MORE FOREIGN MATERIALS IN OUR FOOD

If you have read my earlier posts on the topic of so-called "foreign materials" in the U.S. food supply (bits of metal, plastic, glass and so on), you will realize that I think the problem has become worse because of our struggling economy. That is, food processing companies are trying to save on maintenance and replacement of aging equipment. But of course, this is not the only cause.

And the problem is continuing. In the past few days alone, BBU, Inc., the parent of the Bimbo Bakeries companies, has issued another recall due to possible presence of flexible wire or mesh in a host of their bakery products (see the alerts link on this page). They already recalled a number of products. Apparently the cause was a faulty screen at a flour mill, from which they bought their flour (Dakota Specialty Milling). This resulted in bits of wire mesh getting into the flour, and from there into the buns and other baked products at Bimbo Bakeries. It seems that Heartland Brands® also sourced ingredients from this mill. It has had to recall two varieties of its granola cereals in the United States, Bahamas, Bermuda, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Israel and Trinidad. (The "foreign materials" may now have travelled to several foreign countries!).

Also, Smithfield Packing Company, a Smithfield, Va. today recalled some 38,000 pounds of pork sausage because it may contain small pieces of plastic, likely from gloves. If you have read The Safe Food Handbook, you will realize there are all kinds of things in sausages, but really...rubber gloves?

And don't think odd things are turning up only in human food. Our pets may be at risk too. Also in the past few days, Nature's Variety has announced a recall of one batch of Instinct® Raw Organic Chicken Formula because pieces of clear plastic may be found in some bags (they could cause your pet to choke).

Oh well...Take your pick: odd foreign materials in the U.S. food supply, or, rat poop in cashews and almonds sold in the UK (also discovered recently).

To your good health,

TSF

UPDATE: So finally Dakota Specialty Milling has got around to doing its own recall of those flour products that contain bits of wire. About time too!

IS PROCESSED FOOD GETTING LESS SAFE?

This global recession has almost everyone cutting back on spending - including food companies all over the world. I am increasingly convinced that this is affecting the safety of our food, particularly of processed food.

Here's why. I have noticed what appear to be an increasing number of recalls in the U.S. for "foreign materials." This rather odd phrase refers to such things as pieces of plastic, glass, rubber and metal, most likely from processing equipment. Over the past couple of years or so, we have had them all. Here are a few recent ones in the way of illustration.


On January 14 2012, RSW Distributors, of North Carolina issued a recall for some 3,104 pounds of seasoned diced beef products destined for schools (see previous post) because of bits of conveyer belt in the meat.

On January 13, Price Chopper Supermarkets issued a recall on two sizes of its bakery’s Central Market Classics Tres Leches cakes: the manufacturer of the layers in the cake - Rich Foods - had informed them that they contained piece of plastic.

Just a month earlier, Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., the large supermarket chain recalled - guess what - my favorite Sunrise Assorted Flavor Gummy Bears that were sold in the bulk in Winn-Dixie stores in Florida and Louisiana. They were afraid that bits of metal were in the gummy bears.

On October 1, Kraft Foods Global, Inc. recalled three varieties of Velveeta Shells & Cheese Single Serve Microwaveable Cups due to the possible presence of small, thin wire bristle pieces. This sounds like processing equipment again.

In September, two consumers found pieces of metal in their pureed pork, prompting a sizeable recall by K. Heeps, Inc., of Allentown, Penn. It was suspected that the pieces had broken off from the blending equipment during processing.

What I suspect is that some food processing plants, both in the U.S. and overseas, are cutting back on equipment maintenance and replacement during these hard times (see photo of mixer-agitator). As worn-out conveyer belts, blending, mixing, slicing, shredding, filleting and every other kind of food processing equipment continue to be used, the risk of contamination of processed food by those unpleasant "foreign materials" increases. Watch out and chew well before you swallow! (I had better pay more attention to that myself).

To your good health,

TSF

UPDATE: 1/22/12 - Still another recall of "foreign material" in food. Price Chopper Supermarkets is recalling its Coyote Joes Shredded Taco Cheese because of plastic fragments found inside the packaging.