2013 was a year to forget for the food and drink processing industries with the actions of a few unscrupulous suppliers tarnishing the reputation of whole sector with the Horsegate affair.
With several of the UK’s biggest brands hitting the national headlines for all the wrong reasons, and some ready-meal manufacturers having to scale down production as consumer demand went into free-fall, it was a stark reminder of how important it is to ensure there are no weaknesses in the supply chain and manufacturing operations regarding health and safety.
It is not difficult to understand why consumers want assurances about safety when it comes to the things we eat and drink, but what about other consumer products? Drug safety is obvious too – like food and drink, we put drugs into our bodies so a safe manufacturing plant and the right formulations are vital here. But what about products that we’re not supposed to consume?
Any parent will know their children go through a phase – often it seems for several years! – during which they want to put everything and anything into their mouths. Much of this we simply can’t control and must simply try to minimise the risks with eyes in the back of our heads.
Forward thinking toy manufacturers do, however, think more like food and drink processors. They understand that it is highly likely their products will end up in the mouths of children.
That’s why we have been working with one of the world’s leading toy manufacturers to optimise safety. In developing a new product, they were looking for a specialist lubricant to meet their demanding specification.
Beyond the engineering performance of the lubricant – friction reduction, wear prevention and long life – the effect of the lubricant on the health of the end user was paramount. Even though there would only be a tiny quantity of lubricant in the toy, and the slight possibility that a tiny amount might leak out, the possibility that some of this might end up in a child’s mouth was a large concern for the manufacturer:
The lubricant was required to be non-toxic and difficult to wash off – attributes that any FOODLUBE customer will know is an area in which ROCOL excels. So the solutions recommended for this particular application were FOODLUBE MULTILUBE, FOODLUBE CHAIN SPRAY and FOODLUBE CHAIN FLUID – and these were trialled by the manufacturer.
Like all products in the FOOBLUBE range, these lubricants are NSF H1 registered, meaning that they are non-toxic and are suitable for systems where incidental food contact may occur. This is assured by ROCOL’s ISO 21469 certified production which demands high standards throughout ROCOL’s whole R&D and manufacturing process.
After rigorous testing by the toy manufacturer, FOODLUBE CHAIN FLUID was found to be the most suitable candidate and was approved for use. The end users are probably unaware, but this thorough, thoughtful and considerate approach to development from this toy manufacturer shows their commitment to children’s safety as well as their enjoyment. And ultimately this will help protect the reputation of their internationally renowned brand.
