Westland Salades BV produces well-known salads in gold-colored aluminum trays with a colored spoon. Processing good and fresh ingredients into the end product is a traditional process that has been used for 50 years. The production company strives for the highest quality standard, and to be able to continue to guarantee quality to customers and consumers continuous improvement of processes is important. Providing clear and reliable information about allergen risks on the label is an important part of this. That is why Westland Salades BV called Précon to help map out these risks.
The Challenge
Vital is a risk assessment system to determine whether cross contamination with allergens should be stated on the packaging. With the calculation tool, the concentration of the allergen can be calculated and tested against the set threshold values. If the concentration remains below the threshold, no label warning is needed. At a higher concentration, the product poses a risk to the allergic consumer and a warning will be posted. To complete the calculation tool as completely as possible, a lot of information had to be collected: cross-contamination can occur in our own production process, but can also be present in the raw materials. A challenging assignment for Précon consultant Kim to map out these cross-contamination risks in a short period of time.
The Approach
In order to perform the Vital calculations as efficiently as possible, the consultant had listed the necessary information prior to the first visit. The quality managers of Westland Salades BV, Saskia Willemsen and Sabine van der Elst, collected all information and provided support where necessary during the visiting days. With the help of, among other things, an extensive tour of the factory and discussions with operators, the critical points for cross-contamination in the production process were identified.
The work ultimately resulted in fifteen Vital calculations. Saskia Willemsen: “For Westland Salades BV, these Vital calculations provide a reliable basis for whether or not to mention cross-contamination of allergens on the packaging.”
