Pet Food CCPs

Raw Material Receiving and Quality Inspection

Control Point: Ensure all incoming raw ingredients (meat, grains, vitamins) meet pet food safety and quality standards, such as being free from contaminants (e.g., pathogens, mycotoxins).
InterlinkIQ Feature: Supplier management module tracks incoming shipments, ingredient inspections, and testing results for safety (e.g., pathogen levels, mycotoxins).
Monitoring: Automated tracking of inspection data, test results, and supplier certifications through InterlinkIQ’s material verification system.
Critical Limit: Ingredients must comply with pet food safety and quality standards, with data managed through InterlinkIQ’s quality control module.

Control Point: Maintain optimal storage conditions to prevent spoilage, contamination, or degradation of pet food ingredients.
InterlinkIQ Feature: Storage monitoring module tracks real-time temperature, humidity, and pest control measures in storage areas.
Monitoring: Continuous monitoring of temperature and humidity, with automated alerts for deviations via InterlinkIQ’s environmental control system.
Critical Limit: Storage conditions must meet defined safety standards (e.g., specific temperature and humidity ranges), managed through InterlinkIQ.

Control Point: Ensure consistent grinding and mixing of raw materials to achieve a uniform pet food blend and prevent cross-contamination.
InterlinkIQ Feature: Mixing process module tracks equipment performance, batch records, and ingredient inclusion rates.
Monitoring: Real-time tracking of equipment efficiency, batch mixing times, and ingredient proportions through InterlinkIQ’s process control system.
Critical Limit: Blends must meet specified ingredient ratios and uniformity, verified through InterlinkIQ’s mixing and grinding monitoring system.

Control Point: Ensure that extrusion and cooking processes achieve required temperatures to eliminate pathogens and ensure product consistency.
InterlinkIQ Feature: Thermal processing module tracks time, temperature, and pressure during extrusion and cooking.
Monitoring: Continuous logging of temperature and cooking times via InterlinkIQ’s thermal process control system, ensuring product safety and quality.
Critical Limit: Extrusion and cooking temperatures must meet regulatory safety standards to kill harmful microorganisms, with data managed through InterlinkIQ

Control Point: Ensure moisture content is reduced to safe levels to prevent microbial growth and spoilage in dry pet food.
InterlinkIQ Feature: Drying control module tracks drying times, temperatures, and humidity levels.
Monitoring: Real-time monitoring of drying parameters with automated alerts for deviations, logged through InterlinkIQ’s drying process control system.
Critical Limit: Moisture content must meet specified safety limits, verified through InterlinkIQ’s drying control system.

Control Point: Ensure proper application of fat, flavor, or vitamin coatings to pet food, without causing contamination or degradation of ingredients.
InterlinkIQ Feature: Coating process module tracks ingredient application rates and equipment performance.
Monitoring: Continuous monitoring of coating process parameters (e.g., ingredient usage, equipment efficiency) through InterlinkIQ’s coating control system.
Critical Limit: Coatings must be applied uniformly and meet safety standards, managed via InterlinkIQ’s process monitoring system.

Control Point: Ensure proper packaging and sealing to protect pet food from contamination, spoilage, and degradation.
InterlinkIQ Feature: Packaging control module monitors seal integrity, packaging defects, and tamper-proofing in real time.
Monitoring: Automated monitoring of packaging processes, with real-time alerts for defects or contamination risks, logged through InterlinkIQ’s packaging control system.
Critical Limit: Packaging must be sealed properly with no defects or contamination, managed via InterlinkIQ’s packaging integrity system.

Control Point: Ensure finished pet food products are free from metal contaminants.
InterlinkIQ Feature: Metal detection control module tracks detector calibration, operation, and testing performance.
Monitoring: Continuous tracking of metal detection, with real-time alerts for any anomalies via InterlinkIQ’s metal detection monitoring system.
Critical Limit: No metal contamination should be detected, verified through InterlinkIQ’s metal detection control system.

Control Point: Ensure finished pet food products meet microbial safety, nutrient content, and quality standards.
InterlinkIQ Feature: Finished product testing module tracks microbial, nutrient, and quality tests on pet food.
Monitoring: Automated tracking of test results and real-time alerts for deviations through InterlinkIQ’s product testing system.
Critical Limit: Finished products must pass all safety, nutrient, and quality tests, managed through InterlinkIQ’s product testing module.

Control Point: Prevent cross-contact with allergens during pet food processing.
InterlinkIQ Feature: Allergen management module tracks cleaning validations, equipment segregation, and allergen testing procedures.
Monitoring: Continuous tracking of allergen control measures, with real-time alerts for deviations through InterlinkIQ.
Critical Limit: No cross-contact with allergens is allowed, verified through InterlinkIQ’s allergen tracking and validation system.

Control Point: Ensure full traceability of all raw materials and finished pet food products for quick recall management if needed.
InterlinkIQ Feature: Traceability module tracks batch numbers, supplier details, and production data in real time.
Monitoring: Continuous traceability is logged via InterlinkIQ’s system, ensuring rapid recall management when necessary.
Critical Limit: 100% traceability is required, with all data captured in InterlinkIQ’s recall and traceability system.