Quality Assurance is Key at Ralco Nutrition

At Ralco Nutrition, quality assurance is the cornerstone of our success and, ultimately, the key to customer profitability.
During good or bad economic times the standards and principles that Ralco Nutrition practice do not change. Ralco Nutrition has a quality assurance program based on verification and traceability that never deviates from the highest standards. From the origin of every ingredient to the delivery of a finished product, Ralco Nutrition is committed to providing information when it is most needed. Ralco Nutrition has provided the highest quality livestock nutrition products for nearly four decades, while also providing an increasingly valuable commodity — peace of mind.
The regulation of feed manufacturers has increased considerably during the past decade. Ralco Nutrition has continually implemented quality assurance standards in anticipation of new regulations, ensuring that the company stays ahead of the curve.
“We are being held closer to the same standard — and sometimes even higher — than the human food side,” said Doug Wing, vice president of operations at Ralco Nutrition.
The Quality Assurance Team at Ralco Nutrition headed by industry veteran Tom Caron anticipates regulation years in advance. As quality control manager, Caron heads up an experienced crew dedicated to product safety and production efficiency, including Gary Loeck, a quality control technician, and Dr. Richard Lamb, a chemical engineer. Caron himself has 27 years of experience in the food industry, 20 of them in quality control.
At Ralco Nutrition, quality assurance is a company-wide mission. From ingredient purchasers through the production processors to the delivery truck, everyone plays an important role ensuring quality and customer satisfaction.
“Everyone at Ralco recognizes the importance of their job. They recognize the need for a strong quality control program and are always offering ideas on how to improve the quality of our products,” Caron said. “Everyone involved in the production process is a huge part of the equation and our success.”

What Ralco Nutrition Does for You
• Receives a certificate of analysis for each shipment from all ingredient suppliers.
• Works with many of the same ingredient suppliers for years, establishing strong trade relationships.
• Each batch of product is sampled, inspected throughout the production process, and a retention sample is kept.
• Each product has been scientifically analyzed to ensure a reliable shelf life.
• Uses Feed Mill Manager (FMM), a computerized system that provides processes for the entire feed-order cycle. FMM integrates order processing, formulation control, manufacturing and accounting all in one software system. FMM provides one-time order of ingredients and finished product.
• Uses Sterling Systems and Controls. The state-of-the-art batch system reduces cost, greatly lowers the opportunity for human error and provides electronic transfer of formulations during the milling process.
“One of the major advantages is our ability to conduct lot tracking,” said Josh Chandler, production planner for Ralco Nutrition. “We have better lot tracking capability because the process is all electronic now. This system provides the ability for formulations to go directly from the nutritionist’s head to the finished product and it is all electronic.”
“We are one of the first (nutrition companies) to get this detailed of a system into our production facility. Most manufacturers don’t have the lot tracking capabilities or scanning capabilities,” Chandler said.

The Goal
“We know that we have the best nutritionists, sales staff and distributors in the industry and we want to provide them with the best products to sell,” Doug Wing said.
Ralco Nutrition has quality assurance procedures in place that exceed industry standards, and is currently in the process of having those efforts recognized. Ralco Nutrition manufacturing plants will soon be Safe Feed Safe Food and HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) certified.
Ultimately, computers and certifications cannot guarantee quality. People who care will always produce superior products. Ralco Nutrition and its employees care about quality and the profitability of their customers.
“Our people are our greatest asset,” Wing said.