Quality Control

A Focus on Accuracy and Precision

Our team of expert quality professionals is Zochem’s ultimate resource to ensure their teammates deliver superlative products to our customers. We always remain focused on our “built-in-quality” mindset.

Our Laboratory

The inside story of how we maintain the industry’s highest quality control standards for Zinc Oxide.

The accuracy and confidence derived from precisely documented results, obtained in our state-of-the-art laboratories, are paramount to the success and growth of Zochem internationally. Customers worldwide recognize Zochem’s quality-conscious approach underpinned by our reliable testing, consistent manufacturing processes, and dependable staff.

Zochem’s operational systems have been integrated with the safety and quality expectations of our customers to ensure process capability and versatility that meet the expectations of even our most discerning clients. Our laboratory extends much further than its physical location. A Genchi Genbutsu (“Go and See”) mantra engenders a continuous improvement environment for enhanced detection of issues through error-proofing. Along with our focus on preventative actions, we reduce or eliminate the frequency of QC challenges our customers might otherwise find unacceptable.

Zochem is FDA, Health Canada, and European ICH Q7A approved which signifies our customer can also be a ‘patient’. Our laboratory equipment is supported by extensive procedures and practices to ensure the patient’s welfare is given the utmost priority. Our laboratory’s best practices are accentuated by our Quality team’s consistent input.

Mona Ghanam and Cheril Norville represent commitment, leadership, and honesty as our two Quality Control and Assurance Managers in Brampton, Ontario, and Dickson, Tennessee respectively.

Mona Ghanam explained the following concerning pharmaceutical testing “The process begins before manufacturing. An identity test for the zinc metal is performed for every lot received from the zinc supplier. Impurity tests are then performed periodically to ensure that the supplier Certificate of Analysis matches Zochem’s internal testing. Zochem uses special high-grade zinc to produce various grades of French Process zinc oxide. The purity level of the zinc metal must be at 99.995% as a minimum.”

Cheril Norville commented “The Lab is the gatekeeper and is where the quality control testing is done, independently and autonomously, to confirm the properties and purity of French process Zinc Oxide. Once this is complete, a Certificate of Analysis (COA) is generated for each customer. Before the material is shipped, a final inspection is performed to ensure all shipping and labeling requirements have been met.”

Our Quality team works closely with Operations to ensure that inputs are understood and controlled to ensure the successful provision of the predictable output our customers demand. Zochem’s investment in sustainable and robust Muffle Furnaces supports this culture.

Have Questions?

The Process

Individual customer specifications are saved to a cloud-based ERP which creates a specific profile for each shipping location for that customer. This allows our multinational customers to maintain separate instructions by country or language.

Our Quality team documents everything from physical properties, packaging specifics, shipping preferences, and labeling requirements.

 

Main Tests Performed

Surface Area Analysis

Mesh Retains

Moisture Content

Zinc Oxide %

Impurity Testing (ppm levels)

+ Customer Specific Requests

Quality Leadership by our Quality Team

Mona Ghanam is our Quality Assurance Manager at Zochem North in Brampton, Ontario. Mona’s impressive qualifications include a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering and many years of on-the-job experience including working with Zochem since 2002. She is a member of Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO), holds a license in project management (Project Management Professional – PMP), a Six-Sigma Green-Belt certification, and is certified as an ISO 9001 auditor.

Cheril Norville is Mona’s counterpart and Quality Assurance and Laboratory Manager at Zochem South, in Dickson, Tennessee. Cheril has been with Zochem since 2016. An education in chemistry and math led Cheril to spend over 25 years in laboratory work, researching and developing analytical methods, and managing/training others how to perform analyses. In addition to her skill with various lab instruments, Cheril has also been deeply immersed in a wide range of regulatory guidelines, including those of the EPA, ASCLAD, and FDA. One look at the certifications page on the Zochem website reveals the many agencies and organizations that have their own, unique requirements.

Mona Ghanam

Quality Assurance Manager

Mona works at Zochem’s facility in Brampton, Ontario. She has been with Zochem since 2002.

More About Mona
Cheril Norville

Quality Assurance & Lab Manager

Cheryl works at Zochem’s facility in Dickson, TN. She has been with Zochem since 2016.

More About Cheril