Unravelling the complexities of conformity

Manufacturers and brand owners are under immense pressure to repeatedly produce conforming, high-quality, safe and well-presented packaged food to meet industry requirements.

Increasingly stringent legislation, innovations in packaged product design and evolving customer expectations mean the need for conformity has never been greater. Industry expert Mettler Toledo has published the free, comprehensive white paper ‘Ensuring Conformity of Packaged Food’, which unravels the complexities of conformity.

Daniela Verhaeg from the Product Inspection Division of Mettler Toledo explained, “Official recall figures show that non-conforming food products, due to unwanted contaminants or inaccurate labelling, are at an all-time high. Packaged food manufacturers clearly need a thorough understanding of conformity and what it entails: not only to avoid costly product recalls, but also to retain and grow their reputation for quality and consistency. Our aim with this white paper is to give all manufacturers and brand owners — irrespective of size or trading location — the knowledge needed to be game changers in a highly competitive packaged food environment.”

Written to help packaged food manufacturers and brand owners consistently achieve conformity, the white paper explores:

• what conformity is — from regulatory compliance to product and package presentation needs
• what drives different food industry stakeholders to require conformity
• how to achieve conformity using advanced product inspection technologies
• the tangible business benefits that conformity can deliver.

Repeated conformity of packaged food delivers top- and bottom-line business benefits. Compliance with food safety regulations gives manufacturers access to trade in certain markets and helps to secure repeat business through honouring retailer supplier agreements and meeting consumer brand expectations. Manufacturers can streamline their quality assurance programs throughout their production processes, thus optimising operational efficiencies. In addition, they can protect profits by preventing unnecessary product giveaway and waste.

Consumer requirements for receipt of conforming packaged food are highly emotive; the product and package must meet their brand expectations and be presented in perfect condition, containing no defects throughout. Conformity of packaged food can therefore entail the prevention of all under- or overfill products, as well as removing those containing broken or missing components from the production line. The white paper details which type of advanced product inspection technology is best suited to achieve specific conformity objectives.

A free copy of the white paper can be downloaded from www.mt.com/pi-conformity.

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