Salmonella pathogen seems to be haunting American food industry and consumers are becoming increasingly becoming testy because of the frequent recalls of products suspected of contamination with this dreaded bacteria. The latest episode involves recall of more than 100 different brands of food products containing Hydrolyzed Vegetable Proteins (HVP) which was found to have Salmonella cells in them, the contamination originating from this ingredient, supplied to the food processors for use in their products. While FDA of the US is to be complimented for this preemptive action, the situation warrants more diligence by the regulatory authorities all over the world to prevent such incidences.
"Three more companies are recalling products for potential Salmonella contamination from Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP). Nestle Professional North America is recalling roughly 6,000 pounds of its ready-to-eat bacon, Procter and Gamble is recalling two Pringles chips flavors: Restaurant Cravers Cheeseburger and Family Faves Taco Night, and Ruiz Foods, Inc., is recalling ready-to-eat beef. Basic Foods Flavors Inc., the Las Vegas company at the center of a recall of more than 100 different products, recalled its HPV products on March 4. HPV is used as a flavor enhancer in many foods, including various kinds of dips, soups, dressings, snack foods, and more. Although the HPV was recalled March 4, the Pringles chips and ready-to-eat bacon and beef products were recalled yesterday after FDA determined that the HVP ingredient was added after Salmonella prevention steps were applied. According to the Wall Street Journal yesterday, FDA conducted an investigation at the Basic Foods plant in Las Vegas after a customer of an FDA-regulated firm reported finding Salmonella in the HVP ingredient. FDA officials discovered the company did not adequately clean equipment and store foods to protect against the growth of bacteria such as salmonella".
That no human illness was reported because of consumption of any of the tainted products in the market may be due to extremely small concentration of the contaminant present and low levels of HVP, less than 1%, used for flavoring the finished products. While manufacturers of finished products were absolved of the responsibility for this mishap as they were using established safety practices, the addition of the unsuspected, tainted HVP towards the end of the manufacturing steps, was found responsible. A lesson to be learned from the above episode is that food processors depending on suppliers of food ingredients from out side sources will have to increase their alertness to avoid such risks to their products for no fault of theirs.
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