Manufacturers ‘need better labelling systems’: Epicor

Epicor product manager Duncan Moir said the recalls were a hard-hitting illustration of why food manufacturers need the right labelling systems in place.

“News that Lidl and Aldi have both recalled sweet-based products isn’t the first, and won’t be the last time a food recall has hit the headlines,” ​said Moir.

“Such recalls will no doubt hit these organisations hard both in terms of reputational damage and cost. This incident highlights the fact that food manufacturers need to be doing much more to ensure that they adhere to labelling regulations.”​

Moir urged manufacturers to have the right processes and technology in place so that they can react swiftly, should a labelling error occur.

‘Reduce such risks’​

“Having the right enterprise resource planning solution, which is specifically designed to be agile and responsive, will reduce such risks – as well providing manufacturers with greater visibility over their product labelling – but when mishaps occur, it can assist with traceability and the recovery plan,” ​he added.

Moir’s comments came as discount retailers Aldi and Lidl were forced to recall a number of products because of labelling errors.

Aldi recalled packs of its Clancy’s Barbecue Flavour Coated Peanuts because they contained cashew nuts not mentioned on the label.

The recall applied to 200g packs of the products with the best-before end date of July 2018. The recalled products also had the batch code 7292 7291.

Customers with an allergy to cashew nuts were advised to return the product to their nearest Aldi store to receive a full refund.

Risk to consumers​

Lidl recalled three varieties of its Alesto Snacking Pockets because the labelling was not in English. The products contain nuts and sulphor dioxide/sulphites, making them a risk to consumers with allergy or sensitivity to the allergens.

Included in the recall were all 25g packs of the Summertime Strawberry & Nut, Crunchy Seed & Nut and Golden Fruit & Nuts varieties of the products. The products had been sold in the supermarket’s Southampton stores.

Lidl advised customers who had bought the products to return them to the store they were purchased from to receive a full refund.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, business consultancy Crimson & Co warned that recalls would test the relationships between suppliers and retailers.