I was sent this information by a colleague and thought it may make interesting reading.
As the increasing number of food scares causes consumers to question the safety of everyday food items, researchers at Queen’s University Belfast, UK have completed the first ever analysis of all the food recalls announced in theUSA,UKandIrelandover the last decade. The researchers identified 2,439 food recalls over the past ten years – including the recall of 380 million eggs in theUSAin 2010 following a Salmonella outbreak at a farm inIowa, and the 2008 pork recall inIreland, which affect export markets in 21 countries around the world. The number of food scares and product recalls has increased significantly in the past decade. Until now, however, there has been no international database to measure trends in food recalls. The detailed analysis of recalls in theUK,IrelandandUSAbegins to help fill that gap. It outlines how the frequency and severity of recalls has increased over the past ten years, accompanied by significant financial implications for food producers. The 2008 pork recall inIreland, for example, cost the Irish economy an estimated €125 million. Of the product recalls the researchers identified, 68 per cent were detected during routine or spot testing by regulatory bodies, and only 21 per cent were detected by the company in question. Around one fifth (21 per cent) were in the meat industry, 12 per cent in processed foods and 11 per cent in fruit and vegetables. Most recalls (56 per cent) resulted from operational mistakes, such as incorrect labeling, the presence of an undeclared ingredient, or contamination during the production. While biological causes, such as the detection of Listeria, Salmonella and E coli were also a factor, a significant number of food safety alerts were actually due to food fraud and corruption by suppliers further down the supply chain. This highlights the need for food producers to invest in ensuring the traceability of their products back through the supply chain. Despite mounting evidence of the increasing levels of food fraud, and growing public demand for safe and authentic food, this is a topic that few in the food industry appear willing to talk about openly for fear of the repercussions for their brand. Food producers, however, should be reassured that major scientific advancements are being made to help detect food contaminants and minimise risks to the food supply chain. Scientists at Queen’s are at the forefront of these developments, and are willing to work with companies to put in place the latest techniques to detect and deter food fraud.
http://www.qub.ac.uk/home/TheUniversity/GeneralServices/News/PressReleases/Title,229778,en.html
FoodWorld 