Tag Archives: bakery

Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and Digital Scales

Posted on by

Food safety is extremely important to all of us. In today’s ultra competitive and fast paced world, it’s imperative that we have laws in place to ensure that the food we eat is as safe as possible.

We hope the article below helps you better understand information about the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Ultimately we think this information will highlight the ability of Rice Lake’s washdown products to meet your requirements of commercial processing industries. The FSMA info below not only informs producers about how to meet compliance laws, but demonstrates how Rice Lake scales can help prevent food contamination by the integrity of their construction and design.

For all producers, from the farm to the table, purchasing equipment that meets Sanitary Design Principles (SDP) is considered a mandatory preventative measure by the FDA. Our product offerings that are microbiologically cleanable, hermetically sealed and compatible with hostile environments can greatly assist you in adhering to these strict guidelines.

On January 4, 2011, President Obama signed the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) into law. The FSMA brought a much-needed focus of food safety laws into the food processing industry as well as to consumers, and the general public as a whole.

The signing of the FSMA was arguably the largest reform to food safety in the previous 70 years. According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), the FSMA “aims to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus from responding to contamination to preventing it.” The key focus being prevention versus reaction in regards to food safety, from all aspects and stages of food—from the farm to the table.

The FSMA was spurred into action from an increase in foodborne illnesses in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report almost 1 in 6 Americans fall ill to food borne diseases each year. Foodborne illness became an issue of public health in the early 2000s, enabling the FDA to set higher preventative standards for food safety and elicit enforcement agencies to hold companies to these standards and contain any potential problems before they become a widespread risk of foodborne illness. To do this, the FDA under the FSMA can order companies to recall when needed.

The primary role of the FSMA is prevention. As noted by the FDA, “for the first time, FDA will have a legislative mandate to require comprehensive, science-based preventative controls across the food supply.” This legislative power ensures all U.S. companies that contribute to the food supply, no matter their size, are subject to the authority of the FDA and their preventative and responding agency.

Under the Prevention section of the FSMA, controls are given to the FDA for the following:

• Mandatory preventive controls for food facilities
• Mandatory produce safety standards
• Authority to prevent intentional contamination

These measures need to be qualified by scientific justifications by the FDA and are enforced by legislation. Under the mandatory preventative controls for food facilities is the addition of a preventative control plan that includes the following:

1 ) Evaluating the hazards that could affect food safety
2 ) Specifying what preventive steps, or controls, will be put in place to significantly minimize or prevent the hazards
3 ) Specifying how the facility will monitor these controls to ensure they are working
4 ) Maintaining routine records of the monitoring
5 ) Specifying what actions the facility will take to correct problems that arise.

Purchasing and using equipment that meets the Sanitary Design Principles (SDP) falls under these mandatory preventative measures as a control to prevent or minimize the possibility of foodborne contamination and disease. Continue reading →

Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and Digital Weight Scales

Posted on by

Maintaining a pristine environment is absolutely critical to the success of food manufacturers. Unhygienic conditions within food manufacturing plants can have a potentially catastrophic impact on public health, not to mention the public relations and revenue impact on the company in question. It is not surprising, therefore, that increased consumer awareness and demand has seen safety standards become increasingly rigorous.

It is vital that companies manufacturing weighing equipment for the food industry ensure that the products they supply comply with best practices and meet strict legislative requirements. On a food production line, fast and accurate check weighing is vital to a company’s bottom line – the visibility of weighing data and statistics can help maximize performance and profitability – but the equipment chosen must meet stringent design requirements when it comes to construction and ease of cleaning.

With U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deadlines for small and medium sized companies to meet requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) hitting in late September 2017, the industry is under pressure to deliver high quality food while also meeting the requirements of this new legislation.

The date for registered companies with greater than 500 employees to comply with the first FSMA rule Preventive Controls was September 2016. For companies with fewer than 500 employees, the compliance date was September 2017.

Why is the FSMA being implemented?

The new rules are intended to minimize the serious illness and death that can be caused by unsafe food products, by focusing on preventing food contamination throughout the entire production process.

The link between HACCP, HARPC and FSMA

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a systematic, preventive approach to food safety from biological, chemical and physical hazards in production processes that can cause the finished product to be unsafe. It focuses on the hazards that are unique to the product being manufactured, so the concerns for a seafood processor will be different from those of a coffee roasting company.

With the implementation of FSMA, HACCP becomes a part of a food manufacturer’s compliance to Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls (HARPC). In short, the FSMA act aims to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus from responding to contamination to preventing it.

Digital Weigh Scales

This risk-based, preventive approach to food safety relies on data and expertise to pinpoint potential food safety issues along the production, distribution and supply chain. The FDA has advised that facilities should set up a thorough system for documenting internal processes and record keeping, so that they can clearly demonstrate that legal standards are being met.

As a crucial element in most industrial manufacturing processes, weighing equipment for the food industry, can play an important role in FSMA adherence procedures, including, for example:

  • Updating weighing equipment to more hygienic options, such as stainless steel and a fully enclosed cover for easy and efficient washdown.
  • Ensuring that weighing equipment is used effectively: for instance, using checkweighers at appropriate points in the production process to obtain and record production data.
  • Weighing solutions such as the ZQ375 or IP rated bench and indicators can help food suppliers to achieve both backward and forward traceability (be able to identify where all the ingredients came from and where they went).
  • Using the right scales to provide the most accurate, legal for trade weights, to avoid mislabelling and eliminate costly mistakes or re-works.
  • IP69K enclosures ensure instrumentation protection in heavy washdown environments.

Many companies, regardless of size, need to be looking for digital scales and weighing systems to help them to align their current HACCP and HARPC processes in order to meet FSMA requirements.

Heavy wash-down: IP69K

Equipment used in the food processing industry must be able to withstand rigorous wash-down procedures. Designed specifically to kill micro-organisms and bacteria, this heavy duty cleaning process typically uses high temperature, high pressure jet sprays and detergents. The combination of water, chemicals, high pressures and temperatures used in this cleaning process can prove fatal for electronic circuits and instrumentation.

food safety scale weight indicator

The Ingress Protection (IP) rating system is an internationally recognized scale that relates to proven protection against environmental factors such as liquids and solids. A product with the highest rating available, IP69K, offers complete assurance that it has been subjected to a challenging set of tests to ensure protection against penetration of high pressure, high temperature water and dust particles – making it ideal for use in conditions where equipment must be carefully sanitized.

Scales designed to resist extreme temperatures

In the food industry, equipment such as check weighing scales may be subject to rapid temperature change, whether due to operating conditions or wash down procedures. Extremes of temperature inside and outside the enclosure can result in expansion and contraction of gases, which in turn can lead to moisture and humidity becoming trapped inside.

When selecting a piece of weighing equipment for use in the food industry, ensure that the manufacturer has not only recognized the challenges posed by this stringent environment, but also risen to them by incorporating design elements into the structure of the product that will counter issues such as humidity and condensation

 

Eliminating bug and food trap areas

The process of welding two pieces of stainless steel together can have implications for the corrosion resistance of the metal. Ideally, the surfaces of your equipment/scale should be continuously welded within an inert gas atmosphere – helping to ensure that the metal remains corrosion and crack resistant and that there are no edges or un-leveled surfaces that could trap food particles or impede cleaning.

Areas of the product that have internal corners and angles of less than 135° – and which come into contact with food – should have a smooth, rounded finish to minimize food trap areas.

Scale designs should, where possible, avoid flat horizontal areas to stop water from collecting. However, in some applications, offering a flat under structure base design can be more hygienic than open tubular base frames where high pressure cleaning can cause food particles to bounce off the work surface and lodge deep inside the loadcell area, making it harder to clean.

Fully welded tubular designs can also be hard to clean. A welded structure can result in bacteria becoming trapped within the tube and thriving in the constantly changing atmosphere often found within the food industry. Conversely, base designs with flat bases and open corners ensure that any food particles can be quickly and easily washed away during high pressure cleaning.

Threads should be covered and small components such as rubber feet should be well secured and bright blue in color, allowing them to be easily located should they become detached from the scale.

Safeguarding your business

Investing in a new digital check weigher scale is all about safeguarding quality and, fundamentally, profits – underweight packages can lead to unhappy customers, while overweight packages lead to costly giveaway and overweight shipments. When it comes to the food industry, safeguarding quality, profit and reputation must go one step further – selecting a piece of equipment that is fit for purpose is vital.

To maintain food safety and meet the requirements of the act, it may be necessary for many businesses to upgrade to equipment that is more sanitary.

Contact the sales team at Central Carolina Scale, (919) 776-7737 to discuss the products that we recommend.

Reducing Food Waste is Becoming an Important Source of Increased Revenue for Commercial Kitchens

Posted on by

According to the USDA, every year the United States wastes an estimated 30 to 40 percent of its food supply. Statista reports that, in 2015, of the USDA estimates, roughly 16 percent of all food waste is attributed to restaurants and foodservice institutions-nearly one-fifth of all wasted volume! This is a huge source of overhead costs, but also a great source of improvement for food service entities to leverage in retaining their hard-earned profits. With food costs rising, waste reduction systems are becoming more important to reduce strain from front-end costs.

Waste reduction companies are taking advantage of this need for tracking inventory and getting more accurate weight counts. DETECTO Enterprise series scales, PS portion control scales, and PZ series wireless ingredient scales are all very important tools to aid the fight to increase inventory efficiency, and ultimately, creating increased profits. The accompanying advances in connectivity-Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth-create a more streamlined process for saving inventory data and yield a precise representation of a facility’s inventory strengths and weaknesses.

detecto food service scale

DETECTO’s foodservice scales are the first line in establishing a solid reduction program. High weight-resolution scales deliver highly precise weights and the associated costs. The ability to audit cooking processes and concomitant prices concretely establishes hard data to analyze. This analysis implementation forms the possible paths to be executed by foodservice management and personnel.

Facilities can track reduction areas, foodstuffs to be saved or discarded, and foodstuffs that can be repurposed. Knowing the usage levels of each product determines which products to reduce and where businesses waste capital. Product usage levels can help businesses push certain menu items and discard those that don’t sell well.

Businesses can more accurately spot and predict trends in their kitchens in a highly responsive manner. With the power to trend waste areas, kitchens can adjust their cooking implementation, labor cycles, use more efficient recipes, and utilize batch cooking to match customer trends. This knowledge can better serve the needs of their customer base and attract new clientele.

The power of an efficient waste reduction system yields amazing results with effort and consistency. Businesses can expect to save significant amounts of front-end revenue, revenue that can be circulated back into other costs and investments. Foodservice businesses large and small can now bolster their earnings and alleviate one of the most costly factors in their respective operations. And it all begins with a weight measurement of the wasted food combined with a digital tracking system for recording that measured waste.

Learn more about DETECTO foodservice scales by contacting the sales team at Central Carolina Scale, call (919) 776-7737 or visit the site at  https://www.centralcarolinascale.com/Detecto.htm

The New Look of the UWE PS2 Stainless Steel Scale and Why It Matters

Posted on by

The UWE PSII (PS2) is a Stainless Steel, Washdown bench scale that is great for sanitary applications, as you can lightly spray it off without worry of damaging the scale. This scale comes with a stainless steel load cell as well, so rust and water damage is less of an issue over time. This is great for food production, and messy environments. The manufacturer lists this scale as IP67 rated.

FDA safety regulations on food production have compelled process equipment manufacturers to rethink their designs. The UWE PS2 sets the pace for industry standards by producing a medium capacity food service bench scale that utilizes easy to clean stainless steel parts which wipe out the chances of food particles becoming trapped or hidden during washdown.

The PS2 features all stainless steel platform, pillar, indicator, load cell and base. This means easy to clean for food processing or harsh environments / washdown resistant scale. The open pillar design allows for thorough washdown with less chance of food particles remaining. Heavy duty construction Will withstand harsh industrial operation and the sealed electronics leads to improved water and dust resistance. The low profile design is easy to load and unload with platform only 3.7 inches high. The scale displays weight in grams, pounds and pounds:ounces for flexibility of operation.

The UWE PS2 stainless steel scale is great for stationary applications or can easily be moved around with the built-in rechargeable battery or external power adapter. The battery lasts a minimum of 100 hours (without backlight). Automatic power save conserves battery power. And, Low battery indicator / charge status indicator alerts you to charge the battery, saving downtime.

Accumulation function allows you to add together consecutive weights to arrive at a total. Adjustable stainless steel feet with rubber inserts help to make sure the scale remains level for accurate results on uneven working surfaces – anti-slip. The wide angle LCD display with backlight can be seen from a wide viewing angle. Gravitational correction software enables you to input different G acceleration factors.

Food safety regulations have caused manufacturers to adjust or improve their designs over time. The UWE PS2 was recently redesigned and utilizes easy to clean stainless steel parts which wipe out the chances of food particles becoming trapped or hidden during wash down with water. The easily accessible pillar design eliminates the chance of food particles remaining behind after washdown.

uwe ps2 scale designed for food safety

• Same Dependable Bench Scale
• New FDA Safe Pillar Design
• Rechargeable Battery Eliminates Cord Clutter
• Stainless Steel Parts Made For Washdown
• Large Back-lit Display
• Gravity Compensation
• Accumulation

Contact our sales department today for additional information regarding the UWE Scale lineup. You can call us at 919-776-7737 or complete our request for quote form on our website.

Doran Scales Updates 7000XLM Digital Weight Indicator

Posted on by

Doran has been manufacturing digital scales for forty years. This milestone was a great reason for them to take a look at their indicator lineup and make some adjustments. One of the biggest changes is a focus on Made in the USA quality. They have actually been able to source many more of their components from USA sources. In fact, according to Doran, if you buy a 7000XL with a 10″x10″ base and column, all products in that build were sourced from USA vendors. That’s pretty impressive in today’s competitive environment.

doran scales built in America

Another change that Doran has made is to replace the 8000XL bench scale and digital weight indicator. Actually, this is not a surprise since the only real difference between the 7000XL and the 8000XL was a battery. So if you were a fan of the 8000XL scale or the 8000XLM digital indicator, then all you need to do is order a 7000XL with optional battery.

Doran challenged the design team to update the indicator line. Doran’s engineers have been working overtime to update our indicator line starting with the 7000XL and 8000XL. Not only that, the purchasing department found ways to bring many items back to the USA. Doran is proud to announce that they will be building many of their products in their plant in Batavia, IL again. They are sourcing metal including indicators, columns and most platforms from superior stainless steel producers in the USA. Touchpanels and boards also come from USA sources.

When you buy a 7000XL with a 10×10 base and column, know that all components were sourced from USA vendors. As they transition products back to the USA, Doran will be labeling products that are built in the US factory and USA sourced components with Built in America label that you see in this blog post. Along with USA manufacture, Doran has made some additional improvements as well. They are excited to introduce improvements like the 7000XL display, which is now 0.8” tall and expanded options. The factory now supports 34 options for the 7000XL weight indicator.

It’s no mystery why so many people turn to the Doran 7000XL for their weighing applications. From capturing plant floor data to a simple dough scale on a baker’s bench, the 7000XL is adaptable to fit your specific needs. Engineered to stand up to the harshest environment, the sealed, heavy duty “Guardian” touch panel resists moisture and puncture damage. The big, bright red LED display is easy to read. IP69K rated Washdown safe, stainless steel is a hallmark of Doran Scales. The heavy gauge 304 stainless steel construction and the gasketed enclosure ensure that the 7000XL will provide many years of trouble-free service.

Choose from a variety of Doran 7000XL models that include columns and attachment brackets to place the weight indicator at an ideal height for your weighing application. Need battery power? Just add option EXOPT308 and you have what used to be called the “8000XL” indicator.

Doran 7000XL Indicator Features

• Built in America
• Variety of data communication options including, wired Ethernet, WiFi, USB, Bluetooth or 4-20mA
• Optional internal rechargeable battery providing up to 60 hours of continuous use
• 304 stainless steel construction
• IP69K washdown protection
• Bright red, 0.8” tall 6 digit LED display
• Heavy duty touch panel with ZERO, UNITS, and PRINT controls
• Units of measure: lb, kg, oz, g, or lb:oz
• Legal for trade in US and Canada
• Dimension configuration software
• Programmable custom data strings

doran 7000xlm weight meter

A couple of additional notes to consider about the Doran product line. The 7000XL display is now 0.8″ tall and the indicator now has thirty four options available. One thing that hasn’t changed is the washdown quality and stainless steel construction. So, if you need a scale for food processing environments with grease and debris clean up is needed, this is your scale. The 7000XL is ideal for washdown situations in food processing plants, dairies, packing houses, bottling plants, breweries, canneries, creameries and much more.

So when it comes to stainless steel washdown bench scales, we usually recommend Doran Scales. In fact, we have received “Top Doran Scales Dealer” awards in the past. Contact our sales team (919) 776-7737 for additional information and price quotes.

Bakery Manager says “I am giving away $52,000.00 per year”

Posted on by

The positive reviews just keep pouring in regarding the Doran FC6300 scale. What would it be like to be in total control? Imagine saving at least 1.8% of your yearly minor ingredient costs. What would that be worth to you? Picture having an extra supervisor watching over your employees’ shoulders monitoring and controlling the formulation process while the employee hand scales ingredients. What effect would that have on your product consistency and production efficiency? Doran’s FC6300 Formula Control System puts you in total control and can pay for itself in just four months or less. Just take a look at a few of the scale reviews.

“Based on your report, I calculated our costs. Within the three days of the FC6300 being on, it saved us $600.00. That equals $200 per day, $1000 a week means I am giving away $52,000.00 per year out the door!! I am going to put in for 2 units.”

 

“The FC6300 on average has saved us 200 lbs of ingredients a week and our average ingredient costs are around $5.00 a lb. We feel this has paid for itself in about 10 weeks. Mock recalls used to be a major hassle, but with the FC6300 and Formula Loader what used to take hours now literally takes seconds.”

 

“Within five days of install, with over 11,000 lbs of minors scaled at 2% tolerance, my scalers are now scaling at 99.992% accuracy which reduces our ingredient costs and we now have consistency in our batches. The ability to store lot numbers electronically and search for specific lot numbers with a touch of a button has shaved off at least 75 minutes of my QA’s time during a mock recall.”

Bakery Reduces Ingredient Waste and Bad Batch Costs by Over $39,000

Posted on by

A large national baking company realized that improving the performance of their minor ingredient scaling could lead to a significant impact on their profitability. Additionally they were averaging one bad batch a week due to errors in the minor ingredient hand adds. They looked to Doran Scales to provide the solution to reduce costs from wasted ingredients and bad batches.

THE SOLUTION was a Doran FC6200 Formula Control Scale. A Doran FC6200 is installed at the ingredient scaling station. Ingredient batching is automated, stepping the user through the formula and ensuring the correct ingredients are accurately scaled every time. Formula Loader software is installed on a PC. This recipe software is used to create and maintain minor ingredient batches. Recipes, formulas and production schedules are then uploaded to the FC6200 through USB flash drive or through an Ethernet connection. Increase accuracy is achieved through user programmable ingredient target weights and tolerances giving management effective control of the batching operation. Multi-tasking Operators who are distracted by other production responsibilities can now return to the partially scaled formula assured that the scale will pick up right where they left off, prompting them through the remainder of the formula without error. Ingredient Lot Numbers are automatically recorded for traceability during formula scaling while ensuring each ingredient meets the desired weight tolerance.

Buy Label Printing Scale and Get $50 Gift Card

Posted on by

Starting 7/15/2010, CAS Scale will begin offering to customers of Central Carolina Scale $50 (Visa/Mastercard Gift Card) for every CL5000 and/or LP1000’s that they purchase till 8/15/2010. For each qualifying product purchased, $50 will be added to the gift card. That can be a lot of savings!

The CL5000 Label Printing Scale has the functions you need at an affordable price. Includes CL-Works software package. Use in supermarkets, specialty stores, deli’s and more. 60 lb Capacity with 3,000 PLU’s & 1,000 Ingredients. CL-Works Software Package Included. Features PLU Editor – Label Editor – Keypad Editor. Compatible with Microsoft Windows® 2000 / XP / Vista.

The CAS LP-1000 Thermal Label Printing Scale was designed specifically for the food service environment where you need to pre-pack and price items. The CAS LP 1000 is perfect for your deli or grocery. With 54 preset Pricing keys and the flexibility to pre-program your items, prices, and ingredients into the scale, thus reducing errors and giving the consumer the information they require. Optional pole display (model LP-1000NP) is also available.

This promotion will run for a limited time only. For instructions on how to claim gift cards, see below. Please note: All gift card requests from end-users must be postmarked within 20 days of the invoice date.  Qualifying Products must be purchased between 7/15/2010 – 8/15/2010 to be eligible for this promotion. Qualifying products are: CL5000B – CL5000R – LP1000N – LP1000NP.

What you don’t know about your food manufacturing process could cost thousands of dollars

Posted on by

Add one of our Doran Bakery Scales to your process to improve efficiency. Bakeries, snack food processors, foodservice, makers of cakes, muffins, brownies, tortillas, pizza dough, and donuts are realizing cost savings from adding digital portion scales to their process. Just read a few of the case studies about everything from Mushrooms to Margarine.

From scaling and mixing areas for minor and major ingredients, to the manufacturing and finishing area and to final packaging and shipping, these high quality Doran Continue reading →