Introduction to Processed Food Manufacturing

Part 1 – FDA Recalls

In the Spring of 2022, the US experienced a huge shortage in baby formula. Chances are that you remember a relative, neighbor, sibling, or parent being worried about how to feed their infant. Stores like Target, CVS, and Walmart limited the number of cans of formula customers could purchase. In May 2022, 40% of formula was out of stock according to CNN.

One of the reasons behind the shortage was a product recall at one of the largest suppliers of baby formula. A product recall is costly in many ways. Companies put a lot of practices in place to prevent a product recall. Some of these practices are chosen by the company. Others are mandated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These are called Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).

Answer the following questions about the FDA and food recalls:

1. What do the letters ‘FDA’ stand for?
2. Go to the FDA’s list of recent recalls and safety alerts: https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls
   
   On the “Product Type” drop-down menu, select “Food & Beverage.” Click on one of the recently recalled food items (in the “Brand name” column) and identify as much of the following information as possible:
   
   1. What type of food was recalled?
   2. When and where did the recall happen? Provide a date and the state(s) and/or country(ies) that were impacted.
   3. What was the cause for the product recall? What went wrong at the manufacturing or processing plant?
   4. How many people got sick or died from the issue with the food?

Part 2 – Good Manufacturing Practices

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) play a vital role in the production of foods that are safe for human or animal consumption. The FDA has regulated food safety since its beginnings in 1906, but food safety regulations started before that; since the mid-1800s, local and state regulators have worked towards increased safety of foods that were created for human consumption. GMP is an extensive set of descriptions and requirements. Collectively they aim to cover the entire process of producing processed food – from the people who carry out each step to the premises where it takes place.

Visit https://safetyculture.com/topics/gmp/ and use the information on this page to answer the following questions:

1. How does implementing GMP benefit companies?
2. How does implementing GMP benefit consumers?
3. What are the “5 P’s” of GMP?
4. If you had to pick just one, which of the “5 P’s” do you think is the most important to successfully implementing GMP? Explain why you picked that one.

Part 3 – Quality Control Jobs

GMP requires that every time a new batch of processed food (baby formula, for example) is finished, the manufacturer needs to take a sample and test it to ensure the amounts of nutrients in the product meet the requirements that are specified for each nutrient. The sample also needs to be tested for moisture content, as a high moisture content makes it easier for unwanted microorganisms to grow. If the moisture content of a powdered food is too high, the batch of powder is not fit for human consumption and must be discarded.

The people who test these products are quality control (QC) technicians, sometimes also called chemical technicians. QC technicians work in a variety of industries to ensure the quality of many kinds of products – food (such as baby formula), clothing, car parts, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, etc. They check the quality of the products that their company produces to determine whether the product lives up to the standards set for it. QC technicians are examples of skilled technical workers – people without advanced degrees, but with well-developed science and engineering skills. Skilled technical workers are in high demand. Jobs are relatively well paid and come with benefits.

Learn more about QC/chemical technician positions and answer the questions below by reading/watching the video on the following website: https://bit.ly/ChemTechInfo

1. What is the median wage of a chemical technician in the United States?
2. What education and experience does someone starting in this career usually have?
3. What percentage of chemical technicians have an education level less than a bachelor’s degree?
4. What are three activities a chemical technician might do in the course of their job?
5. What are three subject areas chemical technicians should be knowledgeable about?
6. What are three skills a chemical technician needs to have?

Fit for Consumption?

Background

In this lab task, you will take on the role of a quality control technician. Your company has received reports that some of their powdered food products may have made some consumers ill. Most powders have some residual moisture – small amounts of water that are mixed in with the powder but are not enough to be identified visually. However, if the residual moisture content is too high, microorganisms could grow and make people sick. Your supervisor wants you to determine if this is the case for your company’s products. High moisture levels would lead to a recall of the affected products to prevent more consumers from becoming ill.

However, recalls are expensive, and it is important that you have evidence that this is what actually happened. Your teacher will provide you with a sample of the powder and will tell you the maximum acceptable moisture content of the powder. After collecting data, you’ll write a report to your supervisor with an evidence-based conclusion about the quality of your powder and whether or not a recall should be initiated.

Prelab Questions

1. The table below shows the approximate boiling points of some common substances that can be found inside food.

1. What do you notice about the boiling point of liquids compared with the boiling points of solids?
2. When a powder with some moisture in it is exposed to heat, the moisture slowly evaporates. The powder does not evaporate. Use the information in table 1 to explain how this works. You can use words and/or drawings in your explanation. Refer to intermolecular forces in your explanation.

Problem

Is this batch of powder fit for human consumption?

Materials

• Goggles
• 3 glass jars with lids
• Wax pencil
• White powder sample
• Spatula
• Balance

Safety

• Always wear safety goggles when handling chemicals in the lab.
• Wash your hands thoroughly before leaving the lab.
• Follow the teacher’s instructions for cleanup of materials and disposal of chemicals.
• Be careful when taking samples out of the drying oven; use heat-resistant gloves when needed.
• Food in the lab should be considered a chemical and should not be consumed

Procedure

Day 1

1. Label your glass jars and their lids with a number. Each jar should have a different number, and each lid should have the same number as its jar.
2. Record the mass of an empty glass jar with its lid in the data collection table.
3. Open the lid and weigh 2 grams of the white powder into the glass jar. Break up any lumps in the powder.
4. Close the lid and weigh again. Record the exact mass in the data collection table.
5. Gently shake the jar to evenly spread out the powder.
6. Repeat step 1-4 with 2 new mason jars.
7. Place your mason jars in the drying oven. Check that the temperature is around 45℃ Take the lids off and place them next to the jar in the oven. Make sure the oven is closed. Leave to dry overnight.
8. If you have time, you can calculate the mass of each sample and record it in the first column of the data analysis table.

Day 2

1. Take your jars out of the drying oven.
2. Close the lids as soon as you possibly can. The dry powders will otherwise attract moisture from the air.
3. Record the mass of each jar + lid + sample in the appropriate line in the data collection table.
4. Dispose of your samples according to the teachers’ instructions.
5. Proceed to complete the data analysis table and create your report.

Data Collection

Data Analysis

For each jar, perform the following 3 calculations:

1. Mass of sample = (mass of jar + lid + sample, day 1) - (mass of jar + lid)
   
2. Mass of water lost = (mass of jar + lid + sample, day 1) - (mass of jar + lid + sample, day 2)
   
3. Moisture content in original sample (%) =

Post-lab Questions

1. If you have not already done so, round all answers in the data analysis table above to the correct number of significant digits.
2. A student accidentally mixes up the lids of their jars. The lid they used on day 2 has a lower mass than the original lid. Explain how this will impact their result. Will the calculated % moisture be too high, too low, or remain unchanged? Use math to support your answer.
3. Step 5 of the Day 1 procedure instructs you to spread the powder evenly.
   1. Consider the drying process and explain why it is important to spread the powder evenly.
   2. A student’s powder was lumpy when they weighed it. Evaporation of residual moisture happens mostly at the surface of the powder. Would his calculated moisture content be higher than, lower than or equal to the actual moisture content? Support your answer with mathematical reasoning.
4. In day 2, step 2, you were told to close the lids on the jars as soon as possible. If you left the jars uncovered for a while, how might that affect your results? Would your calculated moisture content be higher than, lower than or equal to the actual moisture content? Support your answer with mathematical reasoning.
5. This experiment assumes that all mass lost during the experiment is caused by evaporation of moisture. Think of at least 1 other reason that could cause a loss in mass during this experiment and explain how.
6. Good Manufacturing Practice requires precision in lab work.
   1. Review what precision in science means and summarize your answer here.
   2. Why do you think that a high level of precision is important in Quality Control?

Report

Compare your average moisture content with the information about acceptable limits that your teacher will provide.
Create a brief 1-page report to share with your supervisor. Your report should contain the following elements:

1. A description of your powder. Include any information you have been provided with or can find on the packaging: best before dates, manufacturing dates, color, smell, appearance etc.
2. Your test results. Clearly state your average moisture content. Support that with a copy of your data analysis table.
3. A conclusion based on your evidence. The conclusion needs to address the question stated in the problem/objective section.
4. Your signature: your name(s) and the date you completed the report.

A layout is provided on the next page.