Estudante

QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN THE SMALL FOOD INDUSTRY
Silvana Maria Rocha Brenha Ribeiro
Centro Estadual de Educação Tecnológica Paula Souza, Coordenadoria do Ensino Técnico, Praça Cel Fernando Prestes, 74, Luz, São Paulo, CEP 01124-060, Tel 55 11 - 33273064, [e-mail] / [e-mail]

Flávia Maria Netto
Universidade Estadual de Campinas - UNICAMP - Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos,Departamento de Planejamento Alimentar e Nutrição, Caixa Postal 6121, CEP 13083-970, Campinas , SP, Brasil, 55 19- 37884080 [e-mail]

Abstract This paper provides step-by-step directions to set and run a quality management system fitted to small food manufacture companies fully in compliance with the most updated Good Manufacturing Practices -GMP- demanded by Brazilian legal regulations. A bakery was the organization studied due to the importance those companies represent either economically, socially or culturally in Brazil. The chosen method was the case study and the search work lasted one year. In the mean time the quality management system was set based on the PDCA cycle technique. The most useful tools to have the system set in were the benchmarking, the 5S's and the GMP system. Among the improvements achieved one could mention: to fully fit the facilities to the legal regulations currently in place, to get every working place highly organized, to have set standard operational procedures for all manufacture activities and to have GMP set in. As the most significant outcome the bakery has got an increase of 139% in its customers. The chosen approach showed efficient and outstanding results were reached, even in the short term. Further, due to the process itself, we conclude that approach may be extended to other food business with similar operational characteristics.

Key words: small foods manufacture industry, total quality management, good manufacturing practices.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN THE SMALL FOOD INDUSTRY

GERENCIAMENTO