Implementação de sistemas de rastreabilidade na cadeia produtiva de gelados comestíveis de uma indústria no norte do Paraná: uma abordagem integrada para garantia de qualidade e segurança alimentar

Abstract

The present case study was conducted at a company in northern Paraná and presents an integration of quality management and food safety through the implementation of a traceability system. The central objective corroborates the development of a document capable of tracing the production chain of ice creams, as well as ensuring the quality of the final product, aiming at analyzing potential vulnerabilities in the process and ensuring operational efficiency. Furthermore, for the approval of the developed document, it is inherent that it meets the normative requirements imposed by NBR ISO 9001 and NBR ISO 22000 and, if possible, FSSC 22000. To develop a structured implementation process, the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) cycle was used. The planning phase involved studying the documentation requirements with the managers of each area where traceability would become essential through semi-structured interviews. Additionally, mapping the production process flow was essential to understand all stages influencing the quality of the final product, as well as factors affecting food safety. During the execution phase, the traceability system was developed and verified to comply with current regulations and previously assigned requirements. The document was then tested in the industrial plant, with intensive training for all operators. These training sessions included theoretical and practical sessions, ensuring that all involved understood the importance of the system and knew how to correctly fill out the forms. In the verification phase, supervisors and managers monitored the completion of the documents, correcting errors, and providing continuous support. Additionally, recall simulations and quality investigations were conducted, demonstrating the system's effectiveness in quickly tracking production lots. The results of these simulations were analyzed to identify improvement points and adjust the system as necessary. The corrective action phase involved implementing actions to resolve identified problems and standardizing procedures. Therefore, after verifying the effectiveness of the traceability system, it was proposed to continue the PDCA cycle by expanding traceability to other productive means of the studied company, such as sorbets. Finally, the benefits of using the PDCA cycle in the traceability system implementation process were evident, enabling greater operational efficiency, product quality control, and, intrinsically, greater customer satisfaction.