Accidents do happen
Accidents sometimes happen – in food processing operations just like everywhere else, a bottle or glass jar falls from the production line, off a conveyor belt or out of the packaging, and smashes on the floor.
This has to be dealt with – and not just in any old way.
Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 sets out European food safety requirements.
It includes that food must not be released to market if it is in any way unsafe, i.e. if:
- It can be injurious to human health
- It is unfit for human consumption
- It has been contaminated by foreign bodies – including glass – that could cause harm.
Global food safety standards also require glass control. If you work to the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety, you must be aware of requirement 4.9, which deals with product contamination of either chemical or physical nature.
Requirement 4.9 includes Clause 4.9.4.2, which states;
- ”Systems shall be in place to manage container breakages between the container cleaning/inspection point and container closure. This shall include …”
- “The use of dedicated, clearly identifiable cleaning equipment (e.g. colour-coded) for removal of container breakages; such equipment to be stored separately from other cleaning equipment.”
- “The use of dedicated, accessible, lidded waste containers for the collection of damaged containers and fragments.”
As a result, food industry customers often ask us about the best way to clean up glass breakages and the resulting debris.
Fortunately, Vikan has experienced Customer Service and Technical Sales Teams, and a dedicated Hygiene Team ready to help you with good practical advice about this.
We can help you with;
- The selection, use, maintenance and storage of dedicated, identifiable, colour-coded cleaning equipment for food container breakages
- The selection of dedicated, accessible, closable/lidded, colour-coded waste containers for collecting debris from food container breakages.