New Telegraph

Food security: MAN tasks processing firms on raw material measurement

Manufacturers Association of Nigeria MAN

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has urged stakeholders in the manufacturing sector to align with accurate weighing and metering in content measurements of raw materials during production in a bid to prevent huge losses during production. The Director-General of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Segun Ajayi- Kadir, in MAN’s in-house bulletin made available to New Telegraph, said that most raw materials were relatively cheap, but operations such as weighing, metering should be sufficiently accurate during production. According to him, imagine one per cent loss or reduction in process line of most food processing plants is worth billion of naira.

Hence, provision of accurate reliable meter and weighing equipment would reduce loss of materials and manning levels. He explained that in food processing business, material balance concept was very key to profitability. Ajayi-Kadir said in the bulletin that “processed control microprocessors and computers are now readily available that can potentially eliminate manual functions and can reduce and change character of operations. “It is possible for for a single microprocessor to control the entire production operation identifying problems, and undertake corrective action.

This could allow substantial manning reduction which could translate into quantum of savings. “However, there are a number of in- line analysis that due to current lack of availability and confidence in equipment still allow manning. eg, dissolved oxygen, original and present gravity, turbidity, haze etc.

“Though the equipment are available but cost of installation could be high.” Speaking on the product quality assurance, the MAN director-general revealed that “achievement of satisfactory product quality is dependent on control of the process during it’s production and thereby on the measurements taken during the production. “There is little doubt that improvement in accuracy and reliability of these various parameters measurements would reduce the quality of out- of- speciation product for reprocessing. “Saving one per cent of in- line analysis of the product quality would save large amount of money.”

The industrialist, however, concluded that improved inline analysis could lead to worthwhile savings because microprocessor could be fully used for process control so reducing manning levels; Aavings could be achieved in products losses and in material usage; quality assurance would be more easily achieved leading to less reprocessing and fewer returns and improvement would lead to a more consistent and highly controlled product that can benefit the industry in general. Apparently, foreign exchange crisis has hit Nigerian manufacturing sector badly, causing many firms to cut down on imported raw materials.

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