Thursday, March 21, 2013

IS THERE RAT POOP IN YOUR FOOD?


Don't think that rats and mice don't turn up in food manufacturing facilities. Believe me, they do. And it's not pleasant, because they can carry disease. Food inspectors notice signs of their presence every once in a while, and food products have to be recalled. That goes for candy too.

It happens everywhere. Every time my son orders popcorn in a movie theatre, I remember that recall of popcorn in the U.S. when rat poop was found in it. And there have been many other cases.

In 2013 ,there seem to be more than the usual number of such incidents in Britain. What is happening? Just today, the Food Standards Agency announced that Edward Gray of Dudley Ltd. (AKA Teddy Grays) has issues a recall for certain lots of its rock and boiled sweets (in American, "candy") because of rodents roaming around the manufacturing premises. This is no fly-by-night candy manufacturer. It is an old and venerable family business established in 1826 in Dudley, Birmingham that makes herbal tablets and traditional sweets.

And just a little more than a month ago, in mid February of this year, KB Natural Foods Ltd. of Britain had to recall some of its own pre-packaged cashew nuts and almonds because of rodents found in the packing plant.

On January 21, about a month before that, there was another recall by Cake Factory Outlet and Clearance Cake Excess because they apparently were caught re-branding and re-labelling cakes, biscuits, sweets, puddings and tarts that had been produced in a factory with rat infestation.

And to start the year off well, on January 9, there was a recall by Snax 4 U (of Glasgow) of their sandwiches, baguettes, wraps and filled rolls, because they were produced in premises found to have rodent infestation (the products were sold at market stalls in northwest of England and the regulators are still trying to find out where they all went to).

Ugh...

To your good health,
TSF

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