Eckes Granini - Dynamic risk assessment and actionable insights combine to optimize juice production processes and quality
April, 2024 - 12 min read
Introduction
Eckes-Granini, the leading supplier of fruit juices and beverages in Europe, is behind some of the best-known juice brands, such as Joker, Pago or Réa. Today, Eckes-Granini has over 1,700 employees in Europe, operating 7 production plants that manufacture 150 million liters of fruit juice annually, and exporting to 80 countries.
In this video testimonial, we interviewed Antony Veloso, Operational Quality Manager for 20 years, and Ophélie Detet, Laboratory Manager for 15 years.
They've trusted D-COUNT® for over 20 years and use it daily to prevent unwanted fermentation, ensure product quality, and make faster decisions to limit scrap and faster product release.
“OUR GOAL IS TO MINIMIZE TIME TO MARKET AND STORAGE COSTS, WHICH ARE NOTABLY HIGH IN THE JUICE INDUSTRY, WHILE ENSURING OPTIMAL PRODUCT QUALITY.”
1. D-COUNT® fully integrated at Four Key Production Process Points
To maintain sensory quality, limit scrap and avoid storage costs, Eckes-Granini Must rely on rapid methods to do in-process controls and release product as fast as possible.
D-COUNT® enables them to conduct microbiological controls at several critical points:
- Raw materials - Using the direct enumeration method to estimate raw material microbial quality.
- In-Process Product - Using the direct enumeration method to estimate microbial quality.
- At day 0 - Once products have been bottled to avoid destroying pallets If contaminants are detected too late (SPOILER alert: Which is exactly what happened! View the video story to learn more.)
- Finished products - After a 3-day incubation period to check for presence/absence of contaminants prior to release.
“THE QUALITY DEPARTMENT CARRIES OUT LOTS OF CONTROLS. FOR ALL, MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTROLS, WE USE D-COUNT® FROM BIOMÉRIEUX”
2. D-COUNT® offers SPEED, RELIABILITY AND EASE OF USE
D-COUNT® is key to daily operations and used daily at the Eckes-Granini French production site. Instead of waiting 3 to 5 days for results with traditional methods, D-COUNT® offers clear value and operational efficiencies by providing results in only 2 hours.
D-COUNT® is also very easy to use which makes technician’s training much easier and faster.
“TRADITIONAL CULTURE AND INCUBATION BASED METHODS WOULD MEAN WAITING 3 TO 5 DAYS FOR RESULTS. WITH D-COUNT®, WE HAVE RESULTS IN 2 HOURS WHICH ALLOWS US TO CONFIDENTLY RELEASE RAW MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS MUCH FASTER.”
3. bioMerieux and ECKES-GRANINI: a strategic partnership that goes back more than 20 years.
bioMérieux and Eckes-Granini have partnered for more than 20 years and 3 generations of D-COUNT® technology, making the rapid detection solution a key component to not only their quality program but also their production process and brand management objectives.
“TO SUM UP THE SOLUTION IN 3 WORDS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF OUR LAB PROGRAM, D-COUNT® IS EFFICIENCY, RELIABILITY, AND SPEED.”
“WHAT DOES D-COUNT® MEAN TO ME IN ONLY 3 WORDS? QUALITY, EFFICIENCY, AND CONTROL. QUALITY IN TERMS OF PRODUCT CONTINUITY, EFFICIENCY IN REGARDS TO OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS, AND CONTROL OVER UNNECESSARY STORAGE COSTS.”
4. Watch the video to discover how D-COUNT® became an integral quality and production solution at Eckes-Granini france
More information
To learn more about how bioMerieux can unlock operational efficiencies at your plant, click here to be contacted by one of our food safety and quality experts.
