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Tekplas – Food safety in plastic moulding

Food safety is paramount in new plastic moulding facility

Introduction

The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code broadly mandates the requirements for food packaging: it must be safe for the end consumer. For a food packaging manufacturer, a handful of key food safety attributes will will ensure packages for food are safe, whichever material is in use.

Key food safety attributes for food packaging

• The packaging must be fit for its intended use •

The packaging must not impact the safety and suitability of the contacted food

• The packaging must not transfer any toxic substances into the food it is holding i.e. it must be of food grade

• Packaging must be made from a material that will not migrate into or contaminate the food

• Packaging used in contact with food must not cause the food to exceed the permitted levels of metal, non-metals, or natural toxicants

Ian McDougal, Technical Director of Tekplas, provides further insight on key food safety features for plastic food packaging, and how Tekplas incorporated these into their new purpose-built facility.

Identify the end-goal

Plastic is a very stable product manufactured by a process considered to be low risk, so it is well suited to packaging of food products, where food safety in the end product is paramount. Ian McDougal, “With this as our end goal, we focus on Technical Director good product design, effective quality of Tekplas management systems, and robust control measures to prevent contamination throughout the manufacturing process. These measures are critical,” Ian says. The typical situation in most plastic packaging facilities is a clean-room (or controlled area) used for preventing contamination. But there are significant differences in the extent of use and the capabilities of cleanroom facilities. An internationally recognised class system is used to identify the standard of a clean-room. Facilities differ depending on the proportion of the manufacturing process that is performed within the clean-room environment.

What is a clean-room?

A clean-room is defined as an environment free from dust and other contaminants that is used in the manufacturing processes of many industries, including those requiring a hygienic environment such as food packaging. Clean-rooms are classified according to the cleanliness level of the air inside them, with the allocated class depending on the quantity and size of particles per volume of air. The primary standard used is the ISO certification system (ISO 14644-1). Achieving accreditation involves collecting air samples from the clean-room and testing on a periodic basis. Based on the test results the certification of the facility is graded to a certain class of clean-room. This classification relates to the maximum number of allowable particles, of a certain size, within a standard volumetric air sample.

Most facilities use a clean-room for inspection and packing processes, where the risk of contamination is considered to be the highest. However, many neglect the manufacturing area – where raw material is loaded into machines and the product is moulded before going into the controlled inspection and packing areas. This can be due to operating in older buildings, where any alterations to existing infrastructure to improve food safety becomes almost impossible or a significant financial commitment. Tekplas were experiencing this challenge in their own facility and at a time when their sites were reaching capacity saw an opportunity to create a New Zealand first – an entire plastic moulding facility inside an ISO certified clean-room environment. “This would ensure our products remain in a highly controlled hygienic environment throughout all phases of production and allow for greater efficiency in the manufacture of products for food use.”

Construction project

The location for the new Tekplas site was found in Rolleston, a key industrial hub of the South Island and just down the road from one of their key clients. “We really value the relationship we have with our clients and are always looking for ways to better service their needs. We knew we wanted to expand into the South Island to better support clients around the country and having this key partnership in the area was the catalyst for us choosing this site.” There was a list of main elements they wanted to achieve with the build so food safety was ingrained in the blueprint from the very beginning. “We had a real opportunity to build our Food Safety and Quality Management System from the ground up, with a specific focus on food packaging – and we wanted to make the most of every little detail," says Ian. This started right at the foundations, where the concrete slab utilised a post tensioned reinforcing system to ensure no cracking or cut marks. With a surface area of 2000m 2 this was no easy feat, “it meant that no dust, bacteria or foreign bodies could settle into hard-to-reach areas. We are pretty proud of that one." With a firm focus on creating the first ISO Class 7 clean-room moulding room in New Zealand, other features include having a robust security system to ensure protection from food fraud and other threats of adulteration, and utilising automation where possible to reduce the added risk of contamination that comes with additional handling of a product. With a lengthy planning phase to fine tune all design features to specification, construction was a straightforward process, commencing in May 2019 with the facility fully operational by March 2020.

Recognition

Tekplas’ dedication to food safety and quality has seen them become the first plastic moulding company in New Zealand to receive the FSSC22000-Q certification, with the Rolleston facility certification due to be finalised around the time of this publication. “Our design philosophy, staff expertise and quality management systems have been there from the start, but this new facility provided the missing piece of the puzzle to get to that next level, and this certification will really support that."

What is FSSC 22000-Q Food Safety System Certification & Quality Management System Certification?

FSSC 22000 has been a Global Food Safety initiative scheme since 2010, meeting the highest standards globally for the international food industry. The scheme uses international and independent standards such as ISO 22000, ISO 9001, ISO/TS 22003 and technical specifications for sector specific Prerequisite Programs (PRPs), such as ISO/TS 22002-4 for Food Packaging Manufacturing. While FSSC 22000 focuses on the food safety scope only, FSSC 22000-Q also includes food quality management standards, to ensure food safety and quality are well integrated throughout the manufacturing process.

Production

Close view of a Sumitomo machine with staff in full personal protective equipment

Parminder Kaur, Tekplas South Island Quality Manager, talks us through their manufacturing process, showcasing the food safety elements achieved through this new facility. Starting in the loading bay, raw material is transferred by vacuum directly to each injection moulding machine, utilising automatic gravimetric blending of resins. Magnets are used at the bottom of each receiver to capture any ferrous material before manufacturing begins. “These features provide efficiencies and minimise contamination risk at the critical start point of the manufacturing process.” Manufacturing and packaging spaces are within the ISO Level 7 cleanroom environment, controlled via sealed access points and red line floor markings. Each space utilises an HVAC system to provide a constant supply of filtered air. “Differential pressure helps the cleanest air flow into spaces with less clean air, flushing out any unwanted dust particles or foreign bodies.” The air inside this environment is replaced 22 times every hour and a dual dependency system is utilised on air filters to ensure redundancy protection if one system fails. “This ensures we can consistently manufacture in our clean-room environment without any risk of interruption or delay.” A restricted entry with bio-metric palm-scanners eliminates the risk of any contamination by unauthorised/not trained individuals entering cleanroom areas. Additional to the robust, three-level entrance system, the use of personal protective equipment such as overalls, dedicated shoes, hair nets, face coverings and gloves ensures the hygiene levels inside the clean-room are not compromised, “It’s a bit like preparing for space exploration, but our staff have become very efficient at the process.” Machinery was selected based on proven best performance in a cleanroom environment. The facility operates all-electric Sumitomo moulding machines from Japan and uses robot technology for in-mould labelling, assembly, packaging and transfer before sealed product exits the cleanroom environment into warehousing. “The process of automation significantly reduces human touch points – all supporting hygiene control, product quality and manufacturing efficiency.”

Future Plans

Building on the success of the Rolleston factory build, Tekplas has now started construction on a new Hamilton facility to replace their existing North Island sites. Expected to be in production by August 2021, this site will step up automation throughout production to further reduce human touchpoints and will have two separate clean-room moulding facilities, providing flexibility to operate two different environments if needed. Ian and the team are excited about what this new vision will bring, “All of our facilities will be 100% fit for purpose, providing greater capacity for projects requiring hygienic moulding in food packaging and human health, and the opportunity to achieve food safety excellence without compromising on efficiency. We are really looking forward to the challenge.”

About Tekplas

Proudly New Zealand owned, Tekplas was founded to deliver the highest quality plastic injection moulding in New Zealand. With a 25-year history in hygienic design and manufacture, Tekplas’ core business from the very beginning has been in the production of scoops and reclosures for many of New Zealand’s prominent manufacturers of infant formula products. Tekplas already have two purpose-built facilities conveniently located in the main industrial areas of Canterbury and Waikato with over 100 staff and ability to run 39 electric moulding machines – accommodating high volume orders with ease. The facility under construction will create additional capacity in Waikato. Growing their capacity to service the wider food packaging industry, Tekplas have a relentless focus on quality management systems and food safety standards through all phases of manufacturing, packaging and distribution, and work with quality engineering technology to achieve the highest accuracy and fastest cycle times. Tekplas can partner with a customer from any stage of the design process and customises every journey to deliver a product on time, every time, exactly as ordered.