Food Fraud: A Global Threat with Public Health and Economic Consequences

Fundamentals of Food Fraud Explained, Global Threat Cannot Be Ignored

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Food Fraud: A Global Threat with Public Health and Economic Consequences

Food fraud is a global problem, the size of which cannot be fully quantified. A new book edited and authored by experts on the topic seeks to comprehensively address food fraud, covering everything from its history and mitigation strategies, to tools and analytical detection methods, to diving into fraud in specific products such as ingredients, meat, poultry and seafood.

“As we point out in the first sentence of the introduction to Food Fraud: A Global Threat with Public Health and Economic Consequences, food fraud prevention and risk mitigation has become a fast-evolving area. So fast, in fact, that some people may question the value of publishing a comprehensive resource focused on these issues for fear that it will be outdated before the ink is dry. The co-editors of the book disagree,” says Steve Sklare, president of The Food Safety Academy, chair of the Food Safety Tech Advisory Board and co-editor of the book. “This book was written with the goal of providing a solid resource that is more than an academic exercise or reference. The discussion of the fundamental principles of food fraud mitigation and real-world application of this knowledge will provide a useful base of knowledge from which new information and new technology can be integrated.”

Sklare co-edited the book with Rosalee Hellberg, Ph.D., associate director of the food science program at Chapman University and Karen Everstine, Ph.D., senior manager of scientific affairs at Decernis and member of the Food Safety Tech Advisory Board. He hopes that offering access to the book’s first chapter will help communicate their message to the folks responsible for addressing food fraud, whether they are members of the food industry, regulators or academics, or professionals at small, medium or large food organizations.

Complimentary access to Chapter 1 of Food Fraud: A Global Threat with Public Health and Economic Consequences is available in the Food Safety Tech Resource Library. The preview also includes the book’s Table of Contents.

HorizonScan

HorizonScan Hazard Challenge: Quiz 2

HorizonScan

This week’s question deals with pepper. Did you know that for centuries pepper has been considered the “King of Spices?” It was one of the very first items of commerce between India and Europe. It was so valuable that entire expeditions were made in hopes of transporting more back to Europe as quickly as possible.

Hazard Question #2 – Which country of origin has been cited by global inspection agencies the most times in the past year for adulteration issues in pepper?

Hint: With HorizonScan you could find the answer to today’s quiz in less than ten seconds by doing a search on “pepper – black, pink or white” and then selecting the one-year country of origin bar chart on the results page.

Food risks for a particular ingredient can vary greatly from country to country. HorizonScan can show you the most likely risks to your products based on where each of its ingredients are sourced. To request updated pricing information or a free demo fill out this contact form.

HorizonScan

Kind regards,
The HorizonScan Team at FoodChain ID

Nestle Pepperoni Hot Pockets

Nestlé Recalls More than 762,000 Pounds of Pepperoni Hot Pockets Due to Contamination with Glass and Hard Plastic

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Nestle Pepperoni Hot Pockets
Nestle Pepperoni Hot Pockets
An image of the recalled Pepperoni Hot Pockets, as provided on the USDA website.

Nestlé Prepared Foods has recalled about 762,615 pounds of not-ready-to-eat pepperoni hot pockets over concerns of foreign matter contamination. The products, which were produced between November 13 and November 16, 2020 and have a shelf life of 14 months, could be contaminated with glass and hard plastic. Thus far the company has received four consumer complaints of extraneous material in the pepperoni hot pockets, one of which has been associated with a minor oral injury.

The recall involves the following product: 54-oz carton packages containing 12 “Nestlé Hot Pockets Brand Sandwiches: Premium Pepperoni Made with Pork, Chicken & Beef Pizza Garlic Buttery Crust. According to a USDA announcement, the recalled product has a best before February 2022 date with lot codes 0318544624, 0319544614, 0320544614, and 0321544614. It was shipped nationwide and bears the establishment number “EST. 7721A” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

HorizonScan

HorizonScan Hazard Challenge: Quiz 1

HorizonScan

This week’s question deals with recalls, every food company’s worst nightmare. All types of recalls are reported in HorizonScan, making it easy to see which issues are most likely to threaten your products. We’ll provide the answer to today’s question in next week’s Challenge.

Hazard Question #1 – What hazard category was the Number One cause of food recalls in 2019?

Hint: With HorizonScan you could find the answer to today’s quiz in half a minute by doing a keyword search on the word “recall” from January 1 to Dec 31, 2019 and then sorting the results by hazard category.

Start The New Year In The Know. Take your hazard assessments to a new level in 2021 with a subscription to HorizonScan. To request updated pricing information or a free demo fill out this contact form. Let’s make 2021 the safest year ever for your customers!

HorizonScan

Kind regards,
The HorizonScan Team at FoodChain ID

FDA

In a Year of ‘Unprecedented Challenges’ FDA’s Food Program Achieved So Much

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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FDA

Earlier this week FSMA celebrated its 10-year anniversary, and FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response Frank Yiannas reflected on the progress and accomplishments as a result of this legislation, and the path forward. As we round out the first week of 2021, Yiannas is looking back at the achievements of 2020 in the face of the historic COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m struck by how tirelessly our team members have worked together to help ensure the continuity of the food supply chain and to help keep food workers and consumers alike safe during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Yiannas on the FDA Voices blog. “Their commitment has not wavered in a time when we’re all dealing personally with the impact of the pandemic on our families, schooling our children from home and taking care of elderly parents.”

  • Response to COVID-19. FDA addressed the concern of virus transmission, assuring consumers that COVID-19 cannot be transmitted via food or its packaging. The agency also worked with CDC and OSHA on resources to help promote worker safety and supply chain continuity.
  • Release of the New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint
  • Release of the 2020 Leafy Greens STEC Action Plan with a focus on prevention, response and research gaps
  • Artificial Intelligence pilot program to strengthen the screening of imported foods
  • Proposed Food Traceability Rule issued in an effort to create more recordkeeping requirements for specific foods
  • New protocol for developing and registering antimicrobial treatments for pre-harvest agricultural water
  • Enhanced foodborne outbreak investigation processes and established the outbreak investigation table (via the CORE Network) to disseminate information about an outbreak right when the agency begins its investigation
Frank Yiannas, FDA, food safety

Ten Years Later, a Reflection on FSMA’s Accomplishments

Frank Yiannas, FDA, food safety

It may be hard to believe that 10 years have passed since FSMA became law. The risk-based preventive approach to growing, manufacturing and processing, packing, storing and transporting food has transformed the industry and the nation’s food system. Today, on the anniversary of FSMA, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response Frank Yiannas takes a look at where it all began and walks us through progress, accomplishments and what the future holds.

  • Seven foundational rules established, and the proposed Food Traceability Rule (September 2020) positioned to harmonized traceability
  • Global partnerships (Canada, Mexico, Europe, and China) to strengthen safety of imported food
  • Investment in cooperative agreement programs to support compliance with FSMA rules at the state level
  • Looking forward: New Era of Smarter Food Safety, with blueprint released in July 2020 creates a 10-year roadmap for a more “digital, traceable and safer food system”
    • Incentivizing industry to adopt new technologies that facilitate full traceability
    • Emphasis on food safety culture on farms and in food facilities
    • Improving root cause analysis when preventive control measures fail

“Have we accomplished everything we wanted to help ensure that the food you serve your family is safe? The honest answer is that we’re still working on that. We are working diligently to ensure that remaining FSMA rules and related guidance documents are finalized and implemented,” said Yiannas in the FDA Voices blog. “But even when we have reached all of those milestones, we will always be working with industry on continuous improvement based on the latest science and the application of new technologies. Every day we will do our utmost to make our nation’s food as safe as it can be.”

Food Safety Consortium

2020 FSC Episode 14 Preview: The Future of Food Safety

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Food Safety Consortium

For those who have been with us every week since September 3—Congratulations on making it through 13 weeks of engaging and highly educational content! This week wraps up the final episode of the 2020 Food Safety Consortium Virtual Conference Series, and we are offering complimentary registration to the entire industry for the event on Thursday, December 17.

The following are highlights for this week’s session:

  • GFSI at 20 Years: Time for a Reboot? With Karil Kochenderfer, LINKAGES; Neil Marshall, The Coca-Cola Company; and Skip Greenway, Eagle Certification Group
    • “For a long time, we’ve operated businesses based on 20th century models that don’t resonate in the 21st century world. Are we at an inflection point, with both small and large businesses paying for costly and inefficient practices that no longer apply, and is it time for GFSI to change?” says Kochenderfer in her recent Food Safety Tech column on the topic.
  • Future Proofing the GFSI Ecosystem, with Erica Sheward, The Consumer Goods Forum; Kazuaki Miyagishima, GFSI Board retailer member; and Marie-Claude Quentin, GFSI
    • “GFSI looks forward to answering direct questions from participants, as taking the pulse of those within and beyond our community is an essential part of GFSI’s work, and something we have committed to do increasingly through our Stakeholder Engagement Plan. The need – and the vision of safe food for consumers everywhere – remains as vital and relevant today as it was when GFSI was founded 20 years ago,” says Erica Sheward GFSI Director, The Consumer Goods Forum.
  • The Future of Food Safety Technology, with Darin Detwiler, Northeastern University; Jennifer Crandall, Safe Food En Route, LLC; and Adam Gauthier, Northeaster University.
  • Consortium “Take Aways” Panel Discussion, with Rick Biros, Food Safety Consortium; Steven Sklare, The Food Safety Academy; Maria Fontanazza, Food Safety Tech, and Shawn Stevens, Food Industry Counsel, LLC.

The event begins this Thursday at 12 pm ET. Haven’t registered? Follow this link to receive free registration to the 2020 Food Safety Consortium Virtual Conference Series. We look forward to your joining us virtually.

Tyson Foods

Tyson Foods Names First Chief Medical Officer

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Tyson Foods

Yesterday Tyson Foods, Inc. announced that it is appointing Claudia Coplein, M.D. to the newly created position of chief medical officer at the company. Effective January 4, this role has been established to help the company promote a “culture of health, safety and wellness at Tyson”. Coplein will supervise the launch of Marathon Health clinics, which will be piloted at seven of Tyson’s facilities (in Texas, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North Carolina and Tennessee) and are intended for both team members as well as their families early next year. The clinics will provide healthcare at no cost in most instances.

Tyson Foods has invested $540 million this year to establish protective measures such as walk-through temperature scanners, workstation barriers and testing services. The company has also hired 200 nurses and administrative staff to add to its occupational health staff, which now totals nearly 600 employees.

Food Safety Consortium

2020 FSC Episode 13 Preview: Traceability in Supply Chain Management

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Food Safety Consortium

This week’s episode of the 2020 Food Safety Consortium Virtual Conference Series will explore traceability as it pertains to supply chain management. The following are highlights for Thursday’s session:

  • Food Safety Recalls – Digging Deeper into FDA, CDC, USDA & Food Industry Data, with Allen Sayler, EAS Consulting
  • Preparing for Blockchain in “A New Era of Smarter Food Safety”, with Kathy Barbeire, CAT Squared
  • The Road to Traceability is Paved with Standards, with Lucelena Angarita, IPC/Subway and Liz Serti, GS1 US
  • TechTalk from Controlant

The event begins at 12 pm ET on Thursday, December 10. Haven’t registered? Follow this link to the 2020 Food Safety Consortium Virtual Conference Series, which provides access to all the episodes featuring critical industry insights from leading subject matter experts! We look forward to your joining us virtually.

Food Safety Consortium

2020 FSC Episode 12 Preview: Food Safety Culture

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Food Safety Consortium

Episode 12 of the 2020 Food Safety Consortium Virtual Conference Series features a discussion on how food safety professionals can bridge the gap between the C-Suite and Food Safety. The presentation is given by food safety attorney Shawn Stevens of Food Industry Counsel, LLC, and followed by a TechTalk from Michael Alderson of STOP Alliance.

As part of a special offering, Episode 12 been made available for viewing on demand for free. Register to view the on-demand recording.