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The Tekplas site at Rolleston
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,
Technical Director “With this as our end goal, we focus on of Tekplas good product design, effective quality 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. 22
Food New Zealand
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
