Understanding Product Changeover

Changeover processes are sometimes viewed as something that interferes with production time and staff can be put under pressure to speed up or minimise the amount of time spent on the activities. It has been a target for ‘lean activity’ studies but effective line changeover is a key control in the management of product safety, quality, authenticity, and legality. The prevention of product recalls, withdrawals and other incidents depends on this activity. This guideline aims to assist food manufacturers to view changeover processes as an investment rather than downtime by providing good-practice guidance to help them manage product changeover effectively.

Understanding Product Changeover will be of use to sites who produce items for different brands or food with specific ingredients on the same production line (i.e. gluten-free). It should be read by anyone responsible for writing processes, managing a food safety system or ensuring that a changeover process runs smoothly.