When developing a quality control program, bottlers must evaluate many facets of their operation including sources, transportation, supplies, ingredients, equipment, maintenance, product and distribution. The three major areas to focus on for in-house quality control testing are process, packaging and product.
In-house testing for quality control purposes is a critical part of a bottled water business. The data accumulated is an invaluable tool for detecting problems in the process, heading off potential problems and troubleshooting product quality complaints. When a customer complaint comes in, this data can be the first line of defense. Accurate, organized and detailed records of daily testing and process quality checks give the bottler a path to follow in either ruling out a problem in the process, or pinpointing where a product quality problem may have originated. Then any necessary corrective action procedures can be developed and implemented.
