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QUALITY CONTROL AND RAW MATERIAL SHORTAGE: HOW TO OVERCOME THE SUPPLY CRISIS AND PROVIDE CUSTOMERS WITH HIGH-QUALITY PRODUCTS

24/01/2023

Quality control of raw materials is a crucial parameter to meet manufacturing standards and supply customers with safe and reliable products. How to manage the complexity nowadays when raw materials are scarce and expensive and guarantee, at the same time, high levels of quality?
QUALITY CONTROL AND RAW MATERIAL SHORTAGE: HOW TO OVERCOME THE SUPPLY CRISIS AND PROVIDE CUSTOMERS WITH HIGH-QUALITY PRODUCTS
Quality is a cross-industry matter: it is a differentiation factor and is taken under track by any production process. Testing raw materials, ingredients and excipients is the first essential step in quality control in the food & beverage, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, environmental, chemical and manufacturing sectors. As it is necessary to ensure that the final product released on the market is safe and effective, tests are usually conducted and starting materials are released only once their identity, purity and quality are proven.

However, with the crisis in supply chains, this methodology is being put under pressure. Global shortages in almost everything, from raw materials to plastics and from food ingredients to almost any finished product, are indeed dominating the headlines. Supply chain planning teams are pushed to effectively predict demand, ensure supply accuracy, and successfully coordinate the flow of goods into customers’ hands-on time.

But how quality can be assured in such an uncertain economic environment? 

Find new valuable suppliers

Find new valuable suppliers
In order to face the challenges encountered in the supply chain nowadays all over the world, it is crucial to build a backup network of suppliers, able to provide the raw material when the main suppliers can’t. However, a different elemental composition of raw material can affect the chemical resistance, shelf-life, hardness, elasticity, etc. of the final product, resulting in an unpleasant end-user experience.

VELP firsthand is facing this situation, and like many of our customers, we strongly rely on our elemental analyzers. In particular, we are able to support the quality control process using the EMA 502 to compare and validate new suppliers’ products: by the content of Carbon, Nitrogen, Hydrogen, Sulfur and Oxygen, our specialists can confirm the percentage of these elements in order to go on with the purchasing process and speed up the production timetable. 

On the other hand, for food, feed & beverage companies, testing and quality control are essential to adhere to regulatory approval and to measure the components and quality of ingredients during manufacture. The methods and equipment used for analysis depend on various factors and requirements: select the right Kjeldahl, Dumas or Soxhlet analyzer to receive the right data to take the right decision.

Try new recipes with different ​​​​​​​ingredients 

Try new recipes with different ​​​​​​​ingredients 
When a reduction in the quantities of raw materials causes a dramatic increase in prices, many companies, especially in the food, feed and beverages industries, can evaluate possible alternatives for the formulation of their products. In this case, it is essential for R&D labs to find instruments and methods to assess the impact of oxidation stability on new formulas. The oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids is indeed one of the most critical factors to be investigated for the shelf-life studies of oils and seeds as it leads to product deterioration, quality, and shelf-life alteration.

Just select the "Formula Comparison" option on the VELP OXITEST Oxidation Stability Reactor to compare different formulations, ingredients and recipes by discriminating the oxidation stability of the products. The OXITEST method gives high-value-added information on the oxidation process according to the AOCS Cd-12c-16 standard procedure.

Quality is our mantra

Excellent quality control is a crucial part of being the production partner of our clients. At VELP, we never overlook the importance of excellent internal quality as well as the responsibility to supply reliable products that support our customers' quality control and quality assurance in providing only great products.
Learn how to choose the right tool for your quality control and quality assurance tests!
 
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