Quick question for large scale production (minimum runs of 20,000 pcs/2,000 units)
Is any one having a “waste/loss” issue? We all have waste…from the bowls, containers, depositors, spatulas, etc. but what are some ways you’re mitigating waste or tracking it? I’m running about a 10% waste/loss of materials (chocolates, gummies) during production runs?
If using a state mandated tracking system like BioTrack, how are you accounting for the projected yield vs the final yield? For example:
Projected Yield: 500 units of chocolate pieces at 4.5g (10mgTHC/each)
Used Materials
22,500 grams of chocolate
6.41 grams crude
6.41 coconut oil
Final Yield:
460 units (400 piece/40 units short)
Depending on your cost this could be significant $$$$ on large production runs!
In any “normal” setting this wouldn’t be an issue, kitchen and restaurants waste and loss is part of business. However, in this industry where concentrate are so expense and all THC materials must be track it’s a huge issue.
10% seems like a lot to be losing every run. You have a depositor but are feeding it by hand via bowls and spatulas? Do you have jacketed holding tanks to discharge from? Jacketed hose? If you can keep your gummies at temp you should be able to recover better than 90% of your run, assuming it’s plumbed right.
I have an universal depositor that holds 1.5 liters manual lever. Everything get is melted, dosed, and homogenized in one large container; from there the materials are poured into the 1.5 liter depositor tank.
Where is the material held that isn’t in the depositor? Is the depositor jacketed / heated? Trying to wrap my head around your set up.
In that 22.5kg run of chocolate, you are losing a full 2kg? Do you have pictures of what it looks like after your run? I could see if you were losing a bit in your hoses / pipes (that can be mitigated also) but I don’t see how you lose 2kg on spatulas and in bowls.
Our acceptable transfer loss for production is 1% and generally we stay well under this. With that said, generally as batches get larger, equipment gets better and transfer/production losses get smaller.
Tare that pan and weigh it’s contents before you start feeding it into the depositor, make sure you are actually starting with what you think you are. Weigh all ingredients prior to combining and bringing up to temperature and then weigh them after.
Did you pilot this formula small scale prior to extrapolating into larger batches? Is it possible you were measuring an ingredient by volume prior to scaling up and not by weight?
