- - - - - - -
CHAPTER-3
Production- Distribution Interface
and Managing the Pre-Despatch Activity 46-62
•
Production Process
46-50
•
Product Packaging
51-57
•
Hygiene of the Manufacturing System
57-61
•
Maintenance of the Finished Product at the
Manufacturing point
61-62
Conclusive remarks Pre-Despatch Activity
62-63
•
46
fRODUCTION-DISTRIBUTION INTER FACE
AND MANAGING THE PRE-DESPATCH ACTIVITY
During this study, the production facilities ofthe companies like Vadilal Ice Cream,
Ahmedabad, Amul Ice Cream ( Production facility at Vododara and Mother Dairy
Gandhinagar), Dairyden and Havmore Ice Cream at Ahmedabad were visited in person
and also the relevant literatures were scanned to derive at the following observations.
The production process and the pre-despatch activity from the manufacturing point have
a large bearing on the subsequent stages of distribution activity up to the level of final
consumption. Especially, in case of the short shelflife product like ice cream, the process
of production, quality, hygiene ofrnanufacturing, maintenance of finished product and its
packaging would determine, very largely, the life of the product in the distribution chain.
Keeping this premise in min~ the study has looked into:
1. The production process
2.Product Packaging
3.Hygene ofManufacturing System
4.Maintenance of the Finished Product at the manufacturing point.
PRODUCTION PROCESS :
The manufacturing process of ice cream has been found to consist ofthe following
fundamental steps which in simple terms could be described as follows:
Step-1: Preparation oflce Cream Mix : In this stage the ingredients like cream, \\'ater,
sugar and other sweeteners, colouring and flavouring agents, stabilizers and emulsifiers
are dissolved and mixed in an unfrozen stage. In modem manufacturing systems, the mix
is then homogenized, standardized and pasteurized.
47
Step-2: Semi-Freezing the Ice Cream Mix: This is the stage where the ice cream mix is
semi frozen and air is whipped into it by a Freezer. Here the ice cream mix freezes at 2728 degree Fahrenheit.
Step-3 :Fruit Feeding: For ice creams with fruit and nut pieces, at this stage the small
and ground pieces of fruits and nuts are injected into the semi frozen ice cream. For plain
flavoured ice creams like vanilla, strawberry, pine apple or mango flavoured ice creams,
this step is not required.
Step-4 : Extruding and Pack~ing : In this step the semi fro~en ice cream is extruded
from the freezer and filled into different packaging containers.
Step-5: Hardening: Here the semi frozen and packed ice cream is hardened by a blast
freezer at a temperature of -25 to -45 degrees Fahrenheit. Here the ice cream freezes to a
temperature ofminimum-15 degree Fahrenheit usually within 8-12 hours of duration.
Step-6 : Storing the finished Product: After hardening , the finished product of ice cream
ready for sale, is stored in a Deep Freezer or Walk-in Freezer at a temperature in
between -10 and -20 degrees Fahrenheit ( -22 and -40 degree Celsius).
TYPES OF PRODUCTION PROCESSES :
There have been two major types of manufacturing processes adopted in the ice cream
industry for commercial scale of operation viz:
1. Batch Freezing Process
2. Continuous Freezing process
Batch Freezing Process: Synonymous with its nomenclature, this process produces ice
cream in batches. It is used by individual ice cream shops, ice cream parlours or small
chain of ice cream shops ( 2-3 shops) who sell their ice cream exclusively from their
retail shop or ice cream parlour or their small chain of ice cream shops in the same city
and the scale of operation is
sm~ll.
Some of the prominent and rt:puted examples are
'Dairy Den' ice cream in Ahmedabad and 'Nirula's' in Delhi. Of course there are a
48
number of such ice cream manufacturers in each city, who operate from their own outlets.
Some of the large size hotels such as 5-star or 4-star hotels who serve their own ice cream
to the customers, use the batch freezing process.
The batch freezing process requires a small production space of 300-800 square feet. It
has a compact Batch Freezer of minimum 60cms width, Q4cms depth and 130cms height
(the size varies according to the manufacturer of the equipment). This is a simple and
compact unit to operate. A small size batch freezer can produce 12-15 gallons of ice
cream per hour and there are bigger ones which can produce;L.?-30 gallons per hour..
Followed by batch freezing, the process involves blast freeziug(hardening) and storage in
the deep freezer.
Reasons for Choosing Batch Freezing Frucess:
During the study, five(5) such small ice cream manufacturers--cum- retailers namely:
i)
Dall'yden, Ahmedabad
ii)
Nirula's in Delhi
iii)
Patel Ice Cream, Ahmedabad,
iv)
Pestonji, Bombay
v)
Maganlal Ice Cream, Rajkot
who were visited and interviewed, have confirmed their reasons for choosing a batch
freezing process which could be generalized as follows:
l. The batch freezing equipment costs less than the continuous freezing
equipment.
2.Since the production is in batches, it allows taste testing and correction in
between production.
3 .It gives the flexibility to a small operation to create many flavours in a short
period of time without spending lots of time setting up the production with use
of small quantity ofthe ice cream mix.
Brands and Manufacturers ofBatch Freezers:
It was revealed that a good quality equipment makes the product strong and thus its
subsequent distribution Management becomes less problematic under normal
49
circumstances. In India, although some of the local engineering firms are manufacturing
batch freezers, they are not as efficient as the imported ones. A few Indian names which
has come to notice during the study are:
l.Dashmesh Industries, New, Delhi
2.Dairyden Engineering, Gandhi Nagar.
We had tried to find out the details of good quality batch freezers and some of the world
famous brands ofBatch Freezers with their details are given below in Table-13:
Table: 13 Famous Brands and Models of Batch Freezers
Manufac-turer
Model
Capadty/type
Kelvinator
VIIC26
Single Door
Kelvinator
VHC48
Double Door
Traulsen
RIF l-34HUT-BF
Single Door
Traulsen
Rif-2-34HUT-BF
Double Door
Masterbilt
IHC-27
Single Door
Masterbilt
IHC-48
Double Door
Emery Thompson
IONW
12-15 Gallons/hour
Emery Thompson
20NW
25-30 Gallons/hour
Emery Thompson
IONW
50 Gallons /hour
Continuous Freezing Process:
The Continuous Freezing Process of manufacturing is used for large scale commercial
production and marketing of ice cream. This process consists of continuous freezing
production, online packaging and hardening line. The minimum production requirement
for considering adoption of continuous freezing process is 150litres per hour (40 gallons
per hour).
In India, the large manufacturers of reputed brands of ice cream, who have been observed
during the study, such as 'Kwality Walls', 'Vadilal', 'Mother Dairy', 'Amul' and
'Havmore' are using continuous freezing method. The major issues which the
manufacturers consider to address by choosing the continuous freezing method are :
50
1. Uniformi!y of the product: The finished product is more uniform because of the
volume ofproduction.
2. High Production Level : The continuous freezing permits higher production levels
per hour basis and there is no need for stops needed to fill and empty a batch freezer.
3. Flexibility: The Continuous Freezers can be attached to different processing machines
to produce various pack variants such as cups , cones , tubs and bulk packs.
4. Labour vis-a vis Skill: In case of batch freezing, it requires recurrent filling and
emptying. The personnel of Continuou.~ fr~zing process should be more skilled and
competent since this is a more sophisticated and more involved process than batch
freezing.
5. Overrun: It is quite easier to adjust and control the Overrun on a continuous basis.
6. Hygiene and Sanitation: A continuous freezer can be sanitized easily through a
Cleaning-in-place( CIP) system.
It is evident that for the purpose of catering to the market at regional or national level ,
Continuous Freezing process of manufacturing is the choice.
As reported by Mr.Bharat Bhushan, Ice Cream Consultant, in Dairy India,l997( pp-243),
the Capital investment for an ice cream unit with a freezing capacity of 150 litre/hour
which would be a minimum size of. continuous freezing process, would be around R.s.60
lacs while working expenditure would exceed Rs.94 lacs per year. Such a unit could be
expected to generate Rs.l28 lacs of gross sales, assuming 100 % sales for five months in
a year and declining sales in the rest seven months. The Gross Profit from this sales
would be around Rs.34 lacs and Net Profit before tax would be to the tune ofRs.20 lacs.
This observation leads to the fact that Ice Cream business could be a viable and profitable
business after employing appropriate technology and scale of operation.
51
PRODUCT PACKAGING:
For the purpose of effective distribution management, proper packaging of the product is
of utmost importance. Poor packaging would not only cause damage of the product, but
also, it will ruin the business. In case of perishable products like Ice Cream , the
packaging is like its body guard. The better the packaging, the stronger is the product to
travel uninjured in the long distribution chain.
The pack variants oflce Cream found in the market are as follows:
1. Cups
2. Cones
3. Small Card Board Packs
4. Bulk Card Board Packs
5. Plastic Tubs
l.CUPs: The Ice Cream cups~ of50 mlor IOOml Size. The cups are made ofwax
paper or PVC (food grade). The paper cups are found to be a poor packaging material
although they are bio-degradable. Most of the times, it was found to be weak and soggy
with seepage and spillage of the product, giving it a very poor and unhygienic look. The
PVC cup is sturdier and clean, it maintains the shape well and holds the product well.
The Paper cup has a flat paper lid. The PVC cup has either a flat paper lid or a PVC Lid
covering the cup. It was observed that the flat paper Lid slips out easily with slight
loosening of the frozen and hardened ice cream and there is spillage of the product, where
as the PVC lid stays tight and acts as a very good protection for the ice Cream. The paper
cup is cheaper than the plastic cup by 30% in price, however plastic cup js the right
choice from distribution and all facets of marketing point of view. In Plastic cup, the
product is observed to be very secured in the distribution chain.
This contention is derived from the following observation:
For the purpose of observation, 10 out lets were chosen at Random (irrespective of the
brand of ice cream ) in Ahmedabad city and 10 cups of ice cream in Paper cups and
52
1Ocups of ice cream in Plastic Cups were eJG"~mined at each outlet. The results were as
follows (given in Table-14):
Table -14: Comparative Strength ofPlastic Cups Vs. Paper Cups of ice Cream
Criteria of
Paper
Plastic
Cups
Cups
Observation
Number
Percentage(%)
Number
Percentage(%)
Total cups
100
100
100
100
Soggy cups
42
42
7
7
De-shaped cups
53
S3
0
0
39
39
4
4
28
28
1
1
Lids slipped
..
Spillage of ice Cream
Among the Brands of ice cream under study, Vadilal and Havmore are the two brands
who have been selling ice cream in Paper Cups in addition to their recent adoption of the
plastic cups. The other Brands such as Kwality Walls, Amul, Sugam and Mother Dairy
use Plastic Cups only since inception knowing the demerits of the paper cups.
2.CONEs: An ice cream cone is an eatable like a biscuit. It is of conical shape and
usually it contains 1OOml of ice cream. It bas a flat paper lid and the cone is wrapped with
paper or thin foil. A cone is also a safe packaging device except that ice cream spills out
and it becomes soggy, if it is exposed to high temperature and handled roughly. All the
major brands, Kwality Walls,
Amu~
and Vadilal market cones in the indian market.
There was no significant difference among the cone packs of these brands excepting the
stze.
3.SMALL CARD BOARD PACKS: The small card board packs are used for packaging
of 500ml (called as fumily pack) and 1OOOml (called as party pack) bars of ice cream.
Further smaller cardboard cartons are used for packaging of choco-bars or ice cream
dollies. The cardboard packs are made of outer laminated or non-laminated wax paper.
All the major brands have such card board packs. While, Kwality Walls, Vadilal, and
Havmore are using non-laminated wax paper boards for packaging, Amul, Sugam and
53
Mother Dairy are using laminated wax paper boards. It was obse-~"Ved that the
lamina~ed
paper pack was much sturdier than the non-laminated packs.
Similar to the study on Cups, an observation was made on 100 packs of non-laminated
paper boards with 100 packs oflaminated paper boards randomly taken from the 10 retail
outlets selected at random in Ahmedabad. The comparative observation is given below:
Table: 15
COMPARATIVE OBSERVATION ON LAMINATED VS. NON-LAMINATED PAPER
PACKS.
Observation
Laminated
..
Number of Packs
Paper Packs
Non-Laminated
Paper Packs
Percentage(%)
Ntimber nf Packs
Perci...>ntage (%)
Total Packs
100
100
100
100
Found Soggy
2
2
31
31
Spillage on Packs
1
1
16
16
De-shaped & weak
0
0
13
13
In fact, it was observed at all the retail outlets that the non- laminated paper packs used to
be very soggy and looking dirty. The Laminated Paper packs of Amul used to be clean
and had very limited spillage. While the cups, are packed in secondary cardboard cartons,
these Paper packs are used as stand alone packs. Therefore, Laminated \\"3X paper pack is
most suitable for this purpose.
4.BULK CARD BOARD PACKS:
In ice cream business parlance, a pack size is considered to be a bulk pack which is 4
litres of ice cream. Like 500ml or 1000 ml packs (Family Packs or Party Packs), the bulk
pack is packed in a rectangular laminated/non-laminated cardboard box (except Bakin
Robin who uses a round pack). Amul uses a laminated wax paper carton for bulk pack,
where as others use non-laminated wax-paper cartons. It was observed that Baskin
Robbin uses the best cardboard box for its bulk pack. Its bulk pack has a cylindrical non
laminated and strong cardboard box without the chances of leakage or spillage. In case of
all Indiana companies under study, it has been observed that there is lot of spillage of ice
54
cream from the bulk pack since it is packed with just the card board box as primary
packaging without a secondary package. This observation is supported by the data
presented in the table-I6 here below by examination of I 00 Bulk Packs of all Indian
brands under consideration at the 10 randomly selected retail outlets at Ahmedabad.
Table: I6 EXAMINATION OF BULK CARD BOARD PACKS FOR STRENGTII
Number of Bulk Packs Examined
100
Number of Bulk Packs had spillage and sogginess
62
Percentage ofPa1..ks had spillage and sogginess(%)
62
The 62% sogginess or spillage is a very severe damage and deficiency from the
distribution point of view. However, contrary to this fact, when we examined 20 Bulk
Packs of Baskin Robin ( I 0 from their out let in Ahmedabad and I 0 packs from their
outlet in Bombay) there was nil spillage and damage ofthese packs.
The bulk Packs are used for Scooping( serVing in scoops) ice cream in a party, in a ice
cream parlour and in any hotel or restaurant. Therefore, the spillage and sogginess have
been tolerated by the customers. However it would be prudent to improve the packaging
of the bulk packs for the long term interest of the business and the learning can be made
from the packaging of Baskin Robin.
5.PLASTIC TUBS: Plastic Tubs are a new innovation for packaging of ice cream. In
India, Amul ice cream has started selling its Utsav variety of ice cream in plastic tubs of
750 ml or I litre. In this pack, the product is absolutely safe and the chances of spillage or
the pack getting damaged in course of handling is ruled out. Amul campaj.ns it as a
reusable tub for other household usage and it has been well accepted by the consumers.
The plastic tub is the most costly packaging material, however, it is a safe pack and the
product remains in the hygienic and good condition all through the distribution chain.
55
During this study it has come to our notice that the B::;·eau oflndian Standards( BIS) has
standards of specification for waxed cartons for packaging icc creams. The extracts from
these standards are reproduced here after.
Indian Standard Specification for Waxed Cartons for Packaging of Ice Cream
( IS:7162-1973)
It ~ a fact that waxed paper cartons are largely used for packaging of ice creams in India.
The Bureau oflndian Standards(BIS), in its Standard No. IS: 7162-1973 has defmed the
specification of waxed paper cartons for packaging of ice cream. It is also mandatory that
these specifications are met under Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954. The
relevant p<-rtions of the standard specification are mentioned here below:
Paper Board:
The paper board used for the cartons shall be a food quality material of solid white or
duplex type made from virgin chemical wood pulp and shall conform to IS: 1776-1961. It
shall be capable ofbeing waxed.
Thickness: The thickness of the unwaxed board shall be not less than 0.30 mm plus or
minus 0.02 mm, when measured in accordance with 7 of IS: I 060 ( Part I)- I 966.
Wax Content: The minimum wax content ofthe waxed board shall be 5.0 g/ square meter
on each side. The total wax content of the board shall be 10.0 gl square meter, when
determined by the method given in Appendix A.
Stiffness: The stiffness of the waxed board shall be not less than I I 0 g.cm in machine
direction and 40 g.cm in cross direction, when determined by the method prescribed in
Appendix B.
'Ink
The ink used for printing the cartons shall be commercially free from toxic metals such as
lead and chromium. It shall be suitable for food packaging and shall be fast to light and
56
wax. It shall not have any residual odour, when tested, after waxing, as prescribed in 7 of
IS: 4006( part-II) -1972. In order to prevent ink set ofT, a coating of an edible starch may
be applied to the surface of the printed board by spraying.
Coating· Materials
Wax: The wax for coating the board shall be extra refmed paraffm wax conforming to
Typel ofiS: 4654-1968 with melting point not lower than 60 degree C.
Varnish nad Lacquer: The material used shall have no toxic eiTcct.
Adhesive
The adhesive used to form and seal the carton shall with stand a temperature of -35
degree C and shall be non-toxic.
Odour and Taint
The composition of the board, ink, coating materials and adhesive shall be such as not to
have any deleterious effect on the flavour, odour and appearance of the product packed.
Toxicity
The composition ofthe board, ink, coating materials and adhesive shall be such as not to
introduce into the product packed any substance which is injurious to health or which
might otherwise lead to infringement of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954
and the regulations made thereunder.
Dimensions:
The recommended inside dimensions of the cartons are as follows:
!}imcnsion
300m! Carton
500ml Carton
1000 ml Carton
Length in mm
113
153
152
Width in mm
75
97
97
Height inmm
38
38
76
A tolerance of plus or mmus 1.0 mm shall apply to the above dimensions.
Yl
Deep-Freezing
The waxed board carton shall withstand deep-freeze conditions (-35degreeC) for a period
of30 day~.
Pre- Folding
In order to produce suitable forming of the carton, the pre-folding shall be such that the
glue seams are square and glue spots are absent.
HYGIENE OF THE MANUFACTURING SYSTEM
First of all, ice cream is a mass consumed foodstuff. It is extremely perishable and inost
V'Jlnerable to contamination. When a consumer is buying this food item, not only he
considers ihe taste and palatability which motivates him for the purchase, but also he
· assumes that it would be safe for consumption. Hygiene of the manufacturing system
would ultimately reflect on the quality of the final product. A best quality ice cream that
can genera~e business recurrently can not be produced only from quality ingredients; it
requires ;:~. sufficiently hygienic manufacturing system.
In a study, conducted by M/s. S. Ramakrishnan, K.Selvaraj and R.Meenakshi Devi
repored in Indian Dairyman, 38,5,1986 with the title, 'Ice Cream. How Good it is for
your Health, You think', the authors have reported that onlylO% ofthe samples drawn
from various ice creams sold in Coimbatore City were found to confirm to the standards
specified by Bureau of Indian Standards ( IS 2802-1964) with regard to Standard Plate
Counts and 23% of the samples could confirm to the standard with regards to coliforms.
All samples were below the standard limits for Staphylocuccus aureous, a pathogenic
bacteria, indicating high level of contamination. Previously also, in a number of studies
on the Bacteriological quality of Ice Cream conducted on different parts of India, it was
reported about very poor quality of ice creams sold in India.( Krishna et al., 1944; Raj et
a!., 1962, Suryanarayan Raoand Dudani, 1962; Patel and Vyas, 1971; Thatti er a!.,
Bhatia and Rao, 1972; Ajab Singh et al.; 1977; Raja Lakshrni,l983).
1972~
58
Since to a large extent the ice cream is manufactured in Small Scale unorganized sector,
there could be wide scope for compromise on a hygienic manufacturing environment.
During tr.e present study, the author had visited 3 small ice cream manufacturing units at
Rajkot, the largest city in the western Guarat, where there was prima facie compromise in
the hygienic standards in the manufacturing environment.
During the visits to the manufacturing units of the large corporates like Vadilal, Amul
and Havmore where automatic units are installed, apparently there was a satisfactory
hygeinic environment.
In course of its manufacture, packaging and distribution, the ice cream is vulnerable to
microbial contamination from a number of sources which include, the raw materials used
as ingredients, processing and freezing equipment, containers and packaging materials,
and also persons handling ice cream. lee cream being a milk product, is an excellent
culture for growth of the micro- organisms. Many species and strains of micro organisms
which include pathogenic and toxin producing types as well, enter into ice-cream and
some oftrem grow when the product is exposed to the atmospheric temperatures and, as
a result, the product becomes potentially harmful for human consumption. All the
manufacturers were of the opinion that, it is essential to take the following major steps to
make a high quality and contamination free ice cream:
1. All time maintenance of high standards of sanitation at all stages from
production to distribution of ice cream.
2. The ice cream mix consisting of its ingredients should be put to efficient
pasteurization process to kill all the pathogens before freezing.
3. Sufficient precaution has to be taken to prevent second level contamination
·· · during its freezing , packaging , storage of finished goods and its distribution.
·4. All personnel engaged in the manufacturing system at each stage whether it is
production, packaging, storage and despatch should he well aware ofthe
hygiene and must put into practice.
59
The Bureau oflndian Standards, in its standard IS: 5839-1970, defmes the Code for
Hygienic Conditions for Manufacture, Storage and Sale of lee-Creams. Some extracts
form these codes are given below:
General Factory Hygiene:
•
Wherever possible, waste and rubbish shall be collected in covered receptacles and
shall not be allowed to lie about on the floor.
•
Adequate measure shall be taken to prevent mould growth on equipment and internal
structures of processing and storage rooms. Adequate steps shall he taken to prevent
infestation of cockroaches and other household pests.
•
When Pesticides are used, care shall be exercised to prevent contamination of
equipment, raw materials and packing materials. Under no circumstances shall
insecticides be used during processing.
•
Floors and drains shall be kept clean. In processing room. Drains shall be provided
with detachable covers.
•
On no account shall the process room be used or converted to a storeroom for raw
materials. Only the items required for processing on a particular day shall be kept in
:',
the process room.
•
No lavatory, sink, cesspool, or garbage shall be so situated or maintained that odours
or fumes therefrom pervade any room where the product or raw materials arc
prepa1ed or stored.
•
Pro:-'er places shall be provided for storage ofhrooms, brushes, and other cleaning
gear.
•
The factory effluents shall be disposed of in a hygienic manner and shall not be let
off on road or adjacent fields.
•
Window glass and light fittings shall he maintained clean and dust free at all times.
•
There shall be no cobwebs in any part of the unit. Birds and domestic animals shall
nol be allowed in any purl oflhc unil.
Employee Hygiene
•
Every person employed in the factory shall be medjcally examined by an authorized
registered medical practitioner and the examination shall include X-ray of the chest
60
for tuberculosis. The examination shall also include: examination of stool for
protomal and helminthic inlcstation for those parasites which arc transmitted by
ingestion, and for the presence of Salmonella, shigella species and Vibrio cholrae;
urine; and blood examination for venereal diseases. Subsequently, the employee shall
be medically examined once a year or more frequently, if necessary, to ensure that he
is meciically fit and free from communicable diseases.
•
It shall be impressed on all employees that they should notify the medical officer or
management, cases of fever, vomiting, diarrhea, typhoid, dysentery, boils, cuts and
sores and ulcers (however small), and notifiable diseases occurring in their own
homes and families.
•
No worker who is suspected to be suffering from any of the disorders listed above
shall be permitted to work inside the ice-cream plant.
•
Employees shall keep their finger nails short and clean and wash their hands with
soap or detergcats before commencing work and after each absence, specially after
using sanitary conveniences. Towels used for drying hands should be clean. No
worker should allow his hands or any part of his body or clothing to come into
contact with the mix or icc cream. He should adopt strict hygienic practices so as to
avoid Hdding any microbial contamination to the material.
•
All employees shall be inoculated and vaccinated against the enteric groups of
diseases once a year and against smallpox once in two years. In case of an epidemic,
all workers shall be inoculated. A record shall be kept.
•
No worker shall be allowed to work without proper clothing.
•
Employees shall be provided with clean uniforms (preferably white) or aprons or both
and clean washable caps, where necessary.
•
The uniforms shall not be worn outside the plant but put on just before starting the
work and changed when leaving.
•
Eating, spitting, nose cleaning or the use of tobacco in any form or chewing betel
leaves shall be prohibited within the manufacturing, packing and storage area of the
unit. Notice to this effect shall be prominently displayed and enforced.
•
Sufficient and suitable sanitary conveniences shall be provided and maintained and
kept clean in every factory. The conveniences shall be properly lighted. Separate
61
conveniences shall be provided for each sex. The conveniences should have selfclosing doors which shall' not open directly into any work room in the factory. The
conveniences shall always be maintained clean and in good repairs.
•
Suff1cient wash basins with adequate provision of soap and towels, latrines and
uri':'-8ls in the prescribed manner should be provided, conveniently situated and
accessible to workers at all times while they are at the factory.
The BIS(Bureau Indian Standards) Standard IS: 5839-1970, also prescribes the hygienic
standards of Site and Premises, Water Supply, Equipment, Containers and Utensils,
Cleaning and Sterilization Equipment and Containers, Ice Cream Ingredients, Preparation
oflce Cream Mix, Pasteurization oflce Cream, Cooling and Aging of Mix, Freezing,
Packaging and Hardening which are most useful for making a quality and hygienic
product( for more details, the standard may be referred to).
During this study it was observed that, while the General Factory, Process, Plant and
Machinery hygiene was satisfactory for the reputed manufacturers like, Amul, Vadilal,
Havmore or Kwality Walls, the employee hygiene is compromised to a significant extent.
In case of small local manufacturers, both the hygiene of manufacturing system and the
personnel is compromised.
None of the brands like Amul,Vadilal, Kwality Walls, Havmore or Mother Dairy ice
~re~:n
have the accreditation of the Bureau of Indian Standards( lSI mark). The
standards specified by the Bureau of Indian Standards has a lot of significance for
conducting the business of ice cream in a sophisticated manner. It is necessary that these
standards are followed by the manufacturers in the long term interest of ice cream
business.
Maintenance of the Finished Product at manufacturing Point
After discussion with the manufacturers, it was observed that the maintenance of the
fmished product at the manufacturing point implies the following critical issues:
62
1. Proper Storage after completion of the production activity.
2. Systematic Arrangement and Management of Finished Goods inventory until it is
despatched from the Factory.
lt was observed that in case of the manufacturers, while they produce a beautiful product,
there is compromise in the above post production phases of activity at the factory itself
for which the marketability ofthe product gets weakened. One observation is that during
summer, when the demand shoots up very high in the market and there is tremendous
pressure on the production, it was found that the ice cream was despatched from the
manufacturing units for the market without proper hardening of the ice cream for
sufficient duration (in order to achieve higher production). Since hardening is an activity
which can be best accomplished at the factory only, if it is undermined, it would affect
the product at the later stages. Because of this rea~on, it was found that a Jot of softening,
melting and spilling was taking place at the trading and retailing points.
Further detailed discussion on storage and management of inventory has been done in the
subsequent chapters of this study.
Conclusive Remarks on pre-Despatch Activity
(Production-Distribution Interface)
1. It is clear from the earlier discussions of this chapter that the management of interface
between production and Distribution is a key-issue on the success ofthe distribution
activity that takes place at the post despatch stage (once the goods are moved from
the production facility).
2. For a perishable product like ice cream which is vulnerable to many environmental
hazards while it is moving in the distribution chain, the precautions and preventive
measures, whether it is hygienic production process, superior production /processing
technology or superior packaging that are taken at the production stage would help
,the product sustain its proper features till it meets the fmal consumer.
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3. The weaknesses or lapses of the production-distribution interface will ultimately
surface at the later parts of the distribution chain in the market and the company has
to pay a bigger price in terms of loss of image, reputation, customers and revenue.
4. As on today, the manufacturing /processing equipment that is the best has to be
imported to India from western countries and it is understandable that the cost of
import is high. However, in order to produce and offer a product that is required by
the today's customer, one has no choice but to go for the best of the equipment for
production und distribution for a perishable product like icc cream. By extension, the
same logic would apply to the other perishable products whether it is milk, fruits,
vegetables or other perishable eatables.
5. As we have examined, there has been prescribed norms for packaging materials,
hygienic standards of production processes and also the hygienic issues related to the
people managing such activities. It does not require extravagant investments to
maintain such hygienic conditions or to follow the specific norms. It is a matter of
maintaining certain discipline in the system which has to be followed and adhered to.
6. It has also been evidenced that under temporary demand pressure, a prematurely
processed product is likely to get moved ahead from the production facility to the
distribution chain. When it is known that such a product may not be able to sustain as
it moves towards the customer, it should not be let go in such a manner.
7. It is significant to note here that for a perishable product, the production-distribution
int~rface has to be managed with proper co·ordination and control so that the
company does not have to fuce the problem of distribution and sales of the product in
the market place.