In addition to meeting quotas, training staff, and managing assembly workflows, maintaining safety standards is another critical part of frozen pizza manufacturing. These standards ensure that frozen food production makes products safe for consumers. They also prevent illness and costly recalls. Food safety audits are also part of this process, as they check that pizza manufacturers follow federal guidelines.
Food safety is vital when creating frozen meals. Employee training, proper ingredient handling, and food manufacturing cleaning are all important aspects of maintaining safe assembly practices. Here, we’ll explore what food safety audits may involve for your brand, as well as what kind of pizza automation technology can streamline safety in your manufacturing plant.
Audits and Food Manufacturing Cleaning
While audits may seem overwhelming in any industry, you as a pizza manufacturer can prepare ahead of time by knowing what the process involves and what to expect. The FDA outlines that routine and targeted inspections can take place. The frequency of routine inspections depends on whether your manufacturing facility is high-risk. Conversely, targeted inspections occur depending on a number of factors, such as success in inspection history, outbreaks, and possible contamination. Should a manufacturing plant be in violation of regulations, it’ll be followed up with to ensure that the plant has corrected the violations and is now compliant.
However, it’s best to avoid safety regulation violations to ensure smooth operations. Being familiar with the required safety regulations and knowing the steps of an inspection can prepare your team. Here are some of the steps of the inspection process, according to the FDA:
- The inspector will gather administrative information about your company such as employee information and company specifications. The inspector will also make sure that your brand has corrected any past safety violations. They’ll review the food manufacturing cleaning schedule as well.
- The inspectors will examine the manufacturing plant by walking through the facility and watching your manufacturing process. They may also ask to read any information pertaining to the operations.
- After examining operations, the inspector will provide notes on what they saw. The inspector can also discuss the audit with leadership. Here, your team can ask the inspectors any questions.
- Aftward, the manufacturer will have to send communications to the FDA within 15 days illustrating that they have addressed any areas of concern. Then, the FDA decides if the inspection warrants any penalties.
If your brand is prepared for safety audits ahead of time, the process will most likely be a breeze. Inspections can be done by government officials, third-party figures, and even internal appointments. The focus of the inspection can also change, so it’s important to be ready for anything. To do so, brands can implement steps in pizza automation in order to prepare for inspections, whatever they may entail.
Pizza Automation and Safety: Preparing for Inspections
Pizza automation has streamlined many aspects of pizza assembly, including manufacturing and food safety. In addition to increasing productivity and quality, pizza automation makes manufacturing safer. It also increases the safety of the products for customers. Here are a couple of ways in which pizza automation technology improves food safety for pizza manufacturers, allowing them to better prepare for inspections:
Sanitary Design
New pizza automation technology has made machinery easier to clean and maintain, minimizing the likelihood of contamination. Quantum equipment features stainless steel designs, ideal for washdown and effective sanitization. Simple food manufacturing cleaning also encourages staff to follow cleaning schedules, which improves food safety.
Protects Employees
Food equipment often presents slicing or crushing hazards to employees. Blades and repetitive movements are just two workplace hazards to food manufacturing employees. However, the enclosed design and automation of Quantum’s equipment eliminates these risks, improving employee safety. These features prevent accidents that can lead to food contamination. Combined with training employees, Quantum’s automated food equipment protects the team, avoiding workplace accidents and food contamination.
Minimizes Ingredient Handling
On the same note as food contamination, foodborne illnesses can be passed from employee to the food. If an employee is sick or doesn’t wash their hands before handling the food, the employee can pass on pathogens to your brand’s products. Quantum equipment requires minimal staffing for oversight and restocking, meaning that fewer employees handle ingredients for less time. This further minimizes the risk of contamination.
Automated food equipment that has a sanitary design protects employees and minimizes ingredient handling which improves food safety, which is bound to impress inspectors. Employing such equipment represents your brand’s dedication to food and employee safety, which can streamline food safety audits. As a pizza manufacturer, it’s important to go the extra mile to create great products with a process that follows food safety standards. Next, we’ll explore which Quantum technology is ideal for pizza assembly lines that can also improve food safety.
Quantum: Safe Slicing Machines and More
Quantum Technical Services is the proud industry leader in automated pizza equipment. As a pizza manufacturer, you’ll want to ensure that your team is relying on the best tech, which can be found at Quantum. From slicing machines to sauce applicators, Quantum has got you covered. In addition to optimizing pizza assembly for logistics and profit, our equipment can increase line safety. Your brand can find the following equipment types at Quantum, each of which can transform any step of your manufacturing process:
- Circle Placers
- Sauce Applicators
- Cheese/Topping Applicators
- Meat/Pepperoni Slicing Machines
- Dry/Granular Ingredient Applicators
- Conveying Systems
Each type of equipment is designed to improve automated pizza production with food safety in mind. While slicing machines and other ingredient applicators may bring hazards to food assembly, Quantum equipment works to decrease these risks.
Make Audits Easy With Quantum
At Quantum, we understand just how important maintaining safety standards and passing inspections are for pizza manufacturers. Safety is key to good manufacturing processes, and Quantum equipment simplifies safety efforts. From stainless steel designs to washdown capability, Quantum automated food equipment makes safety practical. Contact our team today to learn how your label can implement better technology to pass inspections and improve operations.