Posts from the "Latest News" category
UK: McDonald’s and the Challenges of a Modern Supply Chain
Steve New / Harvard Business Review: Recently, McDonald’s, the world’s iconic largest food service provider, has been (forgive the cliché) through the grinder. Poor performance has led to the departure of its CEO and plenty of critical attention in the business pages. Part of this story relates to the provenance, or origins, of its products: Chains that provide more upmarket “fast casual” dining such as Panera, Chipotle, and Shake Shack have brands that speak of freshness, health, and trustworthy sourcing.
In 2010, I wrote an HBR article predicting increased interest in supply-chain transparency: firms needed to develop strategies for knowing and explaining where stuff comes from. Since then the idea of product provenance has steadily crept up the corporate agenda and is now a compulsory issue for boards and governments. McDonald’s woes offers three lessons for others about supply-chain transparency.
Click here to read the full article from the Harvard Business Review.
AU: FSANZ releases Fact Sheet on frozen berry incident
Photo: Joe Lodge / Flickr, CC BY 2.0
FSANZ is working with state and territory food regulatory authorities, public health bodies and the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture on this incident. The Department of Agriculture has asked FSANZ to provide advice about frozen berries and the risk of hepatitis A. FSANZ is now conducting a risk assessment on the matter.
Food recalls are managed by state and territory authorities and are coordinated by FSANZ. The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services is managing this particular recall. Regulatory authorities and industry have moved quickly to ensure all potentially affected products have been removed from retail sale.
All food sold in Australia must be safe and suitable and must meet the requirements of the Food Standards Code. Even with the best food safety practices issues like this will occur from time-to-time. Australia’s food recall system has been developed to manage recalls when there is a food safety issue.
Click here to read the full fact sheet from FSANZ, including links to further information on hepatitis A and information regarding the testing of imported food.
Food safety expert says frozen berries hepatitis crisis a ‘wake-up call’ for fresh produce supply chain
Melbourne, AU. — A food safety expert has urged companies across the fresh fruit, vegetable and nutsupply chain to redouble their food safety efforts in the face of an outbreak of foodborne illness attributed to hepatitis A virus (HAV), which has left at least 10 people infected in Australia.
Richard Bennett, Technology Manager at the Fresh Produce Safety Centre Australia-New Zealand (FPSC), has authored a fact sheet to help both industry and consumers to understand the food safety issues and dispel some of the myths associated with the current frozen berries hepatitis crisis.
Read Article →Patties Foods Recalls Nanna’s Raspberries linked to a specific source in China, as a precaution: Media Release, 17th Feb 2015
Patties Foods has extended its Consumer Recall to include Nanna’s Raspberries 1kg packs following investigations through our global supply chain over the past few days that have identified the potential link to a specific source of raspberries in China.
Patties Foods MD & CEO, Steven Chaur, said the further recall is a precautionary measure in the interests of public safety.
“While there are no confirmed test results indicating a potential link to Hepatitis A, we are working proactively with Health Authorities based on the information they have presented to date.
“Investigations through our supply chain have identified a specific source of raspberries as a potential common link to the possible safety issues raised by Health Authorities.
“The specific source supplied raspberries which were packed in Nanna’s and Creative Gourmet Mixed Berries, that were the subject of the Consumer Recall announced over the weekend.
“The source also supplied product for Nanna’s Raspberries 1kg packs, with Best Before Dates up until 15/09/16.
“The supplier of raspberries is no longer used by Patties Foods.
“Some product that was previously supplied by the source may still be in the market and we are taking this added precautionary measure of conducting an additional Consumer Recall of all frozen raspberries associated with this specific source located in China, in the interests of public safety.
AU: Salmonella death at aged care facility in the Illawarra, nine others hospitalised across NSW & ACT
An investigation is underway into the death of a nursing home patient and the hospitalisation of nine others from salmonella food poisoning.
NSW Health says cases of salmonella first appeared in aged care homes on January 21. An investigation has uncovered 23 cases in 10 facilities across South Eastern Sydney, the Illawarra and ACT.
The Illawarra Retirement Trust says 20 of the cases happened at its care centres. Chief executive Nieves Murray says it is possible pre packaged products supplied by a third party, like salads, are behind the outbreak. Early inquiries show the species of salmonella is associated with manure used in growing salad vegetables, not meat.
Click here to read the full article at ABC News.
Patties Foods extends Nanna’s Frozen Mixed Berries Consumer Recall to include Creative Gourmet Mixed Berries: Media Release, 15th Feb 2015
Patties Foods has today extended its Consumer Recall of Nanna’s Frozen Mixed Berries to include Creative Gourmet Mixed Berries 300g and 500g packs, as a precautionary measure, in the interests of public safety.
This follows the announcement yesterday of a Consumer Recall of Nanna’s Frozen Mixed Berries 1kg packs, on advice from the Victorian Health Department of potential Hepatitis A contamination.
Patties Foods MD & CEO, Steven Chaur, said “while our quality control testing to date has not revealed any concerns with the food safety of either product, further detailed testing is being done and the recall is an important step to ensure public safety and confidence.
“We have decided that all our frozen Mixed Berries should be recalled until such time as we receive the results of further laboratory tests,” Mr Chaur said.
A detailed testing process is continuing with health authorities.
The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services fully supports the actions taken by Patties Foods.
The Consumer Recall is for:
Nanna’s Mixed Berries 1kg, All Batches up to and including Best Before Date 22/11/16
Creative Gourmet Mixed Berries 300g, All Batches up to and including Best Before Date 10/12/17
Creative Gourmet Mixed Berries 500g, All Batches up to and including Best Before Date 06/10/17
Patties Foods advises consumers not to eat the product, and return packs to the place of purchase for a full cash refund.
Read Article →NZ: Rice snack shuts down man’s organs
A spicy rice snack pack very nearly turned into the last meal Richard Strang ate. It left him in a four-day induced coma in Wellington Hospital, his stay due to a toxin not seen in New Zealand for more than 30 years.
He was struck down by botulism, a rare and potentially fatal illness caused by a toxin that attacks the nervous system.
The Ministry for Primary Industries said the rice snack he ate contained no preservatives, and "incorrect handling" was thought to be the cause of his illness.
Massey University food safety professor Steve Flint said botulism was incredibly rare in New Zealand but its spores could be found in many products. It was usually found in food that had been canned or preserved.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/65620530/Rice-snack-shuts-down-mans-organs
JP: McDonald’s Japan sales have been devastated by food safety scandals
The Japanese unit of McDonald’s Corp booked its first annual operating loss since going public in 2001 and its January sales plunged by a record 39 per cent as food safety scandals drove customers away.
The earnings pain … is likely to continue with analysts saying they do not expect a quick turnaround in a country where consumers are highly attuned to food quality issues. January figures showed customer numbers down 29 per cent from a year earlier.
The company has also announced plans for third-party inspections of its kitchens, fresh training for staff and sharing of information about suppliers on its website.
Click here to read the full article from Business Insider.
UK: Flowers not food: Keep daffodils separate, supermarkets warned
UK supermarkets have been urged to keep daffodils away from fruit and vegetable aisles this spring – in case they are mistaken for food.
In a letter to major stores, Public Health England warned the flowers could be confused with onions or Chinese vegetables, and consumption of them was an “emerging risk.”
Daffodils contain toxic alkaloids that can cause severe vomiting, it said. It noted 27 cases of poisoning linked to daffodils and narcissi last year.
Click here to read the full article at Barfblog.com.
AU: Victoria Names and Shames Food Safety Training Offenders
The register of food safety convictions developed by the Victorian government shows an alarming number of companies in the food industry are still not adhering to food safety laws.
The aptly labelled “Name and Shame” register details food vendors and restaurants throughout Victoria that have engaged in serious breaches of food safety law and regulation.
An anxiety-provoking number of restaurants, cafes, and related eateries in Victoria have earned their place on the register for improper food handling practices. The offences were numerous, and despite the ease of access to food safety training across Australia, 25% of the total offenders were convicted with offences directly related to a lack of training.
Click here to read the full article from Australian Institute of Food Safety.