How Quality Is Assured

Kellogg Canada manufacturing plant personnel is responsible for assuring that the company's quality standards are met. Extensive use of total quality methods, by Kellogg Canada and many of its suppliers, contributes greatly to meeting these high standards.

Raw materials, processing, and packaging operations are continually checked to assure the production of cereal with consistent flavor, texture, purity, and nutrient content.

Many of Kellogg Canada's standards are even more stringent than those required by the government. Kellogg Quality Assurance personnel regularly visit suppliers' plants to assure that proper sanitation procedures are being followed and that the raw materials they supply meet Kellogg Canada's rigid specifications.

Quality Control Tests

Before raw materials are unloaded into storage silos or warehouses, they are carefully checked, making sure they are within specifications. Samples are collected at several steps through the production process and are evaluated. Quality control tests do not stop once cereals are in the package and on supermarket shelves. Packages are periodically collected from stores throughout the world and sent back to Kellogg Quality Assurance for thorough analyses.

Quality departments in each plant calculate the quality of products and implement the quality policies. The quality groups also serve in a problem-solving role.

The Quality Division in Battle Creek performs several functions. In an auditing function, it helps ensure that all plants use the best technology available and produce uniformly standard products. The group also assists in analytical and technical problem solving by drawing from the collective expertise of the many Kellogg manufacturing locations. The department establishes the quality practices that are carried out by the manufacturing facilities.

Packaging and Labeling

Every product package is designed to help maintain nutrient levels, freshness, and flavor; protect our products during handling, shipping and storage; identify the product; and provide important consumer information. Packages are made from various materials that are selected after extensive testing. Moisture and/or air permeability, the effect of aging and various storage conditions on product protection, and consumer acceptability are key factors in selecting packaging materials.

Ready-to-eat cereals are packaged in several sizes to meet the preferences of different families. Packages are sold by net weight of the food contents. The nature of finished cereal products (flakes, puffs, shreds, granules, biscuits, and flakes plus fruit) can cause them to vary greatly in volume and weight. Therefore, the same package size can have two different weights.

It is always Kellogg Canada's objective to provide the consumer with full packages. However, because products are packaged on automated equipment, space is needed at the top of the package for proper sealing of the inner liner. If the inner liner is sealed imperfectly, moisture may penetrate the food and product freshness may decrease. Some settling of the product in the package may also occur due to handling in transit.

Numerous techniques are used at Kellogg Canada to continually assess the reliability of its quality systems. Since Kellogg Canada feels strongly that quality must be an essential part of its products, each employee has a responsibility for maintaining quality.