Discussion

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This week's class reading on control charts was very really interesting, specifically the concept of "controlling" the seemingly inevitable human variation that exists with operations and manufacturing. I'm personally a big organic food and beverage person and thought about how the production of these products utilize control charts. Interestingly, the manufacturing method of hydraulic pressing, or cold-pressed came to mind. The cold-pressing method is an advanced manufacturing method where hydraulic air pressure is compressively applied to fruits and vegetables, generating more nutritionally dense purees, juices, and oils while concurrently killing harmful bacteria. Cold-processing fruits and vegetables considerably reduces a good's shelf life to as low as five days; however, the method is preferred over pasteurization by many produce enthusiasts because it allows fruits and vegetable to retain the maximal amount of retainable nutritional value which include "vitamins, minerals, and trace [elements]" (Journey Juice, 2017).

Most cold-pressed methods require steam pressure over seven tons to extract juice and retain the nutritional content from their produce (Spiegel, 2014). In California, many 12-ounce cold-pressed juices can cost as much as $12 (Hallock, 2015). An even more advanced form of the cold-pressed method called high pressure processing (HPP) can apply up to 87,000 tons of pressure per square inch! This level of hydraulic pressure is high enough to not only retain the nutritional value of a produce but this level of pressure kills common bacteria such as "salmonella, E.coli, and listeria" while preserving all of the meat item's "nutritional integrity" (How HPP Works, 2017). Of course, as both the cold-pressed and HPP method offer many benefits to customers, food pressurization technology increases the overall price and delivery to market god cost for customers.

Many small manufacturers use the cold-pressed juice method in their raw juice manufacturing process to differentiate themselves in the crowded natural juice market. Below is a chart of nutritional data on juice developed by the company Journey Juice, a boutique craft juice manufacturer based in Athens, GA. The graph compares the company's juice extraction method with that of common-used brand-name consumer juicers. In addition to producing more overall juice extract, Journey Juice's cold-pressed method contains the highest concentration of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, and sodium. Along with not using preservatives or man-made additives like canola oil, GMO bi-products, or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), Journey Juice must have strict manufacturing process controls in place to avoid add additional USDA and FDA scrutiny. As long as the cold-pressed juicing produce stays with the specified means and variation, Journey Juice remains compliant with these federal agencies.

However, Journey Juice will potentially have a catastrophic production and public relations problem when there is internal imbalance with its control charts. Federal intervention occurs by the aforementioned agencies when the cold-pressed process temperatures were high enough to extra nutritional value, yet, failed to reach the appropriate temperatures to kill harmful bacteria. The temperature threshold step is critical as cold-pressed goods already are both more prone to high bacterial growth given its already reduced shelf life and are exempt from the pasteurization process. These agencies will halt the sale and production of Journey Juice products, forcing the company to cease production, reducing the risk of other consumers from becoming sick. Some customers with already compromised immune systems could even die from injecting or contacting these products, opening the company up to civil litigation. Given that the product is safe to sell and no bacterial infection issues exist though, many customers will become concerned when no additional nutritional value is discernable between significantly cheaper product and those produced by an improperly executed cold-pressed method. From a marketing perspective, Journey Juice lacks a justifiable product differentiation besides its cost which most consumers and consumer watchdog groups will deem unwarranted. For Journey Juice, this proposition ultimately could lead to a loss of sales and no longer prove to be a market differentiation as a niche brand within the health juice market. Journey Juice must maintain a resilient balance in its' cold-press production method to satisfy both the governing authorities, consumer advocate groups, and most importantly be mindful of the holistic care of its customers.