ConAgra Ingredient Batching Scales Hits 1 Million Batches!

SG Systems (USA) - Just 3 years after the implementation of 13 Ingredient Batching Scales at ConAgra, Carrollton TX - SG Systems is pleased to announce the rollover to 1 million produced batches.

The ConAgra facility (previously Ralcorp Frozen / Sara Lee) has been making refrigerated cookie dough including Sara Lee's private label biscuits, crescent rolls, pizza and pie crusts and toaster pastries. The unit's products are sold to mass retailers under store or generic labels.



ConAgra purchased The Vantage Bench-Top Ingredient Batching Scales following the successful pilot of a single unit on the cookie line, the company’s most demanding weighing operation producing hundreds of batches per day. The trial proved to lower ingredient usage costs, improve product consistency and reduce out of specification batches. SG Systems Comments “The 6 month ROI (Return on Investment) allowed a factory wide implementation for all Ingredient Batching Scales requirements in the facility.”

The formula for particular SKU’s are entered into the central PC Server via the Ingredient Batching Scales management software. The system allows management to enter and determine the exact recipe characteristics, including individual ingredient tolerances and how the products are added.

For instance, recipes may be a mixture of weighed and non-weighed ingredients where some products are added as pre-weighed blocks or bags. The system automatically calculates the amounts of individual ingredients needed and downloads the order to the relevant station, providing an effortless formulation process, with the large Ingredient Batching Scales screen prompting the operator throughout as each correct amount of ingredient is added.

The system will not allow the operator to continue if the incorrect ingredient is selected or the wrong amount added. If too much of a particular ingredient is added, the batch size can be recalculated to accommodate the error.

Detailed instructions relating to product characteristics are also flagged up to ensure adequate health and safety requirements are met. The Vantage Recipe Formulation System produces an impressive range of customized reports, giving a detailed and instant view of the operation at any given time. Typical reporting data relates to individual ingredient usage, recipe consistency, stock control and production yield.

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