Traceability and Regulatory Compliance: The Sanitary Shield of Falco Latino Equipment

Traceability and Regulatory Compliance

In the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries, product quality cannot be separated from the condition of the tank in which it is processed. Mistakes are costly. A poorly designed tank can compromise production and even fail a COFEPRIS or FDA inspection, potentially bringing your operations to a complete stop.

At Falco Latino, we know that compliance with standards is not a boring bureaucratic process; it is the shield that protects the health of your consumers and the prestige of your brand. That is why the sanitary care of your next equipment starts from the selection of the metal in the warehouse, long before turning on the cutters.

1. The MTR Certificate: The Birth Certificate of Stainless Steel

To pass any food-grade or pharmaceutical-grade audit, you must be able to prove with documentation that your containers will not transfer foreign particles into the formulation. Every piece of equipment that leaves our workshop includes full traceability through the MTR (Mill Test Report).

This document is the certificate of authenticity of the steel and certifies:

• Actual Chemical Composition: We verify the exact percentages of Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni), and Molybdenum (Mo) as required by ASTM A240.
• Heat Number: A code laser-marked on the steel plates that allows us to trace the material directly back to the furnace where it was melted.
• Mechanical Properties: Physical tensile strength tests to ensure the tank will not deform when operating under pressure or vacuum.

2. Hygienic Design and Surface Finishes (Rₐ) 

For sanitary inspectors, a rough surface is an open invitation for bacteria to grow and for biofilms to develop that are impossible to remove with normal cleaning. In our Engineering division, we apply EHEDG standards to eliminate every possible hiding place for microorganisms.

How do we achieve this in each of our Products?

• Mirror Finish Roughness: We subject the steel to deep mechanical polishing and electropolishing, achieving an average surface roughness (Rₐ) of less than 0.5 μm. Under a microscope, the metal looks as smooth as an ice rink.
• Zero Dead Zones: We redesign valve necks and piping connections to eliminate corners or smalldead legswhere fluid can remain trapped and spoil.
• Smooth Radii: We eliminate right angles inside the tank. All joints feature a minimum radius of 6 mm (1/4"), allowing the cleaning jets from your CIP systems to wash every surface in a single pass.

3. International Standards in Our Processes

El ADN de Falco Latino está calibrado para responder a los requerimientos de las diferentes Industries de consumo humano:

4. Validation and Technical Support

We fully understand the pressure that comes with an upcoming audit. So you do not have to worry, in About Us you will find an experienced partner. We provide you with a complete package of technical documentation that will serve as the foundation for your IQ/OQ (Installation Qualification and Operational Qualification) validation protocols.

In addition, our Services include liquid penetrant testing and high-definition borescope inspections to verify that the internal welds are flawless. If you would like practical advice on how to passivate your equipment to protect it from cleaning acids, visit our Blog.

Protection That Safeguards Your Brand

Having to recall a product batch from the market due to cross-contamination is an economic nightmare that can bring down any company. Purchasing a sanitary-grade stainless steel tank from Falco Latino is not a mandatory expense; it is your brand's insurance policy.

Do you have an upcoming audit or are you planning to certify your production line?

• Schedule a regulatory compliance consultation here. Tell us what product you manufacture, and our engineers will design equipment with the exact sanitary protection your operation will be required to meet.