5 Questions with Jenna Ponshock, Director of Product Management, Nelson-Jameson

1. When should a food manufacturing facility consider a color-coding system, and what does it protect against?

Put simply, whenever you have a risk of cross-contamination or confusion that could compromise your food safety or quality, you should implement a color-coding system. The GFSI-approved food standards BRC, FSSC22000, IFS and SQF require cross-contact and cross-contamination prevention measures, so it’s important to meet those standards. Once implemented, a comprehensive color-coding system would prevent cross-contamination of raw ingredients, allergens, microorganisms, foreign bodies, waste and more.

2. What are the most common challenges encountered with a color-coding system, and how are they overcome?

There are obviously physical threats to equipment along the lines of fading and general wear and tear. There are human-error threats like improper training, unclear communication and lack of regular audits. But also, there needs to be consistency when implementing the system. The latter can be achieved with some common-sense measures like using contrasting colors, compatibility with any color blindness and avoiding color-combination in single tools (e.g. a broom head and handle that differ). Above all, we recommend continued education and the mindset of “overcommunicate but don’t overcomplicate.”

3. How often should a color-coding system be reviewed, and what triggers a need for revision?

It can depend on the organization and the velocity of changes any given facility sees. However, a regularly scheduled review should be determined and adhered to based on the variables for your facility. As for revision triggers, major changes in products — for example, the addition of new or replacement products — should automatically lead to a review and update as needed. Also, changes in processes, changes in internal and external regulations and audit findings should trigger a review of processes between what’s already scheduled.

4. How do you handle color-coding for single-use items, like gloves or aprons? What’s the disposal process to maintain segregation?

It’s really the same philosophy as multi-use tools and PPE. It’s as important that any single-use items use different colors for different tasks or areas. The additional step is to be sure that your facility has clear disposal procedures to prevent reuse in other designated color-coded areas and potential cross-contamination.

5. How can an organization measure the ROI of a color-coding system?

Nelson-Jameson has always prioritized food safety across our organization, and that’s the most tangible benefit of a color-coding system. But ROI can come in the form of reducing your risk of foodborne illness outbreaks, improving efficiency or reducing waste. Protecting brand reputation is another benefit, and while it’s difficult to quantify the ROI of preventative measures, maintaining the highest food safety standards and brand value is a very strong argument for the investment in color-coding a food manufacturing facility. And, of course, investing in quality tools will extend the lifetime value of the equipment.