Example of a traceability scheme

Overview

This paper aims to propose a generic traceability scheme that can be applied with little changes to all parts of the olives, while stressing the necessary prerequisites for successful implementation.

Prerequisite

The necessary prerequisites for a successful traceability project in the units of the olives can be summarized in three essential points:

• The mode of supply;
• the organization of work units and trituration
• the method of storage of olive oil.

Organization of supply

The mode of supply of raw materials and other inputs to production is a necessary condition before any implementation of a traceability system.

In the case of units of the olives, buying up through intermediaries dependent is a solution that can be used to organize the pattern and the success of the implementation of a traceability system . As against the supply of olives through independent intermediaries who collect and mix the olives from different sources and different grades is a way to avoid, because it leads to the breakdown of information and does not back up to the producer.

Organization working in the crushing units

Compliance with good manufacturing practices and the definition of tasks necessary for a successful project traceability crushing units. Also, take the measures necessary to avoid mixing lots during trituration based on the identification and physical separation of lots and by applying the cleaning of the chain after the work of each lot in order to avoid contamination of lots by one another.

Organization of the storage of olive oil

The method of storage of olive oil is necessary for the establishment of adequate and necessary equipment for the storage lot of oil pending its sale, packaging or in bulk.

The number and capacity of storage tank (or barrel) must be reasonable in terms of treatment capacity of the unit and depending on the size of batches of finished product (oil).

Traceability scheme

The traceability scheme proposed in this document is a generic scheme that applies to units of the olives with a single line of crushing and one team, the purchase of olives is done through intermediaries dependent, and the oil is produced for sale in bulk.

Definitions

For the development of traceability diagram below, we adopted the following definitions:

• Material: Olives, for crushing.
• Finished product: virgin olive oil produced in the crushing unit.
• Batch of raw material: This is the quantity of olives delivered by a supplier and from a parcel (or farm) definite. The supplier (intermediate dependent) does not mix the production of several farms in one delivery.
• Batch of finished product: This is the amount of oil produced from a batch of raw material and belonging to one of the following qualitative categories: "Extra virgin olive oil", "fine virgin olive oil "," ordinary virgin olive oil or virgin olive oil lamp. "

Support traceability

Support traceability is the chosen paper. All data relating to traceability will be recorded on the record and ranked by the manager.

To improve the effectiveness of traceability, the paper can be coupled to a computer system to store and use data.

Traceability scheme

The traceability scheme, the subject of this paper is shown in Figure 1 (material flow and information) and is complemented by Figure 2 (Relation between documents traceability).

Figure 1 (Click on image to enlarge)

Figure 2 (Click on image to enlarge)

The traceability diagram of Figure 1 (material and information flows) shows:

• the sequence of steps since the purchase of raw materials to delivery of the finished product.
• Records to maintain at every stage to ensure traceability upstream (supply) or internal (from receipt to delivery) and downstream (after delivery). On the right side, there were documents that should be filled trips and classes. On the left side, there were documents that may be necessary to come to meet the output document.

The traceability diagram of Figure 2 (Relation between the documents traceability) is an overview of different forms (recording) to record essential data for traceability. It shows:

• The registration fields that must contain each registration form.
• the relationship between the different forms to traceability (blue sheets) and the fields that have this relationship.
• the relationship between the various forms to the traceability and other recording may be part of another system documents (green cards).

Supply

The supply of crushing olives is by buying up through intermediaries dependent. Each intermediary is responsible for sourcing a particular geographical area. Purchase terms are defined on a schedule drawn up for each supplier.
Buying up the olives used to increase the efficiency of the system of traceability back to the origin of raw materials (upstream tracing).

Reception

Upon receipt of the olives into the crushing unit, the charge of the reception prepared a receipt with the information shown on the traceability scheme of Figure 2 and then assigns a code to batch receipt.

At this level, the lot code of raw material is composed of four codes (RxFyIzCn), each of which covers specific information:

• Rx represents the code of the geographical area;
• Fy is the code in the plot (or farm);
• Iz is the code of the agent (supplier);
• Cn is the date of receipt of the lot, which is the C code of the crop year and the index n represents the nth day of the campaign.

The code of the batch of raw material is carried on a sheet follower (plug batch identification) that is produced for each batch received, including all information (clear and coded) for the identification of the lot (see diagram traceability of Figure 2).

Storage

Pending trituration, olives received batch is stored in the area designed for this purpose. Consignments of raw material are physically separated and identified by previously established records followers.

Trituration

This phase includes all the steps necessary for the production of olive oil, namely the crushing olives, mixing the dough and the separation of phases. The method used for crushing (Press two phases or three phases) has no effect on the effectiveness of traceability. But in any case, a cleaning of the entire chain of crushing will be required before starting work on a new batch of raw material. This will prevent any risk of contamination of batches one by the other.

To ensure continuity of information flow, it is necessary to establish a record sheet to record all relevant information and to the crushing step and link to lots of raw materials (Figure 1). sheet we called "file management of production and it is linked to other documents for traceability (lover and downstream) by the" Code Lot of raw material. "

To demonstrate the interaction that may exist between the documents tracing and other control documents (eg documents of a quality assurance system), we mentioned on the scheme of traceability (Figures 1 and 2) l example of two sheets: Sheets of cleaning and disinfection and form maintenance. Both cards allow you to find the history of interventions, in terms of cleaning and disinfection and maintenance, during the processing of a given lot.

Temporary storage of oil and Analysis

The oil from the crushing of a batch of olives is temporarily stored in a tank waiting to make the determinations required for the analytical evaluation of the quality of the batch of oil produced.

Analysis to be performed must take account of regulatory requirements and standards of recipient countries. In our example, this analysis should make it possible to classify olive oil produced in four qualitative categories: extra, fine, and lamp current.

Once the test results are known, then it assigns a code (code batch of finished product) to the batch of oil produced. This code has the following form: RxFyIzCnQm.

• RxFyIzCn is the code of the batch of raw material and
• Qm is the qualitative category (extra, fine, current or lampante) of the oil produced from the lot "RxFyIzCn.

Storage product (oil)

The final product is done in tanks for this purpose. The lot identification is ensured by labels glued to the tank and on which is inscribed the Code lot of finished product "(RxFyIzCnQm).

Inventory management is provided by the storekeeper with a record that we know for each batch of finished product, the quantity in stock, the quantity delivered and the delivery correspondents.

Delivery

Downstream traceability of the product (ie to whom, when and how we delivered a lot) is achieved through the delivery that gives us information about the client supplied the vehicle used to transport the lot served as the quantity delivered . Client info (address, phone, etc..) Are recorded on cards (score sheet) predetermined for each client.

When the finished product is shipped in drums or smaller packages, they are identified by a label bearing the lot code of the product and the other compulsory.

Conclusion

Been the most difficult to control in terms of traceability in the units of the olives is on the upstream (supply). Indeed, the organization of the commercial circuit of olives, from production to delivery to the units, is the main constraint to be overcome so that a traceability project could result in the production of oil olive.

For traceability against internal and downstream are easy to implement when the process of the olives does not involve a single input production (olives). The outcome of the internal traceability and downstream that depends on the willingness of the heads of units to organize and observe the procedures laid down in terms of traceability.