Avoid Recalls of Foods, Beverages and Pharmaceuticals Caused by Foreign-Material Contamination
Stringent government regulations mandate that food, beverage and pharmaceutical manufacturers keep foreign material out of ingredients to ensure safety for consumers. In the recent past, the USDA recalled over 15.5 million pounds of food in one year because of foreign-material contamination. These recalls cost an average of $10 million to cover communications, retrieving and handling recalled product, investigating the event and corrective actions to prevent recurrence. Additionally, instant access to social media creates an opportunity for a brand’s image to be ruined very quickly. Recalls can also damage the reputation of the manufacturers that produce the processing equipment and components.
The increased use of automation and machinery to perform tasks once completed by hand contributes significantly to the hazard of foreign-material contamination. Rubber components in tanks, blenders, mixers, grinders, kettles, dryers, filters, dispensers, pipe couplings and other processing equipment pose a particular challenge. Some chemicals for cleaning the equipment break down rubber parts. Poor installation can also lead to seals or rubber components becoming trapped or dislodged. Preventive maintenance helps reduce the chances of contamination. Additional cost-effective safeguards can minimize risk further.
Detection Is the Key
Original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and component suppliers should partner with processors to develop systems, materials and parts to support prevention of foreign-material contamination. Seals, gaskets and other parts manufactured using metal-detectable rubber offer an efficient solution to minimize hazard and ensure safety for consumers. If a piece of metal-detectable rubber were to deteriorate and mix in with the ingredients, it is discovered by using metal detectors.
Don’t Compromise Performance
Adding stainless-steel powders in rubber formulations reduces the strength, resilience and performance of a seal or rubber part. It is essential for OEMs and processors to collaborate with an expert in rubber formulation to maintain effective performance of each rubber component’s function while adding the critical control feature. Quality seals, gaskets and rubber parts engineered specifically for your application can help avoid a costly foreign-material contamination recall.
Experts in Metal-Detectable Rubber Formulation and Manufacturing
Robinson Rubber Products (RRP) has decades of experience and success formulating rubber components for a wide variety of applications, such as sifter cleaner balls (shaker balls), power drive couplings for product conveyors, gaskets and more. Robinson is ideally positioned to partner with you and develop metal-detectable components that optimize performance.
RRP offers over 1,500 compound formulations as well as custom formulations to meet your precise requirements. ISO 9001:2015 certified, Robinson’s metal-detectable rubber parts for food, beverage and pharmaceutical processing meet FDA approval. The company specializes in complex molded rubber parts, including metal-detectable, multiple inserts, homogeneous and rubber bonded to metal and other substrates. Robinson also offers a wide range of value-added service, including design for manufacturing, assembly and packaging.
The company’s employees are committed to producing precision parts that are rigorously quality-inspected to meet specification and RRP’s high standards. Quality objectives are defined based on customer requirements and are reviewed and maintained as part of the company’s quality management system. First-article inspection reports are created for first-time production runs to ensure all dimensional and other criteria are met. In addition to ongoing quality inspections for standard production runs, metal-detectable parts are verified by using a magnet. Certificates of conformance can be provided for shipment.
Start minimizing your risk of recall from foreign-material contamination. Request a quote from Robinson Rubber Products, call 763.535.6737 or email sales@robinsonrubber.com.