Several factors contribute to waste in bakery production, many of which can be corrected to reduce waste during the processing stage. When we refer to waste, we are considering not only the loss of tangible raw or finished goods, but also lost time, energy, and money. Below we explore the major causes of waste in bakery production and provide suggestions to mitigate losses and improve production line efficiency.
What Can Cause Waste in Bakery Production?
Equipment Malfunctions and Breakdowns
The most common cause of waste in bakery production is losses due to equipment malfunctions and breakdowns. Ovens, dippers, fillers, extruders, cutters, slicers, enrobers – all these machines have the potential to malfunction and waste valuable raw materials, time, and money.
Damaged Final Products
Product can be damaged in just about any way possible on a production line, and when delicate pastries and baked goods are being processed the chance of product being damaged increases significantly. Whether it be by equipment or operator error, mitigating the risk of damaged product comes down to choosing high-quality equipment that can be easily maintained and operated.
Product Rejections/Recalls
Products are often rejected or recalled due to dangerous cross-contamination or mislabelling at the processing or transportation levels. Major rejections and recalls require all contaminated products to be returned and discarded – resulting in large amounts of waste. Bakery products that contain meat, dairy, and egg or that have a short expiry date are more likely to cause foodborne illness in consumers.
Reducing Waste in Bakery Production
Upgrade or Remove Dated Equipment
The first step to reducing waste in bakery production is to remove equipment that is a risk to the quality of your final product and replace it with sanitary and reliable equipment from a trusted manufacturer. We also recommend having a service team repair your equipment during production downtime to maximize the efficiency and results of your bakery production line.
Introduce Visible Inspection Points
Raw materials, time, and energy are expensive commodities in bakery production, and that is why detecting errors in production early on is critical to reducing waste. Introducing visible inspection points throughout your bakery production line offers real-time detection of operational errors. X-rays, metal detection, UV light, hyperspectral imaging technology, and clear plastic or glass inspection sites are just some of the methods available to increase inspection.
Reduce the Risk of Cross-Contamination
Equipment-to-food cross-contamination is one of the most common types of cross-contamination. In serious cases, this type of contamination could result in illness or death. To avoid cross-contamination on your bakery production line it is critical that you schedule routine washdowns and perform deep cleans of your equipment before starting a product changeover. By implementing these practices, you can significantly reduce the risk and frequency of product rejections and recalls.
Create a Sanitation Schedule
Having a sanitation schedule in place is essential to avoiding product rejections and recalls. Knowing when sanitation of each section of the line is needed and how long it will take is important to limiting downtime as much as possible.
Stay Up to Date on Food Safety Regulations
To reduce waste in bakery production that is caused by product failing to meet food safety standards, stay up to date on the latest food safety regulations and standards found below:
- Canada’s Food safety standards and guidelines
- U.S Guidance & Regulation (Food and Dietary Supplements)
The Tri-Mach Advantage
Tri-Mach specializes in the design and fabrication of custom equipment for the bakery industry. Our equipment is built with our patented Ever-Kleen® Technology, which offers the best sanitary equipment designs on the market. Made in our non-ferrous facility, our equipment is entirely built using stainless steel angle frame construction with smooth welds to limit bacteria harbourage areas.
To establish the highest levels of food safety in your production facility, we ensure that our sanitary equipment is AMI, 3A, HACCP, NSF, and GFSI compliant. We regularly train our employees to keep them up to date on all food safety regulations and modify our equipment to fit new standards.
Headed to an over or freezer? Our Bake-Kleen™ Conveyor is the ultimate custom product for bakery processors. A product that was created specifically for bakery, The Bake-Kleen™ features high or low-temperature components, extra-wide surface areas, and knife edges on either end of the belt to ensure smooth product transfers.
For more information about the Bake-Kleen™ Conveyor or to speak to one of our experts about Tri-Mach’s custom bakery solutions contact sales@tri-mach.com.
Sources
– HealthLine
– Global Risk Community
– MIPI