F A C T O R Y
FOOD CONTAMINATION:
REPUTATIONS ON THE LINE
Strawberries found
contaminated with
needles in Australia
and New Zealand,
and kid’s fruit snacks
recalled due to small metal
fragments, are just some of the
recent examples of incidents
reported to Food Standards
Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)
concerning contaminated food.
In total, FSANZ has coordinated
108 food recalls due to foreign
matter contamination since 2009.
These statistics demonstrate
the number of reported recalls,
however, a recent survey
conducted by Victual, in
conjunction with The Australian
Food and Grocery Council
(AFGC), indicates that voluntary
recalls are much more common,
with 90% of product recalls being
company initiated. With reported
incidents of food recalls due to
foreign bodies almost doubling
since 2015, this significant
increase cannot be simply
explained by tighter regulations
or changes in reporting methods.
Contamination incidents are
definitely on the rise.
Safety first
Primary concern for retailers and
food manufacturers in eliminating
foreign matter contamination is
customer safety. If fragments of
metal, bone, plastic, glass or any
other foreign body are allowed to
enter the food chain, there is a
chance that they could seriously
harm the health of consumers.
There are many ways that foreign
matter can enter the food chain.
These include accidentally
being introduced by employees
(e.g. jewellery), maintenance
procedures, and; equipment
malfunction or breakage
during the manufacturing and
packaging processes. Preventive
measures therefore involve a
mix of regular risk assessments,
employee training, robust quality
procedures, and compliance with
regulatory requirements.
But there’s more to food
contamination avoidance than
consumer protection alone.
Product recalls caused by
physical contamination are
also a considerable risk to
reputation. Brand values built up
painstakingly over time can be
seriously undermined in a matter
Food safety scares
often make national and
international headlines
and a well-publicised
incident can destroy the
worth of a brand name
in an alarmingly short
period of time. We take
a look into why product
inspection technologies
are a critical investment
in the fight against
physical contamination
in food.
THE SOURCE FOR FOODTECHNOLOGY INFORMATION
22 FEBRUARY 2020