A survey of control system validation practices in the food industry

Over the last decade, there has been a significant increase in use of digit al control systems in the food manufacturing industry. The additional tasks with which digital controllers are burdened make their function much more complex than the electro-pneumatic-mechanical systems they replace. Potenti al control system failures can affect operator and process safety. Proper c ontrol system validation measures can prevent such potentially tragic failu res. To our knowledge, there does not exist any published information regar ding the validation practices within the food manufacturing industry. A nat ionwide scientific survey of US food manufacturers was conducted to determi ne such information. This survey also included system integrators and equip ment suppliers that sell goods and services to the US food manufacturers. I t has been determined that the majority of food manufacturers delegate the responsibility for control system validation to a third-party, such as equi pment supplier, system integrator or a consulting firm, with little underst anding of the validation process and its importance. Only a few food manufa cturing companies utilize validation resources available from equipment sup pliers and system integrators. Equipment suppliers and system integrators s hould combine their efforts to provide the food industry with formal and co mprehensive training and maintenance programs for the equipment as well as the system that controls it. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights rese rved.