Sidel has recently introduced a unique solution: Qual-IS. It integrates quality control activities such as laboratory testing, traceability, and sampling into a digitally intelligent, unified system. This innovative approach redefines quality management by focusing on proactive quality enhancement rather than mere monitoring.
Over 80% of grocery companies define a financial risk from product recalls as either significant or catastrophic while almost 60% have been affected by a recall event in the last five years. For all grocery brands quality control and food safety is their chief concern.
“Qual-IS™ is our latest digital solution – a smart, dynamic quality control system, specifically designed to sustain a high level of quality control at all times thanks to its advanced traceability and data analytics. Our customers are able to secure food safety & quality with Qual-IS™ ensuring consumer satisfaction, trusted brand reputation, and boosting business and profitability.”
Enrico Savani, Product Manager, Sensitive Product Filling, Sidel
Qual-IS™ is a digital solution accessed through mobile, desktop, or HMI installed on the production line and across laboratory facilities. Qual-IS™ integrates six key components including a sampling plan; laboratory management; traceability; hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP); calibration certificates and quality status.
An integrated process: traceability, sampling and laboratory management
Traceability lies at the heart of Qual-IS™. Each bottle is allocated and printed with a unique code, which holds all the information connected to that bottle over the course of its manufacturing life including preform and cap used, product recipe, production process parameters and even critical factors, events and alarms.
Equally, sampling is an essential part of quality control systems and Qual-IS™ comes pre-loaded with both tailormade and pre-designed sampling patterns which are based on a statistical approach and Sidel’s wider experience operating within the beverage industry for over fifty years. Using data intelligence, these sampling patterns will also automatically adjust following the results of microbiological tests and will also adapt to different production lines.
Qual-IS™ integrates quality control procedures across all elements of the aseptic production line from preform blowing to laboratory management. Currently, data collected through quality control tests at the production stage and in the lab are often stored in separate databases. Qual-IS™ will now unite these two data collection points.
Lab microbiologists will be able to access all information associated with individual bottles by scanning the unique code previously printed. This will indicate which quality control tests are required. Information is presented in an easy-to-use data dashboard and reports are customizable and straightforward to export.
Driving not monitoring quality control
Hazard analysis and critical control points are a mandatory step for all aseptic production processes and ensures food safety across each and every bottle. Before starting the production, the bottler chooses what are CCPs, and what happens in case those are not respected.
Through Qual-IS™ it will be possible to show the critical control point status including historical production trends in one place. Plus, by scanning each bottle the value of each CCP can be instantly retrieved. Ultimately, Qual-IS™ provides easy access to historical data and customisable trends allowing operators to forecast future parameters more accurately.
Likewise, Qual-IS™ has the capability to generate a calibration overview for equipment utilized throughout the aseptic production process and verify calibration documentation for each instrument associated with critical control points. Within the designated section of the Qual-IS™ application, operators can easily access expiry dates for each certificate.
The certificate status is identified with a color-coded system: green (certificate renewal date is within a set timeframe), amber (requires attention shortly), and red (certificate has expired, requires action). If the certificate has expired, equipment will will notify users through the Qual-IS™ alert system.
Finally, quality status across the production line is displayed in a real-time dashboard with the ability to visualize trends, set quality key performance indicators and create customizable reports.
“For customers who wish to enter the aseptic market, Qual-IS™ provides the mechanism to manage their new journey in an easy way. And for customers, who are already expert aseptic beverage producers, Qual-IS™ provides a uniform method to manage multiple production lines by analysing data across different areas in real time – helping to drive meticulously high standards of quality control.”
Enrico Savani, Product Manager, Sensitive Product Filling, Sidel