How you can use Statistics in the Food Industry - Part 1 (general info)

Introduction:  I wanted to post a few blogs on simple statistics that can be used in the food industry.  I do not mean for this to be an exhaustive paper on the various methods / techniques, but to give a general idea on what can be used and how.  Over the course of the next few months, I will be constructing about 5 posts that will outline run charts, histograms, confidence levels, sample sizes, and other items.  This is the first of these blogs.

Quick reference:  For many years, I have used a reference guide by GOAL/QPC called the Memory Jogger.  http://www.goalqpc.com/  . GOAL/QPC is a non-profit organization, but you still have to pay for their material.  There are several free sample guides (on a number of different topics) that have a lot of great information.

There are many sites that will sell you programs to create charts and diagrams, you can Google them at will.  However, here is a link for a set of youtube videos on how to use Excel 2007 and construct your own charts.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03-8vtwCW9c  .  The link will take you through a four minute session on creation of a run chart.  At the end of the video are other topics that I hope you will find interesting.


Histograms:

Histograms are data plots that can give you a lot of information.  They can be complex and a bit scary at first, so let Excel help you do the heavy lifting .  The above mentioned videos will give you information on how to create a chart in Excel and that program is what I will use for this demonstration (personally I am using Excel 2010 Pro). 

In essence, a histogram is a collection of data points from a set of samples - let's say, for example, the weights of jelly filled donuts.  To get a reasonably accurate histogram will take about 50 data points.  These data points will outline the variability (measurement distribution) in the process - the variation of donut weights in our example.  For most processes, we will see a "normal" or bell shaped curve, as show below.  If you see multiple peaks, there is something effecting your variation that needs investigating.

 

Constructing this histogram takes a few steps.  Step one is to gather your data.  Step two and three is to determine the data range and the number of classes (columns in the graph).  Step three is collecting the data into a frequency table (again the columns that will be used in the graph). Last step is to plot the columns into your histogram.  I do have to say that Excel does a great job on taking your data and quickly sorting it into a histogram ready form.  So here is our example below.



You can see that there looks to be a second smaller peak just right of the main peak.  This is an indication that you have an issue that needs to be investigated.  Personnel training, set-up or raw material variation are all potential causes of this type of variation.  Doing a fishbone and 5 why will help find the root cause.

One more thought, Excel will also calculate the standard deviation of the histogram data.  The standard deviation will tell you where the Upper and Lower control limits can be set.  You do need a clean data set from a process that is running effectively.  You can set the upper and lower controls where you wish, however 3 standard deviations (three-sigma) will give you 99.7% of the product being "in spec" on a normal curve.

Changes to the Canadian Incident Reporting Legislation

The below link is for a pdf on Canadian legislation changes to section 14 of the CCPSA.

http://www.nortonrose.com/files/guidance-on-mandatory-incident-reporting-under-the-canada-consumer-product-safety-act-section-14-duties-in-the-event-of-an-incident-pdf-474kb-77326.pdf

Summary:

This document (draft) is for all consumer products (excluding feeds, plants, cosmetics, explosives - a full list is in appendix A) and includes issues with packaging.  All incidents with an impact on public safety need to be reported to health Canada.  An incident occurs when an individual dies or experiences adverse effects to their health.

Changes include definitions to the Criterion on what is a hazard (page 7).  These can include packaging associated with the product, incorrect/inadequate labeling, parts or components and even accessories to the product.

One area of interest is page 9 - "Unreasonable Product Hazard".  This legislation is meant for unreasonable hazards during normal/foreseeable use of the product.  The paper gives a great example of this:  Using a knife may cause a cut (reasonable hazard) but a knife handle breaking and causing a cut is an unreasonable hazard (sic).

Once a company becomes aware of the incident, a report must be filed within 2 days and a written report within 10. Information needed on these reports including Distribution numbers, product standards, company action plan, testings, etc.

QUALITY ASSURANCE VS. QUALITY CONTROL

With my recent networking experiences and talking to people in the local food manufacturing industry, I have noted that the difference between quality assurance and quality control is not well understood. I hope is that this post will give a bit of information and provoke thought on what this difference means to businesses.

Definitions:

Quality Assurance (QA) - Systematic activities stemming from a quality management system.

Quality Control (QC) - Controls put into place to manage the production of a product.


Well, these definitions are fairly self explanatory and you can find similar definitions on Wikipedia.  To expand these concepts, QA is the management system that can be bundled under BRC, SQF, HACCP, ISO.  These management programs lend themselves to the "P-D-C-A" cycle.



Plan - think, formulate and train. 
Do - execute the plan. 
Check - verify that the plan is working and what changes need to be made to the plan.
Act - execute any needed changes which takes you back to the beginning.

The check function can lead to creation of KPIs. (Key Performance Indicator) which answers the question - is the process and product performing as required by the company?


Quality Control in contrast, is the front line testing which needs to be completed on the product during production.  Included is the inspection of the product for defects and the real time pulse as to how the processes is acting.  Questions answered include;
1. Does the equipment need some preventative maintenance?
2. Is the product good to ship?
3. Are the production personnel doing what they need to be doing without cutting corners?

In short, QA is process focused and QC is product focused.  If you wish to know more take a look at http://www.iso9001consultant.com.au/QA.html

Root Cause Analysis

I wanted to say a few words on this topic since I was recently asked about my views on root cause.  How do  I go about doing a root cause analysis in a food manufacturing facility?  To begin - there is an issue (non-conformance) that you or a co-worker has spotted.  From here there are two methods that I use, the 5 whys and the fishbone/Ishikawa diagram.

Either method can lead you to the root cause but I have found using both together creates a more coherent and structured process.  I start with data collection, to know what I am challenged with. The who - what - where - when - why - how questions.  Then using the fishbone I (or a group) can go thru a process / procedure and identify all the elements that effect and influence it.  A sample is below.  This will help organise your thoughts.

From here I will ask the "5 whys" keeping in mind the causes that were brainstormed in the fishbone.  The idea here is, by the time that you have gotten to the fifth level of asking why - you are at the true root cause.  Using this simple and powerful method lessens the "knee jerk" reactions to what caused the issue.  Often the answer is not as evident as you may think. Sometimes less or more why questions will need to be asked.

You are not done, however, the issue needs to be corrected.  The root cause needs to be documented and an action plan put into motion with a defined time for completion.  Followed by a verification of the completed correction to make sure it was effective.

Thanks

Michael Perz.

Columbian Coffee Protests

What a shame on what is going on in Columbia.  Here is the link to the article.

http://dailycoffeenews.com/2013/02/26/thousands-of-striking-colombian-coffee-farmers-met-by-force/

I had the joy of traveling to Columbia 2 years back and wow!  Friendly people, great mountains.  The Capitol, Bogata, has excellent restaurants, hotels, and an active night scene.  I travelled to south Hula area to visit farms, warehouses, and the people that I was purchasing coffee from.  I was interested in purchasing sustainable coffee (Rainforest Alliance) and another company buyer was looking into Fairtrade. 

The article tells that the farmers wish to have sustainable prices and the programs to help with this are getting more popular.  Rainforest Alliance (RA) and Fairtrade (FT) are two of these programs.  I believe in these programs not only from a human stand but from a sustainable farming and land use point.  Rainforest Alliance does have a piece of their program looking at biodiversity and keeping a section of the farm in a natural state.  It was also very evident, to me, that the plants and farms in general, were healthier looking on the lands that were certified RA and FT.  Here are a couple of pics from my trip.  By the way - the blue plastic bags cover Bananas that the farmers grow for shading the coffee trees and additional income.