Executive summary
The Mars Company (M&M) presently produces M&Ms candies initially produced in 1940. This paper discusses the Mars Company with special consideration to process and quality control of chocolate candies in a bid to discover the formula that the company applies in the distribution of the different colors and flavor in the candies.
In this endeavor, it is clear that Mars Company is capable of selling its product throughout the year and the candies could be consumed in any weather. The formula used by the company is the introduction of different types of M&Ms that come in hand with the slogan in addition to the charming letters M&M that lead to their television appeal.
Another formula is caring for its clients, as it was the case during the alarms in 1976 pertaining to the red dye inducing cancers. In this case, the company dropped the red coloring as a way of caring for its consumers and ensuring consumer satisfaction.
A different formula used is allowing customers to have a say in the products of the company, as it is evident in color voting like the one done in 2002 where the company used the color selected by the majority of the customers as coloring for its candies. This aspect is important as it guarantees the success of a company. Finally, I found out that through technology and collective efforts, the process and quality control of products are run smoothly and result in the advancement of the company.
Abstract
Mars and Murrie are the co-founders of the Mars Company in New Jersey. The starting of this company was in a bid to sell chocolates throughout the year, mostly at the period of summer when business transactions usually reduced. M&Ms are actually a choice of many Americans and are in a way backed by their 1954 slogan, viz. “Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.”
Numerous technology and techniques are involved in the processing and quality control of candy. Moreover, quality assurance is carried out in a number of steps to ensure that the company upholds the quality of its products.
Introduction
The Mars Company, popularly known as M&M, presently produces M&Ms, which are candies that were initially produced in 1940. Mars and Murrie founded the Mars Company in New Jersey in a bid to sell chocolates throughout the year, particularly during the summer stretch when business transactions habitually reduced. The two letters “M” and “M” come from the first letter of their last names.
At that time, there was no accessibility to air conditioning; therefore, traders lacked an effective manner of storing chocolate to prevent it from melting, thus consumers never purchased it. Through the storage of chocolate in candy shells that prevented its melting, Mars Company was in a position to sell its product throughout the year and thus the candies could be consumed in whichever weather (Kawash, 2010).
The candies from Mars Company were adopted as a section of service allotments at the course of the Second World War. A number of sources affirm that candies from Mars Company were initially produced around 1930 anchored on a proposal from soldiers from Spain. These soldiers prevented chocolate candies from melting by applying a sugary coating (Lindell, 2012a).
The Mars Company obtained this coating to generate its mainly well-liked product. Irrespective of the color of M&Ms, the flavor stays the same. The letters “M” are printed on the candies by the use of a specifically devised machine that tackles the delicate practice without cracking the thin sugary coating. This paper discusses candies in detail with an emphasis on process and quality control.
America’s Preferred Candies
The candies by Mars Company (M&Ms) are actually a choice of many Americans and are in a way backed by their 1954 slogan: “Melts in your mouth, not in your hands”. This slogan remains true even after about eighty years since Forrest Mars learned the coating from chocolates being consumed by soldiers in a Spanish civil war.
The initial manufacture created five colors that included violet and yellow and the candies were traded in cardboard pipes. At the beginning of the Second World War, M&Ms were entirely sold to the army (Trapalis, 2012).
The new market opportunity resulted in an augment in production and necessitated a more sizeable factory. The 1950s decade witnessed an increased production in Mars Company at the period that Midwest Research Institute in Might (MRIM) started a progression that enabled the coating of 3,300 pounds from chocolate centers each hour.
Early 1954, there was the initiation of Peanut M&Ms that came in handy with the slogan in addition to the adorable letters M&M that resulted in their television appeal. Nevertheless, the Peanut M&Ms took up yellow, green, and red coloring. At around 1960s, Mars was maneuvering the cores of M&Ms by demanding Almonds until 1992 when Almond became a standard section of the production of M&Ms.
Following the alarms in 1976 concerning the red dye inducing cancers, the company dropped the red coloring and its place was taken by orange coloring in a bid to care for its consumers and ensure consumer satisfaction (Pitches, 2011).
The period around 1980 saw massive jubilation as Mars Company internationalized. M&Ms containing Peanut Butter started selling at around 1991. In 1998, Mars Company went back into using the tubes after the initiation of the M&Ms Minis. In the following year, M&Ms turned out to the candy of the fresh millennium (Go Back in Time with Nostalgic Candy, 2013). Crispy M&M were ushered in and they generated the highest profit ever.
After a color vote that was conducted in 2002, purple was the most preferred color and was brought up as the restricted time color. In a bid to permit clients the likelihood to print on M&Ms, the company introduced MyMMs.com, and to create awareness for MyMMs.com, the company established a statue for its campaigns (Riell, 2012). During this period, Pretzel M&Ms came into being and the packaging designs were modified to demonstrate M&Ms with respect to the wrapping.
Processing Technology and Techniques
The manufacturing expertise and manufacturing practices of Candy are truly enthralling. This sector has risen from hand processes (that currently exists on a small level) to completely mechanized manufacturing lines. Candies denote delicate, but flavorsome delicacies that are cherished by many. It occurs in numerous different flavors that encompass milk chocolate, peppermint, and butterscotch just to mention a few (Lindell, 2012b).
Additionally, candy assumes different consistencies like chewing gum and soft and hard candies. Its consumers rarely deliberate on how it is made, for the reason behind every bar has a uniform taste, ability to maintain it at a sensible cost, and the way such great quantities could be produced with such evenness.
There exist different fascinating technologies entailed in the manufacture of candy (Keller, 2012). There are also numerous kinds of equipment for the production of candy. In the manufacturing process, there are machines for particular processes in addition to fully incorporated processing units.
The manufacturing equipment for candy must be permitted and endorsed by the Food and Drug Administration. The technology existing in a number of contemporary machinery for candy production is charming (Riell, 2013). The aforementioned machinery is exceedingly computerized and possesses an operator’s pleasant touch displays. Production paraphernalia incorporated advanced detectors and programmable control devices.
A case in point
An excellent case in point illustrating the function of candy processing equipment is the making of hard candy. The appliances engaged in the manufacture of hard candy consist of vats and rollers just to mention a few. The production of butterscotch illustrates this technique further. Butterscotch is prepared in vats called vacuum cookers.
The initial raw materials for the production of butterscotch include flavoring and sugar, which are blended in the vacuum cooker until a supple mass of butterscotch is obtained for extra processing (Portillo et al., 2008). The phase that follows involves placing a bunch of candy in a sequence of water chilled plows and then placing them in kneading devices.
When passing through elongated furrows, butterscotch is pulled. The plows and kneading devices then take the candy forwards through stretching it. This creates a vast and unbroken thread of candy. During this phase, the mixture is extremely big in diameter and has an indistinct shapeless form.
In a bid to form the required diameter and uniformity of candy, additional processing is needed. The combination is afterward stretched along with the utilization of rollers. This stage presents the ultimate diameter shaping process and takes candy nearer to the final design for the consumer (Ramachandran et al., 2011).
The next stage entails cutting the elongated strings of candy into lesser butterscotch strips. These strips are afterward taken to a conveyor after being sorted out, and as a final point, they are taken to a wrapping machine. The candy is then wrapped in suitable containers and is at this point set to take to the clients.
Processing techniques
Candy blending and Cooking
Vats are utilized in the process of candy blending and cooking. Vats are classic kinds of equipment that are often incorporated with blenders and cookers. The aforementioned forms of machinery are frequently utilized in the production of hard candy as well as chocolate candy.
The machinery involved has different pace fomenters, gas burners, hydraulic lifts, heat managers and inlining functions. Vats are frequently insulated and devised with the use of froth fitted aluminum with no rivet joints (Whitmore, 2013). Therefore, Vats represent the initial machinery employed in many candy-processing practices.
Aeration
Aired chocolates are products where airing expertise is employed. Every one of these applications can apply a particularly devised mixing head. Machinery, in addition, supports in the ideal hotness management in the course of airing.
Molding
Some of the desired methods of molding candy consist of:
- Polycarbonate injection molds.
- Silicone rubber molds.
- Thermoformed spinning molds.
The above kinds of molds are frequently utilized in the production of chocolate candies (Parker, 2004).
Stamping
This process is carried out with the aid of colors that slice the candies to the desired form from a block. An excellent instance is the processing of chocolate.
Drawing
This process is the same as the pulling of plastic or metal, which entails pulling of candy through a sequence of dye decreasing its size or shaping its outer limits to the desired form. The dyes could be heat-managed to assist in the processing (Kumari et al., 2012).
Cool
Chilled water is generally utilized to cool the machinery holding the candies being made to keep them cool all through the progression. For instance, the cooling of dyes that are being shaped and drawn represents a good case of the cooling process.
Coat
This process entails the utilization of enrober machinery. In this case, the sweet thin coats present on candies are typically applied with the utilization of enrober machinery. A number of the machinery in use are very complicated and at times very huge. These machinery are made of stainless steel and are capable of operating throughout (Sahoo & Garg, 2012).
Decorator
As the name suggests, these apparatus are utilized in the beautification of candies. This process is carried out through the application of chocolate or sugar. Decorations vary from thin to thick curves and loops just to mention a few. Most decorators are custom devised to correspond with pace and dimensions of enrobers and conveyors.
Packaging and wrapping
Packaging machinery is the other class of processing paraphernalia. With the aid of consultancy provided, the clients are capable of obtaining desired designs and packaging for their candies when necessary. Some of the machines used in packaging and wrapping include sealers and packaging machines that can be used for cartooning and tray sealing just to mention a few (M & M® Candy, 2013).
Incorporated Candy Processing Solutions
These denote processing equipment for candies that are often computerized to yield a fully automated candy processing progression. They are generally set with conveyors and can be fully encircled occasionally. The machines are customized according to the desired products.
Bar making presents an excellent example of merchandise that allows an incorporated candy processing solution; for instance, production of jelly, cream, and caramel to permit snacks and other bar products with the incorporation of bar line technique encompassing a slab former, slitters, and cutters (B.W. Clifford Inc., 2013).
Quality Control
Expertise is not just significant in the processing of candy, as it is as well significant in quality control. Techniques like the high pace checking and metal detection are some of the instances where technology comes into play to guarantee excellent quality of candy (Park, 2011).
Following the blend of single dye consignments of candies, the portions must be sieved to eradicate any malformed portion. When candy is lacking a stamped “M”, it is not regarded as a waste. Due to the insignificant dissimilarities in structure, it is unachievable to have a reassurance of “M” flawlessly placed on every portion of candy.
Quality Guarantee Process
In a bid to execute quality for a company, there is the requirement of identifying the stages of the quality guarantee process. Some of the major stages of this progression area outlined below.
- Firstly, the project manager must select a group of individuals devoted to quality control. The selected group is accountable for reviewing and accounting on the assessment concerning each section of the business (Total Quality Assurance Services, 2013). This group informs the managers and files all the outcomes securely.
- After the formation of the group, its major accountability will be to describe the operations and allocate them to responsible individuals. A number of these operations encompass evaluating the product, devices, services in accordance with the obligations, principles and directives, auditing, proposing certain techniques for application in the project, and reporting the results of the assessment just to mention a few.
- The quality control group afterward describes the intentions of the quality guarantee process. Depending on the kind of business the specifics of the intention could change. Nevertheless, the foundation of the intention stays general for the majority of enterprises (Total Quality Assurance Services, 2013). The list mainly encompasses quality goals, describing the evaluations and conformational actions, process assessment, describing the personal accountability of the members of the group, describing the necessities of training, budgeting, and financing for quality control occupations, planning all actions, listing, and tracking just to mention but a few.
- The next phase is producing the evaluation processes, checklists, and associated actions to clarify the manner in which quality control will be carried out.
- The quality control group then acts as per the objective to make sure that the following phase of quality guarantee process runs smoothly. Through the acquisition of the necessary resources, the group begins assessing the project (Total Quality Assurance Services, 2013). Devices needed in this assessment are described according to the kind of project. Nonconformity with the set requirements is reported to the concerned branch of the company. The difficulties are then resolved and once more sent for evaluation to the control group. In this manner, the evaluation and correction progress until the projects are found to be fully inconsistency to the set standard.
- The training needs of the group members are then identified in a bid to carry out the assessment process as outlined in the quality control guideline.
- The project head must check the excellence of the quality control group and gauge it in accordance with the quality control objective, timeline, and budget. If the performance of the quality control group fails to satisfy the expectations, corrective measures must be executed (Total Quality Assurance Services, 2013).
- Project management and other stakeholders review the actions and outcomes of the quality control process. All unresolved matters are addressed at this point.
- The group gathers evaluation information from different sources (Total Quality Assurance Services, 2013). Recommendations for advancement at any phase of quality guarantee process are adopted and executed in the following assessment if it is in line with the feasible limitations. Proposals are obtained from every rank of business for future application.
- The group then gauges the entire process to come up with a delineated arrangement with quality control progression templates and descriptions (White, 2012). This arrangement could be utilized in the future or could be used as an example to other companies.
Conclusion
The Mars Company presently produces M&Ms, which are candies initially produced in 1940. Mars Company introduction of dissimilar types of M&Ms that came in hand with its slogan in addition to the attractive letters M&M that generated their appeal. The processing expertise and practices of Candy are truly enthralling. A number of processing techniques are involved in the manufacturing of candy.
This sector has risen from hand processes to completely mechanized processing lines. Expertise is not just considered in the processing of candy; it is as well considered in its quality control. The quality guarantee process involves a list of steps that must be carried out.
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