Topics in Supply and Demand - Sweet Potatoes, Chicken Strips, Bananas and Bug Flour

Trend in vegetable farming - there is a decrease in acreage planted for  sweet corn, green beans, peas and potatoes, with an increase in sweet potatoes and leafy greens such as spinach, kale and romaine lettuce.  

Chicken strips gaining on chicken nuggets - While more chicken nuggets are sold compared to chicken strips, chicken strips sales have increased against a decline in chicken nuggets.

Bananas are on the ropes, can CRISPR save them - In case you missed it, a virus is likely to make America's favorite fruit, the banana, extinct.  The hope is that scientist can modify the genetic makeup of the virus to make it resistant...otherwise, there will be no bananas, no bananas someday too soon.

Bugs as ingredients, "There is an increasing range of insect-based products, such as whole/flour, snacks, health bars, pasta, pasta sauce and burgers. Edible insects are promoted as a sustainable food alternative. It is also claimed there are numerous health benefits from eating bugs and insects."  But what strategy do purveyors take in identifying their product to attract customers?

Washington Post

Business

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/04/20/sweet-corn-out-sweet-potatoes-data-shows-fundamental-shifts-american-farming/?utm_term=.70dfc8fca246

Sweet corn out, sweet potatoes in: Data shows fundamental shifts in American farming

By Laura Reiley and Andrew Van Dam

April 20

Blockchain - Opportunities and Challenges from a Food Safety Perspective

Blockchain is a term receiving a lot of hype as the must-have for food safety.  Well, at least the IT folks are pushing food safety as a main reason for investing into the technology.  There are benefits of having verifiable and seamless transactions

So what is blockchain - it is a tool by which each segment of the supply chain, or block, is identified from raw material through to the time is is sold.  The blockchain technology records each interaction with an item and assigns it a digital certificate so that the information associated with that block, or supply chain segment, can not be changed or adulterated later.  This prevents company form hiding the true origin and movement of the material as it moves through the chain.  

Traceability and recall are the real benefits.  Having such a system would allow quick identification of  recalled ingredients, and then coupling that with where those ingredients were used, and where that product was distributed or stored.

There can be endless amounts of information recorded with each transaction.  This can include 1) source information such as specific producing company, harvesting fields, or varieties harvested, 2) safety parameters such as temperatures, pH, or Aw, and 3) quality parameters.

One can establish validated contacts, or smart contacts, that help ensure product sourcing and provide means for seamless transactions.  For example, one can ensure that suppliers were indeed certified organic.  "Transactions can be verified and approved by consensus among the community, [theoretically] making fraud more difficult and significantly lowering the costs of validation and authentication" (PMA)

Are there limitations?  Sure. 1) Blockchain is not a specific thing but a process, and requires integration into a a company's existing systems....not always easy to do. How does a company's own procedures mesh into the system.  2) Coding issues, whether there are input issues or deletions, may create confusion, delays, or refusals due to misinformation.. 3) The information collected is only as good as the data input into the system. 3) It does create visibility, so what impact does that have on confidentiality of a company's process and to what degree does a company want to keep their supply chain information away from others, including potential competitors?  For example, maybe I don't want my downstream customer seeing my upstream supplier with the thought that my customer may cut me out so that they can make the product themselves.

So this is a tool that improves visibility and transactions along the supply chain.  No doubt a time saver for the food professional who has to hunt down supplier information.  It will help validate suppliers and ensure sourcing information.  But A savior for food safety?  That may be a stretch. Certainly IBM would like you to believe it.  In the end it still comes down to the basics - the blocking and tackling of people ensuring food safety basics.

To what degree are consumers demanding transparency to know exactly where their food comes from?  There are probably some out there who really, really care, but for me, I'm good with knowing my pizza is from Gigiarelli's or Pizza Perfect, my beer is from Troegs (Nugget Nectar), and my sub is from Giovanni's using those Amoroso's buns.

Supply Chain Quarterly.com
http://www.supplychainquarterly.com/news/20171201-lets-rein-in-the-blockchain-exuberance/
Forward Thinking
Commentary: Let's rein in the blockchain exuberance
By Mark Solomon | December 1, 2017

Gift Baskets Packed with Recalled Savory Twists

Those who purchased Wine County Gift Baskets in the past few months are being asked to check if they have Blue Cheese Savory Twists.  This item is being recalled by Houdini Inc because recalled dairy powder was used as an ingredient.  Consumers are to dispose of the product which may contain Salmonella.

There have not been any reported illnesses to date related to the dairy powder ingredient, but this is an example of how far ingredients can move in the supply chain.  It is also a reminder of how a supplier's supplier can impact downstream sales, including repackers like this gift basket purveyor.

WPRI.com

http://wpri.com/2016/12/19/salmonella-risk-prompts-recall-of-gift-basket-snack/
Salmonella risk prompts recall of gift basket snack
By Shaun Towne Published: December 19, 2016, 5:18 pm Updated: December 19, 2016, 5:27 pm

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — If you bought or received a Wine Country Gift Basket in the past few months, Rhode Island health officials are urging you to check for one snack in particular.

Food Warehouses - Get Ready for Some Scrutiny

Senator Chuck Schumar (D-NY) is pushing for increase regulatory attention to food warehouses due to reported unsanitary conditions in food warehouses, including rat nests, litter and other forms of untidiness.  Case in point was a warehouse in Pennsylvania, operated by a NY firm (FDA Warning Letter below), where they found rat nests, dead rats, rodent feces, and a number of other sanitary issues.

External warehouses, along with transporters (to be tackled by the transportation component of FSMA) are all part of the food chain, but have not received as much attention as the processing component - processing facilities and connected/internal warehouses.  For the food system to be safe, all components of that chain must utilize food safety practices.  Unfortunately, some of these ancillary services have not had the level of attention that they should have had.   One exception being where the warehouse had to meet 2nd party or 3rd party inspection requirements.


Think Progress
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2015/01/12/3610616/schumer-fda-inspections/
Senator Pressures FDA To Crack Down On ‘Disgusting’ Warehouses That Supply Our Food

by Sam P.K. Collins Posted on January 12, 2015 at 11:57 am Up

Last year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cited squalid conditions in 90 warehouses, including a Chinese food distributor that the agency found to have rodent nests, carcasses, and feces littering in its warehouse during an inspection in December.

That’s why Sen. Chuck Schumer wants the regulatory agency to up the ante and crack down on food manufacturers that cannot maintain sanitary spaces for food production. He’s calling for more frequent inspections, higher fines, and the creation of an easily searchable food database for distributors and consumers.

Food safety violations found during inspection of food delivery trucks

In a recent sting operation, State Police working with PA Department of Ag inspectors stopped and inspected approximately 400 food trucks. Of these 10 were found to have food safety violations – 3 had unsafe temperatures and 7 had unsanitary cargo. 

Transporters of food are an important link in the food supply chain. Unfortunately, this is a link that can be more difficult to control, especially for smaller establishments. This is not the first time that food haulers have been found using poor food handling practices. The State of Indiana found similar issues with haulers in 2011.

 

This inspection demonstrates some of the unsafe practices that can be used by food transporters.

• Temperature control – with fuel prices high, there is a financial incentive for truckers to shut off their refrigeration units, turning them back on right before the delivery is made. In warm weather, this unacceptable practice can be especially troublesome.
• Hauling potentially hazardous chemicals in the same trailer as food – this can be an issue when those chemicals get onto the food packaging and/or on the food.
• Residual chemicals left in the trailer that may contaminate food. As trucks crisscross the country side, they may carry a number of items. It is important for trucks to be well cleaned before carrying food, and when hauling certain chemicals, those trucks should not be carrying food at all.
• Food left uncovered during transport. Foods must be wrapped to prevent contamination during loading, unloading, and transport. This also creates a situation where there is the possibility of intentional contamination.

FDA has written guidance for the sanitary transport of food. These as well as other safe food transporting practices can be found here. http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/SanitationTransportation/ucm208199.htm

 

  

 

Pennsylvania State Police

News for Immediate Release

May 13, 2013

  

PA State Police Announce Operation Code R.E.D. Enforcement Results

  

Harrisburg – The Pennsylvania State Police today announced the results of Operation Code R.E.D. (Refrigerated Enforcement Detail) refrigerator food truck inspection enforcement effort held on April 23.  

  

Operation Code R.E.D. targeted commercial vehicles and large trucks transporting potentially hazardous foods.

 

“During Operation Code R.E.D., the Pennsylvania State Police and the Department of Agriculture worked together targeting food trucks to make certain that these trucks and our food are both safe,” said State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan.

 

No Horse Meat in US Beef Supply

Some people seem to worry too much about US food supply, but unlike Europe, there has been no horse meat detected in our beef supply. A few interesting notes:

• Horse meat does not pose a food safety risk, but is more of a perception issue by consumers.
• From a food safety perspective, the EU horse meat scandal is more of a ‘traceability’ issue for those companies involved.  
• In Europe, there were many suppliers and many middleman involved as meat was sourced from various countries in Europe. The testing of meat continues. A table of test results - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-21412590 
• It is once again legal to slaughter horses in the US, but currently, no US facilities are doing so. And FSIS does not allow imported horse meat. 
• In 2010, some 137,000 horses were sent from the US to Mexico and Canada to be slaughtered.
• Meat testing is done primarily by DNA testing using PCR methodology. ELISA technology (using antibodies) is also used, but is not as effective for processed meat products.

 

 

U.S. officials: No horse meat in our beef

 The U.S. has not become embroiled in the horse meat scandal in Europe

Elizabeth Weise7:42p.m. EST March 1, 2013 USA Today

 http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2013/03/01/horse-meat-united-states/1957893/

 

The horse meat scandal in Europe keeps getting bigger but U.S. officials say it's unlikely there's any horse meat hidden in U.S. meat products.

 

Genetic tests have found ground horse meat in beef in Ireland, Britain, Germany, Italy, Poland and the Czech Republic. On Friday Taco Bell outlets in Britain found traces of the meat in what was supposed to be 100% beef. The company has removed all beef products from its menu in the United Kingdom.

 

There is no link between Taco Bell suppliers in Europe and the United States, the company said.

 

How the horse meat entered the European food supply is unknown.

 

Changing Times for Risk Management in the Food Supply Chain

How much do you know and trust your food supply chain? David Acheson’s fine opinion piece (below) discusses the impact of the lawsuit against Jensen Farms in the cantaloupe related listeria outbreak and the need for managing risk in an establishment’s food supply chain. The cantaloupe related lawsuit is posed to go beyond Jensen Farms and pursue those who handled or sold the contaminated produce as well as the company that inspected the processing facility. Is this the next development in requirements for the food industry?

A few comments on a few of the impactful points he makes:

The need for tighter control of suppliers, going beyond the third party audit, especially for high risk food products. Companies have become too reliant on third party audits to evaluate suppliers. As those who may be familiar with this process know, the value of that audit all comes down to the inspector’s ability to identify critical issues within a company’s food safety system. As past recalls have shown, there are knowledgeable auditors and those that are not so. And then there has been the issues with the supplier paying for the audit, that potential trade-off between the achieving a good score and providing an accurate assessment. A third party audit is just a part of the food safety system, but not the only component. And like any food safety program, it must be managed.

The potential negative impact on small suppliers. Many retailers and foodservice companies rely on small companies to create and manufacturer private label products. There is also a movement to use local farmers to supply produce. If food companies must take a higher level of responsibility for everyone that is producing, processing, and delivering products, there can be a trend for companies to either integrate operations or for them to use few suppliers that they can better manage. This consolidation would potentially result in the use of a few larger establishments that can provide all companies needs instead of using a patchwork of smaller suppliers.

We have come to a confluence of somewhat opposing trends – the desire of consumers to have fresher foods that require less preparation and are available year round (w/ the subsequent increase in the amount of imported foods), the movement towards local foods (and smaller firms that may or may not have the required level of food safety systems in place), an ever improving foodborne-disease-detection system, and a lawsuit-driven punishment system that appears ready to go beyond the responsible party and collect retribution from the linked food chain. Is it possible to develop trust through validation and verification of the supply chain?


Today: Walmart, Kroger, Primus. Tomorrow: You?by David Acheson on June 7, 2012 in Food Safety
http://leavittpartnersblog.com/2012/06/today-walmart-kroger-primus-tomorrow-you/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=today-walmart-kroger-primus-tomorrow-you

Last week, Jensen Farms, the grower of the cantaloupe implicated in the Listeria outbreak of 2011, filed for bankruptcy. Prominently listed in the filing were lawsuits associated with the outbreak, from which 146 people were sickened and 36 died. According to the Denver Post, Jensen’s attorney said the filing should free up millions of dollars in insurance and other funds.

Foodborne illness attorney Bill Marler has filed at least 11 lawsuits and is representing almost 40 families or persons said to have been sickened or killed because of the contaminated cantaloupe. According to an article in Marler-published Food Safety News, the bankruptcy filing means that his clients “can move on to file lawsuits against companies further down the supply chain: Frontera Produce, the cantaloupe distributor; retailers such as Walmart and Kroger; and Primus Labs, the third-party auditor whose subcontractor, Bio-Food Safety, gave Jensen Farms facilities a ‘superior’ inspection rating just six days before the outbreak began.”

“Bankruptcy of Jensen Farms was a necessary prerequisite to allowing families of those who died and those who were injured to seek compensation against Frontera, Primus, suppliers and retailers,” Marler said.

If Mr. Marler is successful in bringing and winning these cases, it is telling us that someone as distant from the farm as the retailer is highly vulnerable to being sued if a farmer’s product makes someone sick and that farm then declares bankruptcy. If you sell adulterated food – or have some role in handling, distributing, or maybe even transporting anywhere along the food chain of that adulterated food, you would be liable to some extent – regardless of the cause or origination of the contamination.

What does this mean to you and the industry?

We are back to that old issue of controlling risk in the supply chain. It is becoming increasingly important that you spend time assessing and addressing risk across your product line supply chains. As we’ve seen in recent outbreaks, it is not enough to focus on historical incidents – cantaloupe was not known to carry Listeria; raw egg has long been a factor in Salmonella outbreaks, but it was likely the cookie dough flour that caused that 2011E.coli O157:H7 outbreak.

Risk assessment is not only critical for consumer and brand protection, it is a key aspect of the preventive provisions of FSMA. In fact, the pending rule, Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls (Section 103) focuses directly on this area. As we stated in a previous newsletter, preventive controls should be tied to preventing foodborne illness, not just decreasing product contamination.

The vulnerability of not knowing and validating your entire supply chain is becoming more evident. One forward, one back may still be law for product tracking, but back to the farm is fast becoming the legal definition of responsibility. And without continuing the barrage against third-party auditors too heavily, it is a responsibility that processors and retailers are becoming leery of outsourcing, especially for high-risk products. And should these companies decide to conduct all their own supplier assessments and audits because they no longer trust outsourced audits, it could force food-industry consolidation and will fly in the face of robust programs like GFSI. I would like to bet that a Kroger or a Walmart would rather conduct 50 audits of large farms than be forced to audit 500 small farms. It is a potential that does not bode well for small suppliers, and could literally cut them out of the loop for many retailers.

In addition, whether or not such potential would come to fruition, supply chain management is specifically listed as an area for which risk-based preventive controls are required by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). As noted in a previous newsletter on FSMA key provisions, as part of its food safety plan, a facility may be required to document sanitation procedures, a recall plan, a food allergen control program, supplier verification activities, and environmental sampling testing.

FDA's Reportable Food Registry Report Provides Important Insight into Food Supply Issues

The FDA just released the second annual report for the Reportable Food Registry, RFR.

http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodSafetyPrograms/RFR/ucm200958.htm?source=govdelivery

The Reportable Food Registry is an electronic portal where food companies report issues with a food where that food is likely to cause illness. So if Company A ships nuts to Company B, and Company B tests those nuts and finds Salmonella, then by law, Company B must report this incident to the FDA via the Reportable Food Registry.

This has been a great tool in keeping unsafe food out of commerce. It allows FDA to use industry information to police the food supply chain.

Industry professions can see an important aspect of this RFR report is that it indicates where in the food system issues have occurred. Accordingly, companies who purchase products can look at this list and find issues with products or ingredients they use and then ensure these items are addressed through HACCP or a supplier control program. Here are some examples (Table 6) – undeclared allergens in bakery products, Salmonella in nuts, spices/seasonings, and produce, Listeria in prepared foods and dairy. Reports on Imported foods (Table 13) shows a slight increase from year 1 to 2 in total recalls, but certainly an increase in the number of Salmonella related issues coming in on imported foods. 

It is also important to note that the RFR can put companies at risk of being pulled into a recall. This was the case last year when Salmonella was discovered in hydrolyzed vegetable protein. And even with companies whose process rendered the ingredient as no risk (these companies were going to put the HVP into a product that was to be cooked), they still recalled product. Traceability is paramount in being able to quickly respond to a supplier issue that gets reported to FDA by another company.