis of rotation.

Application of this includes Batching, Dosing, Blending, Chemical injection, High-pressure gases, Liquid and gas low flow measurement, Precision coatings, R&D laboratory, Vacuum thin film coating, etc.

Typical Food Sensor Applications: 

• • • Storage vessels – pumps and valves
    • Food processing monitoring systems, alarms, and alerts
    • Water purification
    • Liquid level sensing for industrial food processing operations
    • Cryogenic fast freeze technologies
    • Food test laboratories
    • Liquid gas storage
    • Transport
    • Liquid dispensing
    • Solvent and chemical control 

 

4. Actuators:

Efficient food processing and packaging operations call for high-level robust technologies that are durable, precise, and safe for food. Various food industry procedures including cutting and slicing of raw materials and filling beverages, which need to be done systematically, without any contamination. To fulfill these demands, actuators are used at a high speed and with maximum efficiency.

An actuator is a device that produces a motion by converting energy and signals going into the system. The motion it produces can be either rotary or linear. Linear actuators, as the name implies, produce linear motion. This means that linear actuators can move forward or backward on a set linear plane – a set distance they can travel in either direction before they must stop. Rotary actuators on the other hand produce rotary motion, meaning that the actuator revolves on a circular plane.

Linear or rotary actuators are available in various forms depending on the power-supply source.  The actuator could be electrical, pneumatic, or hydraulic. The choice of actuator type used will most likely depend on the application and industry-specific requirements. For example, the natural choice for the food industry would be electrical actuators.

4.1 Electrical Actuators:

Electric Linear Actuators are a crucial part of food processing and packaging systems. They allow you to control your production more efficiently by providing motion to the machines at required speeds. In addition to this, they help in eliminating potentially harmful fluid-powered systems from the food production environment. Vowing their uses, electric actuators are widely used in the following areas: 

• • • • • Conveyor Process
        • Bread Robots
        • Packaging Robotics
        • Ergonomic Stations

4.1.1: Benefits of Electric Actuators in the Food Industry:

Electric actuators offer various advantages for many industries, and the food industry is one of those. They are designed to perform in a rough and challenging environment. Here are a few benefits:

• • • • • Speed up Operations
        • No Fluid Leakage
        • Hygienic Design
        • Corrosion resistance
        • Clean and Robust Actuator Technology

 

4.1.2: Disadvantage of Electric Actuators in the Food Industry:

Apart from various advantages, Electric actuators have a few disadvantages too:

• • • • • lower speed than pneumatic and hydraulic actuators
        • less suitable for very heavy loads

• • • Pneumatic Actuators: 

Pneumatic actuators are found in automated systems and machinery in every industry and come in a wide range of sizes, styles, and designs. Easy to maintain, they can operate at high speeds, offering tremendous flexibility and value for a seemingly endless number of applications. In addition to being fast, economical, and reliable, pneumatic actuators are also cleaner and safer than other solutions, which make them ideal for manufacturing, packaging, palletizing, material handling, food, and beverage, and many more applications.

Pneumatic actuators are devices that use compressed air to power motion. That motion can be along a rotational or linear path, ultimately assisting or performing a task such as pushing, pulling, gripping, turning, feeding, ejecting, opening, closing, holding, stopping, clamping, stamping, and, as you can guess, the list goes on. The forces that these actuators can produce depend primarily on the cylinder bore size (piston diameter) and the operating pressure, but rod size is also a very important consideration on the rod-style cylinder. 

5. Transducers: 

A transducer can be anything that converts one form of energy to another. transducers that are used in food industries are piezoelectric, but some are magnetostrictive also. Piezoelectric transducers convert cyclic electrical current into physical vibrations, and magnetostrictive devices convert varying magnetic fields into physical vibrations.

5.1 Piezoelectric Transducer: 

A piezoelectric transducer (also known as a piezoelectric sensor) is a device that uses the piezoelectric effect to measure changes in acceleration, pressure, strain, temperature, or force by converting this energy into an electrical charge. The word piezoelectric is derived from the Greek word piezen, which means to squeeze or press. The piezoelectric effect states that when mechanical stress or forces are applied to a quartz crystal, produces electrical charges on the quartz crystal surface. The rate of charge produced will be proportional to the rate of change of mechanical stress applied to it. Higher will be stress, higher will be voltage.     

5.2 Magneto-strictive Transducer: 

A magnetostrictive transducer makes use of a type of magnetic material in which an applied oscillating magnetic field squeezes the atoms of the material together, creating a periodic change in the length of the material and thus producing a high-frequency mechanical vibration. Magnetostrictive transducers are used primarily in the lower frequency ranges and are common in ultrasonic cleaners and ultrasonic machining application 

6. Reference: 

• https://www.yokogawa.com/industries/food-beverage/#Overview
• https://www.deeterelectronics.com/
• https://www.venturemfgco.com/blog/
• https://www.mecvel.com/portfolio-item/
• https://www.pyrosales.com.au/
• https://www.omega.com
• https://jhfoster.com/automation-blog/