The Story of Six Sigma Quality Management System

There is an interesting article in Quartz on Six Sigma, the quality management system championed by General Electric. It details how a tool for improving manufacturing precision and efficiency expanded to become guiding principle applied to all aspects of the company.  Employees worked to become green belts and then master black belts, designations for practitioners of Six Sigma.  In time however, GE's fortunes dropped from the high flyer of the 1990's, and with that, Six Sigma lost its luster.

GE was not the only company as many companies including a good number of food companies looked to have Six Sigma trained professionals in key positions.  As a technical professional, I had considered such training.  However, it was time consuming, costly, and difficult to justify.  Not to say these tools and concepts were not beneficial, but basic training in statistical process control and process improvement was sufficient for most applications.

It is not too far back in time when these tools were absolutely needed.  A good example was the US automobile industry of the 1970s and early 80s...you'd be lucky if a new car lasted 5 years without extensive repairs.  For food operations, process efficiency and waste were a major concern.  Now, measurement of many of these factors are automatically measured and controlled...items such as equipment downtime/uptime, fill weight, percent defective, etc.  Still, it is important for employees to understand these concepts and how to apply them in food manufacturing operations.

An important point to recognize is that this is a tool, but when that tool become the overall strategy or when leaders become overly obsessive in its use, then there can be ramifications.  In this case, as pointed out in the article, the company's focus did not support innovation and risk taking.

Quartz at Work
https://qz.com/work/1635960/whatever-happened-to-six-sigma/
DEEP SIXED
Whatever happened to Six Sigma?
By Oliver Staley6 hours ago

Modernizing the Standards of Identity - Names Should Mean Something

Is soy milk really milk?  This is one of a number of food questions that are likely to come up in FDA's upcoming public meeting on the modernizing the Food Standards of Identity.

While to most, the food standards of identity are not an overly exciting topic, but they do serve a purpose in establishing what defines a specific product.  "These regulatory standards specify the characteristics of hundreds of different foods, everything from frozen cherry pie to milk, but critics say many of these definitions are in desperate need of an update, including a definition of milk that specifies that the beverage come from a lactating animal." 

In recent times, there have been a number of  new-to-us type of products entering the marketplace, and they take on familiar names, because it is just easy to assign a name that customers are familiar with.  But is that right?  Sure we know soy milk is not really milk, but do we make assumptions about aht product, perhaps it has the same nutritional value of milk.  What about the producers of regular milk, should they not have some protections against infringement on what they make?  

And perhaps for soy milk, consumer understand that it is different, but will that always be the case?  I am one for having a name mean something.  If it is not the same, then call it something different.  And if it has that name, then there should be certain expectations for what that item is.  

FORBES
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jennysplitter/2019/09/05/food-label-redux-fda-to-hold-public-meeting-on-food-standards-of-identity/#40e824187599
Got Food Label Confusion? FDA To Hold Public Meeting On Food Standards Of Identity
Jenny Splitter
Sep 5, 2019, 09:06am

Establishment Recalls 25,000 Pounds of Beef Due to Procedural Test and Hold Error

American Beef Packers, Inc., a Chino, Calif. establishment, is recalling approximately 24,428 pounds of raw beef products that are deemed unfit for human consumption.  The issue appears to be that the establishment shipped product that was sampled but had not been tested.  According to the report, "The firm notified FSIS on Aug. 30, 2019 that a carcass that was pending laboratory results had been erroneously released and further processed into raw intact and non-intact beef products." 


https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2019/recall-089-2019-release
American Beef Packers, Inc. Recalls Raw Beef Products Deemed Unfit for Human Consumption 
Class II Recall 
089-2019 
Health Risk:Low 
Aug 31, 2019 

This Week in Allergen Related Recalls for Week Ending August 31, 2019

There is Gluten in that Wheat Ingredient - Heatherfield Foods, Inc., an Ontario, Calif. establishment, is recalling approximately 4,380 pounds of pork sausage products due to misbranding - the product has a gluten free claim represented on the front of the label; however, the product contains gluten in the form of wheat which wheat was declared on the label. The problem was discovered after FSIS received a consumer complaint.

Undeclared Milk in the Lemonade - Hiland Dairy facility in Chandler OK, is announcing a voluntary recall of one-half gallon (64-ounce) and pint (12-ounce) lemonade  over concerns the products may contain milk.  Hiland Dairy initially learned of a potential issue and then confirmed after internal quality-control testing at the Chandler, Oklahoma facility.

Chicken Salad Product Mislabeled - Bakkavor Foods USA, Inc., a San Antonio, Texas establishment, is recalling approximately 1,913 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) chicken salad products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, - the product contains pecans (tree nut), a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label. The RTE chicken salad products are labeled as “Curry Chicken Salad” products but contain Tarragon Chicken Salad products.  The problem was discovered by the company during a review of production records.

Supplier Used Milk Derivative in Flavor Ingredients Not on Label- Nature’s One, Lewis Center, Ohio is recalling PediaSmart® SOY Vanilla Beverage Mix because milk is not listed under the “contains” label statement. Each lot is tested for milk allergen by independent 3rd party laboratories before release for sale: no milk allergen was detected in any lots of the finished product. No illnesses have been reported to date, however out of an abundance of caution the product is being recalled.   Nature’s One learned through a routine document review from a vendor that milk or a milk derivative was added to the natural flavor used in the product. Even though no milk allergen was detected through testing, labeling laws require milk is listed in the “contains” statement.

Wrong Label on Pistachio Labeled Meat Product - Olympia Meats, a Portland, Ore., establishment is recalling approximately 198 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) pork sausage products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens - the product contains pistachios (tree nuts), a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label. The RTE pork sausage products are labeled as “Mortadella Classica” products but contain Mortadella Pistachio sausage products.  The issue was identified by a retail customer.

Undeclared Egg in Fish Cakes Great One Trading Inc. is recalling fish cakes because it may contain undeclared egg. The recall was initiated after it was discovered that the product containing egg was not revealed on the packaging. Subsequent investigation indicates the problem was caused by a mislabeling error by the manufacturer

Sulfites in Dried Fruit - Krasnyi Oktyabr USA Inc of Brooklyn, NY is recalling packages of “TAINY VOSTOKA ASSORTED DRIED FRUITS - QUINCE” and   TAINY VOSTOKA ASSORTED DRIED FRUITS -APPLE because they contain undeclared sulfites  The recall was initiated after routine sampling be New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors and subsequent analysis by Food Laboratory personnel revealed the presence of sulfites

CDC - 2018 Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Raw Cake Batter

In a 2018 Salmonella outbreak where 7 people in 5 different states become ill, raw cake mix was identified as the source.  The organism isolated from the individuals match the organism found in an unopen box of cake mix.

Of course, this means that these people ate raw cake dough.  In one case, "The Wisconsin patient reported having consumed an entire box of raw white cake mix over several days during the likely exposure period."

And what are we supposed to do with cake flour....bake it.  One can guess there are no instructions on the box for eating it raw.

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6834a5.htm
Notes from the Field: Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Agbeni Associated with Consumption of Raw Cake Mix — Five States, 2018
Weekly / August 30, 2019 / 68(34);751–752

Recalls of Two Strange Brands Remind Us of Why FDA is Stretched Thin

Here are two items I have no particular care about...a tea from Oregon and a spice blend sold in NYC.  However, both have the potential to be pretty serious issues -the tea is being recalled for Salmonella and the spice product is recalled for potential lead - but both will have little impact on the majority of people.  However, just because most all of us are unlikely to drink the Milk Lady's Herbal Tea or use Balquis Yemeni Spice does not mean the FDA can give these suspect products a pass.

Food entrepreneurism is on the rise, but with that, there is an increased pressure on Federal and state agencies to ensure that regulations are enforced.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/mountain-mels-essential-goods-llc-recalls-milk-ladys-herbal-tea-blend-peaceful-baby-herbal-tea-blend
Mountain Mel’s Essential Goods, LLC Recalls The Milk Lady’s Herbal Tea Blend, Peaceful Baby Herbal Tea Blend, and Diges-teas Herbal Tea Blend, Because of Possible Health Risk
Summary
Company Announcement Date: August 29, 2019
FDA Publish Date:August 29, 2019
Product Type:Food & Beverages  Coffee/Tea
Reason for Announcement: Potential to be contaminated with Salmonella
Company Name:Mountain Mel’s Essential Goods, LLC
Brand Name: The Milk Lady’s, Peaceful Baby, and Diges-Tea
Product Description: Tea

The Refrigerator as a Source of Food Waste - It is More than Code Dating

A study from THE* Ohio State University discusses food waste, specifically associated with items tossed from the refrigerator.  They find that there are a number of factors that lead to food waste..one is making a guess about the safety and quality of the product  in the refrigerator.  Other factors include "refrigerator cleaning frequency, grocery shopping duration and frequently checking nutrition labels are among food-related routines that affect the utilization of refrigerated food. Additionally, “best by”, “use by” and ambiguous date labeling significantly decrease the odds that food items are fully utilized."

Of course there is a focus back on label dating, "Our results suggest that strategies to reduce food waste in the U.S. should include limiting and standardizing the number of phrases used on date labels, and education campaigns to help consumers better understand the physical signs of food safety and quality,” Davenport said."

While the authors suggest there should be more attention on helping consumers make better decisions on whether food is bad or good, this is not always easy even for food professionals.  There are many unknowns as to a particular food in a given refrigerated that impact whether it is good or bad (from a quality more than safety standpoint...for the most part).  What is the temperature of the person's refrigerator? How long has it been open?  How many times has it been taken outside of the refrigerator and for what length of time?  Did anyone contaminate the product when open...with spoilage or pathogenic bacteria?  Is the product subject to oxidative rancidity? 

A stated date code is fine for closed product, but once open...the conditions in which the the product has been exposed have more of an impact.   That is, the exposure to bacteria, oxygen, etc.  At the very least, there will be increased potential for flavor loss over time.

Plus there are so many different items to have to make decisions about...leftover meatballs, jar of pickles, six jars of salad dressing, milk, yogurt, a dozen different condiments, etc, etc, etc.  And we have no clue how long it has been open.    In the end, we are forced to do that occasional mass eviction. 

Guilting people into not throwing food out is not necessarily the answer.  Rather, the key is buying and using what you will use in a short period of time.  Minimize the number of items and rotate them to use oldest first.

Unfortunately, we often buy and store way more than will be eaten in a short time.  We buy stuff that is 'meh' with regard to flavor, so it sits in the fridge.  Bottles come in unit sizes that are way more than we will use within a month or two. 

And as big as an issue of food waste is the packaging material that will end up in a landfill and with plastic, be there for the millennium.

*Trademark applied.

Resources, Conservation and Recycling
Volume 150, November 2019, 104440
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344919303350
Food-related routines, product characteristics, and household food waste in the United States: A refrigerator-based pilot study
Megan L. Davenport a, Danyi Qi b, Brian E. Roe a

Increased Exposure to Microbes in Air Reduces Risk of Asthma in Children

This is more evidence on the importance of exposure to the environment for children...in this case, Finnish researchers found that children who were exposed to a broader range of microbes in the air were less likely to develop asthma.  Further they "showed that farm-like microbiota of the child’s home protected children from asthma also in urban homes."  (I guess I should better appreciate that smell wafting over from the campus cow barns)

File this under - what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.


FIHW
https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/-/microbiota-in-home-indoor-air-may-protect-children-from-asthma-how-to-bring-protecting-microbiota-into-children-s-everyday-lives
Microbiota in home indoor air may protect children from asthma – how to bring protecting microbiota into children’s everyday lives? 

Spain - Large Listeria Outbreak Affect 150, Linked to Fully Cooked Meat Product

The largest-ever Listeria outbreak in Spain as affected as many as 150 with one death so far.  The outbreak has been linked to a processed pork plant located in the southern region of Andlusia which manufacturers carne mechada, a pre-cooked meat.  The facility has recalled all product manufactured in the suspect facility.  There is controversy over why it took so long for action where 'it' was first detected on August 5th but took until the 15th of August to issue the alert.

Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-spain-listeria/spain-issues-international-alert-as-listeria-cases-hit-150-idUSKCN1VB1Z0
Spain issues international alert as listeria cases hit 150