Robust, routine training is crucial for food safety and recall prevention, according to a new study on food safety recalls.
“Training and frequent review are critical to conducting the food production processes correctly every time. New employees enter the workforce every day, and they require training on how to conduct their actions and responsibilities correctly. Existing employees need routine retraining and education. The training cycle never stops,” the authors of the study wrote.
Entitled “An Analysis of Food Recalls in the United States, 2002-20023,” the study in the Journal of Food Protection analyzed more than 35,000 food and beverage recalls mandated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration over the past two decades to find the main causes of recalls. Throughout the study, the authors wrote about the importance of safety training - throughout the supply chain.
“The importance of food safety and food safety freedom needs to be understood by food harvesters, handlers, processors, warehouse staff, truck drivers, and retail personnel at all stages of the process chain. This awareness and training is necessary to develop a Food Safety Culture,” the authors wrote.
Company leadership is key
The authors of the report stated that management must lead for example and put safety training front and center.
“It is the responsibility of company leadership to ensure that employees understand their role in food safety and that they receive appropriate training and instruction on their job tasks and responsibilities.”
They also wrote that they must teach employees and suppliers the “why” not just the “how” of food safety.
“Training employees on the reason behind procedures and educating the supply chain, including raw material suppliers, on the impact their practices have on food safety is essential to help reduce human error.
The authors turned to what may be a surprising source for inspiration on safety training. In the study, they call for adopting the leadership principles of the United States Marine Corps when formulating food safety best practices.
These principles include:
According to the study, Listeria and Salmonella contamination were the cause of 40% of all food and beverage recalls in the past 20 years. Altogether, four live mesophilic bacteria were the cause of 90% of all biological contamination recalls. These include listeria monocytogenes, salmonella serovars, E. coli serovars, and C. botulinum. The study found that 78% of all food and beverage recalls were the result of biological contamination or allergens.
Listeria was the leading cause of recalls during this period, resulting in 7,844 recalls, or 22% of the total. Salmonella was responsible for 6,597 recalls, 18% of the total.
Nearly 80% of biological contamination recalls were Class I recalls, the most dangerous type.
Allergens accounted for 28% of recalls over the time period that was assessed, and of these, 36% were for undeclared milk. The next most common allergen-related recalls were for eggs (14%), undeclared wheat (13%), and peanuts (12%). The most common tree nut-related incidents dealt with almonds (24%) followed by walnuts at 14%.
“cGMP issues” caused only 3% of all recalls. There were fewer than 100 recalls for HACCP issues - all from juice or seafood products.
The study divided recalls into two categories - product contaminants and processing issues. The former accounted for 91% of all recalls.
Of the foreign objects recalls, metal was by far the most common object, accounting for 1,105 recalls, or 42% of the total for this form of recall.
The report's authors said a large number of recalls occurred when the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was enacted and implemented in 2011, but it declined in the following years.
“This trend may indicate that the food processing industry is practicing safer methods and better food safety control,” the authors wrote.
To learn more about our learning resources for continuous training and education in food safety, check out our e-commerce site the Wurkshop here.
On December 4th at 12pm CST, Rootwurks will host Andrea Griffiths, Retail and Supplier Audit Program Manager for ASI, for a webinar to discuss the recent surge in food safety recalls, what may be behind the uptick in recalls (and the headlines that accompany them), and the steps companies can take to help reduce the odds their brand will be featured in the latest food safety recall.
Grab your spot here.