About Marsdens
A CORNERSTONE OF GAME DIET MANUFACTURE

Many people confuse Quality Control and Quality Assurance when they are used in relation to a manufacturing process. However, they are quite distinct and encompass different approaches. The more traditional idea of quality control limits itself to the concept of ‘finished product’ testing and builds in an acceptance that some of the product is going to be defective and must therefore be screened out. More recently companies have started to use a broader approach such as quality assurance which is designed to ensure that the product is right first time and therefore reduces the need for finished product testing.Marsdens have used the quality assurance approach now for many years, and both they and their customers have seen the many benefits.

Raw Materials
If quality is to be built into any production process it must begin with the detailed selection and evaluation of the raw materials which are to be used.

Being natural substances the major raw materials used in modern diets will inevitably have a certain level of variability. However, there are certain approaches that can be taken to minimise this variability and therefore improve the finished product consistency.

This approach can be illustrated if we consider the selection process used for fishmeal. Fishmeal is a valuable raw material for the production of game bird diets, especially in the starter and early grower stage where a well-balanced supply of amino acids is critical. It must be understood, however, that fishmeal will only provide these benefits if it is of the best quality and is consistent. The material itself is available from a wide selection of sources ranging from South America to Scandinavia and within each area there are many individual production sites. Each process is slightly different and therefore the material produced from each facility will be slightly different.

The consistency of the product can therefore be significantly improved if material is only sourced from production plants producing material of a similar quality.

Other factors which must also be evaluated are: the specification of the product, which will be determined by its freshness, and the efficiency of the production process.

Marsdens adopt this approach with all of the materials used in the range of game bird diets, thus ensuring that raw material quality is always of the highest standard.

Product Manufacture
Variability, both physical and nutritional can also be significantly influenced by the manufacturing process. Quality materials alone will not guarantee a quality diet and it is most important that all aspects of production are carefully controlled.

Accurate weighing of ingredients, careful grinding and efficient press control are all critical control points within the process, and if each is individually monitored, the risk of the product being out of specification is minimised.

Quality systems such as ISO 9002 and the UKASTA Feed Assurance Scheme are designed to ensure that the process is kept under control through regular calibration of equipment and the use of documented procedures. Marsdens have adopted both such schemes and are regularly audited to ensure their continued compliance.

Marsdens pride themselves on producing the best game diets on the market today and by continued utilisation of industry recognised quality assurance systems this will continue into the future.