Food and drink industry cannot continue to tolerate food poisoning

By Rod Addy

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Sealed air Food safety

The food and drink industry cannot continue to tolerate food poisoning outbreaks and needs to evaluate its whole supply chain in order to stamp it out.

That’s the view of Ilham Kadri, president of Sealed Air’s Diversey Division, in this exclusive video for FoodManufacture.co.uk filmed at last week’s IGD conference.

“We are looking at it ​[the supply chain] from farm to fork, how we deliver the food. There are huge links between the hygiene and cleaning standards inside kitchens and inside stores and the quality and safety of the food delivered in your​ [food and drink manufacturers’] meals.”

Employee training

Kadri added that food businesses needed to focus on employee training as well as the latest shelf-life extension technology to prevent future food safety issues.

She also revealed the changes that Sealed Air’s company strategy had been through as a result of its recent rebranding.

Meanwhile, Food Manufacture​ will be hosting a one-day Food Safety Conference this Thursday (17th​), to be staged at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull.

For more information, click here.

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2 comments

Food Safe Transportation

Posted by Larry Boulton,

Nothing new here. The poorly addressed (if not totally ignored) squeaky wheel of food safety is still food conveyance and transport. Assume it was once again a low priority at this IGD event?

Totally unacceptable levels of pathogenic contamination continue to exist throughout the tractor to trolley food chain (pallets, trays, roll cages, dollies, shippers, vehicle load areas, trolleys, baskets, home delivery vehicles, home delivery trays, etc.

Listening to self promoting company / product articles doesn't necessarily improve or move anything forward. Small companies (by comparison to the company interviewed) are out here making massive strides, together with large retailers and service providers (such as Tesco, Sainsbury's, Kuehne + Nagel).

The real news is out here, but those who are pioneering solutions are too busy and too poor (due to the investment required) to attract the focus of attention given to larger companies, who have no idea of some of the greatest food safety issues that exist or the advancements being made.

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Robust shelf life testing regime is the way forward for UK food manufacturing

Posted by Sean Boutelier,

I agree entirely with this. The way forward is robust shelf life testing and analysis of the entire food chain. We are lagging behind in adopting EU directives. The future is quite perilous for the unprepared food manufacturers that ignore the future changes in food label obligations and ingredient declarations in forced in 2014.

Record numbers of people are now eating organic, and many of them are doing so because they feel intuitively that they are making a more natural and healthy choice. In his preface to the Soil Association's own investigation into food quality and human health related issues as a result of this desire to eat a more 'natural' diet, several concerns were identified.

Alarmingly and contrary to popular understanding, over 450 pesticide active ingredients remain licensed for use in UK agriculture and contrary to public perception, while the use of pesticides is severely restricted in organic farming, a small number can be used. Due to the persistent nature of many pesticides, air, water and soils are inevitably contaminated by them. This provides pathogen risks and contamination opportunities, risking human health through foodborne disease whether or not food is organic.

This week another $100M dollar business has failed in America. OS organic peanut butter giant Sunland Inc, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, ending its existence.

The company, which was linked to the September 2012 Salmonella outbreak that sickened 41 people in 20 states, said it was unable to recover from recalls of more than 100 organic peanut and nut butter products it made.

There continues to be a growing number of cases where victims of food poisoning are 'paid off' quickly in the UK by multiples and food producers. There will come a time when this is just not going to happen.

The upcoming Food Manufacture’s one-day food safety conference, which takes place at the National Motorcycle Museum, Solihull on Thursday October 17 2013, is an opportunity for all food producers to move towards a more robust policy of food tests, soil and water testing through specialist laboratory services.

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