Calibration is the comparison of measurement value between a device under test and a calibrated device according to standard measurement. There are internal calibration and external calibration. Internal calibration is self calibration by devices user while external calibration is to be done by laboratory with ISO 17025 certification.
All measuring devices degrade after a period of time. As the components age, the stability of the devices reduced even though it may appear to be OKAY physically. So, continuing calibration assures the equipment is continually meets the specification as performed during installation.
Measurement readings are important data for QCs to judge if the food processing steps are meeting the requirement of food safety or customers. When the measurement reading is not accurate, QCs might overlooked the problem and ignore the needs to control the process. For instance, if a thermometer showed reading at 3oC each time QC tested sea products, even though the sea product is actually in higher temperature. QCs would thought that the product temperature is OKAY and allow the production continues without initiating any control. This ignorance would result high bacteria load in the sea products. So, QCs need accurate measuring devices so that they could make prompt quality control decision in monitoring food processing.
Food processors should have a calibration program for all the measuring devices. The calibrations are planned and recorded into a calibration schedule. QCs would then initiate the calibration activities according to the schedule. Each internal calibration results should be recorded and the calibration reports (of external calibration) should be kept properly. QAs are responsible to make sure the calibration of all measuring devices is done up-to-date. The examples of measuring devices used in food processing are weighing scales, thermometer, pH meters and Chlorine tester.
Some devices’ accuracy can be adjusted during calibration. In internal calibration, the deviation of the readings are recorded for QCs to add on the deviations into the readings that they tested each time. With that, the reading is more reliable for food safety controls.
Dates and readings in calibration is crucial. QAs should make sure the data is correct and up-to-date so that the document is reliable and to be used as supporting documents.
Jacky Chung
Trainer and Consultant
JACKYZ SOLUTION
As we are complying all MeSTI requirement, we need to record every actions we did in every production day so that everybody in the organization knows what is happening in the processing factory and process and it is also for Quality Controllers (QCs) to initiate appropriate actions when the situation is deviate from the SOP.
I visited hospital Emergency and Trauma Department and wads a few times in 2022 as two of my family members are admitted in general hospital. There were doctors asking me a lot of questions about the patient. After I answered every questions, the doctors recorded all information. Each time when I asked for advice, the doctor referred to their records and gave me feedback regarding the patient (my family members). There are different doctors handling the same patient everyday. So how would they know the patient’s condition? Yup, they referred the patient’s record. I am impressed with their recording system as I also believe that records tell information and help the personnel to take further actions or to review.
Records can be expressed as tick (√) and cross (×). Cross sign means not good or not yet done. When it is not complying, we note the situation / reasons and corrective actions that to be taken to correct the situation. There are also records in measurement such as food temperature readings and product weight readings. Temperature record should be accurate to show the food safety. When the sea products temperature increased to 4oC, it is likely that the bacteria will start to grow on the products. Thus, QCs should cover the sea products with adequate ice to bring the product temperature down again. This is one of the example that QCs to maintain the food safety. Product weight is another essential control to comply product specification. Besides, product size is also determined by it’s individual weight. So, weight reading must also be accurate.
Another crucial measurement is duration (time). Processes such as freezing and steaming need a standard duration to ensure the product is successfully transformed to another product form, such as frozen or cooked thoroughly. Therefore at this time, recording is become important. With the record, QCs can confirm is the practice is correctly done. And if product does notadequately processed (Frozen/cooked etc), QC can ignore mis-handling factor and to investigate other factor (such as machine failure, product quantity and so on).
Batch numbers and quantity records of packaging material, chemical, raw material and products tell the inventory of each stock and could be used to monitor the First in First Out (FIFO) system. FIFO syterm should be implemented in every storage to maintain the quality, especially food product as each product has shelf life. In this system, The earlier processed/received item should be managed in advance then the later processed/received item.
Date records tell when does certain controls or actions have been done. For example, there are records about Food handlers’ training and health inspection records. This date records shows if the tasks had been done. Besides, the calibration date of measuring device is showing when the calibration is done and when the validity ends. With this record, QCs can check whether the task had been completed and when QCs should arrange next calibration. There date record can assist QC to initiate actions to comply Food Safety Assurance program’s requirement.
Checklist records provide useful information and support to everybody anytime when QCs want to initiate inspection, review and investigation, or to determine the further actions in production. Each checklist shoudl have a title and a checklist name for easy retrieving. Besides, every checklist should be signed by an executor (normally QC) and a verifier (Normally Quality Assurance (QA) manager or boss) , as verification. The verifier should then file the checklist according to the title and checklist number. Well, would it accumulate a lot of document? Actually, you just need to keep the checklist as long as the product shelf life. For example, frozen sea product has the shelf life of 18 months. So, we keep the document for 18 months. After that, we reuse the document for checklist (photocoping the checklist on the back side of the record) . Some people ask, why keeping that long? After food product is marketed, if someday certain batch of food product’s quality and food safety is being doubt and Health Department request to investigate, the QA manager can then retrieve the relevant checklist record to initiate investigation recorded checklist should be named with proper name and checklist number and to be signed by an executor and a verifier. After that, Quality Assurance Manager should file it properly, according to the title, for easy retrieving. Every checklist should be kept as long as the shelf life of the product batch so that when there is a need to investigate on certain product batch, QA Manager has the supporting document to do it.
Records could be a very important supporting document when handling audits, customer complaint and product recall as every records show important information. Therefore, the quality team should record checklist well and precisely in every findings.
Jacky Chung
Trainer and Consultant
JACKYZ SOLUTION
