Recontamination Issues in the Food Processing Industry What, Where, and How Important are They? ( Dr. Paul A. Hall )
Producing Safe Food is Our Top Priority!
• Consumer protection and trust
– Consumers must be able to trust the brands they buy and the food they
– Food safety is absolutely critical to that trust
• Business survival/self-interest
– Our brands are our most important asset
– History is replete with brands and businesses being destroyed because
• Industry responsibility
– Moral obligation to produce food as safe as practical
– Industry pledge not to make safety a competitive issue eat of a lapse in food safety
Why is Food Safety our Top Priority?
• It is a cost of doing business
• The changing global food safety landscape demands more diligence, flexibility, and speed than ever before.
• The cost impact of not doing food safety right is higher than it’s ever been.
• The benefits of doing food safety right contributes directly to the bottom line – and not just in cost avoidance.
• Consumer and regulatory scrutiny are at an all time high.
• World class companies that win in the marketplace have world class food safety principles.
Causes of Foodborne Contamination
• Food Products can become contaminated via several routes:
– Naturally occurring (raw foods)
– Underprocessing/improper processing
– Recontamination/cross-contamination
• Pathogens
• Spoilage organisms
• Allergens
• Chemical contaminants
– Intentional contamination
• Economic adulteration (e.g melamine)
• Bioterrorism
…