Testing – Stevens Traceability Systems Case Study: Pets Choice

Stevens Traceability Systems (United Kingdom) – Pets Choice are a leading UK pet food manufacturer with over 135 years’ experience. Trading globally, the manufacturer produces leading own label and private label brands at their Blackburn manufacturing site using high-quality ingredients and state-of-the-art manufacturing processes to create market leading pet food and treats.

Challenge:

Pets Choice came to Stevens Traceability because they wanted a recipe system for weight control and ingredient traceability. Their weighing processes were manual so they wanted to introduce a system so that operators were not overweighing ingredients and a system where they could structure and control recipes.

Solution:

Stevens Traceability provided Pets Choice with a Vantage 2.1 weighing station for their dry ingredient weighing area which contains a mounted scale for weighing ingredients under 5kg, and a platform scale for weighing ingredients over 5kg, and label printer.

The weighing station benefits from a Vantage 2.1 touchscreen terminal which gives operators access to the Stevens software providing them with details of jobs, ingredients and lot numbers.

The operator uses the Stevens software on the terminal as a step-by-step guide for weighing out ingredients, ensuring that ingredients are weighed within tolerance (tolerances are set within the software).

Once ingredients are weighed, the operator can print a label to attach to the container, data of which is extracted from the Stevens software giving traceability for recipes, job numbers, ingredients, lot numbers, production day/time and operator. The labels can then be scanned in the production area when the ingredients are added to the mixer.

In addition, two heavy-duty platform scales with indicators were provided by Stevens Traceability so that operators in the production area can quickly and effectively weigh other types of ingredients.

Result:

Operators are now weighing ingredients accurately within tolerance, meaning ordering stock is reflective of what is needed for production.

Product consistency has improved thanks to the steps on the terminal which the operators are using.

The weighing station built with two different scales has allowed great flexibility so that one station can be used for different ingredient target quantities.

The software has also allowed management to access a host of reports for production planning and traceability, and the data stored in the Stevens software enables Pets Choice to provide BRC auditors with accurate information quickly.