Conducting quality assessments of the food through any distribution chain are an important part of a supply chain, and will provide important quality data. In this article, we are going to look at some starting criteria to make sure you get the good start in your inspection procedure.
Location of the Food Quality Inspection
This has to be in a location where you will have access to the high volume of product that you want to assess. This may include the following possibilities: central distribution points, supplier premises and final destination like a shop and catering outlet. There’re benefits to these locations, like open the product packaging at the supplier premises, knowing it can get repackaged if any complaint, or having the wider variety of the product from various suppliers accessible at the central distribution point, and to know the complete impact of the distribution on the product quality while doing your food quality inspection at an end of a distribution chain.
source: planautomation.com
Sample Rate for an Inspection
There’re some useful guides for sampling, which includes ISO document 874 that can be used to determine the sample rates for the single product consignments, also it is an accepted guide for the organizations who are conducting the good quality inspection for the loss assessment reasons when food gets damaged in transit.
Suppose the official sampling guide isn’t appropriate for your food inspection for any reason, we will always recommend the scale of the sample, which is weighted for giving importance to the important product lines, in the terms of value or quantity. The sampling regime for the quality inspections by SurveyH must be designed for having a lesser impact on an owner and purchaser of a product in value, yield and money saved because of improvements in the quality.
Criteria for your Inspection Quality
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In theory, it’s just impossible to conduct the quality inspection for any type without having the agreed document against which food product can be assessed. It can most commonly be the purchase specification that is agreed between a supplier and buyer of goods and indicating technical needs for a product. Most of the specifications can set out quality systems, in which food must get produced, and some can provide the guideline nutritional information, but as such standards need the laboratory analysis or site audit to decide compliance they won’t form a part of quality inspection criteria. It can use physical quality factors to set out in a document, which includes the following elements:
- Pack, Box or Unit Weight
- Product Size and Weight
- Cutting or Preparation Standards
- Dates & Labeling Compliance
- Presence of the Foreign Objects or Pests
- Freshness and Ripeness (only for perishable food)
- The integrity of Packaging and Vacuum Packing
- Absence of Rots, Mould and Breakdown
Of course, there will be product specific criteria included, which depends on food getting assessed, like size clarification for mushrooms, the maximum amount of the fat allowed on Sirloin Steak and cutting size of carrots. When these factors are set out, it’s likely to commence with quality inspection.
Equipment Utilized In the Food Quality Inspection
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The first point here is that it covers equipment only that is made mobile, and either can be carried over the warehouse, production unit, or from different locations. There is a wide variety of larger equipment for the quality testing of food products. A mobile inspector may need the kit that will include the following:
- Scales – The model that is calibrated for accuracy must report in the single grams and small gradient.
- Camera – The picture talks a thousand words, and data found during the quality inspection must be verified by its evidence.
- Sizing Rings – For the fresh products like tomato and mushroom that have a requirement in mm.
- Calipers or Ruler or Tape – To measure the product length and thickness
