In 2011, before the raised standards enforced by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act), average cost of food recall was calculated to be about $10 million. The current average surely surpasses that number. Costs from food recall originate from many sources: Product retrieval, Notification to consumers, supply chain, and regulatory bodies, storage, product destruction, losses from unsalable products, labor costs for above processes, and investigation.

Mycotoxins, one of the major reasons for food recall, is a highly complex problem. Weather, heat stress, and irrigation all contribute to the proliferation of these toxins, including the toxin Zearalenone. It is produced by a fungi, Fusarium, naturally occurring in parts of plants and soil.  Measures can be taken to mitigate Fusarium such as rotating, tilling, and sterilizing the field before planting. Using a fungicide is also a viable option in decreasing the risk of a fungal infestation. Nevertheless, it is the end users that will act as the gate keeper for the food supply chain.

Hence the best strategy to keep in one’s pocket when fighting food recalls is food process traceability. Supply chain traceability identifies and tracks product elements as they move their way through production — from sourcing raw goods to creating a final product. It is key to identifying contamination before it hits the market, protecting your company’s reputation, saving you the million dollar cost of food recalls.

At Haes Bros, we provide solutions to battling food recall from mycotoxin testing kits to ATP testing for sanitation. Implement these solutions in your companies’ food tracing system and sanitation routines to achieve utmost confidence in your produces.

Original Article: https://www.charm.com/preventing-food-recalls/