Preventing Product Recalls in the Food Industry

A product recall is one of the most costly events a food business can face. The product must be traced, collected and destroyed. Sales stop. Retailers lose confidence. The story may reach the press. Recovery can take years.

Many recalls are avoidable. This guide looks at the common causes and the controls that prevent them, with a focus on metal.

Why food is recalled

The main reasons for food recalls are:

• Undeclared allergens, such as milk, nuts or gluten missing from the label.
• Microbiological contamination, such as salmonella or listeria.
• Physical contamination, mostly metal, glass and plastic.
• Labelling and packaging errors.
• Chemical contamination, such as cleaning agents or excess additives.

Physical contamination is the category where engineering controls do most of the work. Metal is the largest part of it.

What a recall costs

The direct costs are the product, the logistics of collecting it, disposal, and the staff time spent managing the event. The indirect costs are larger. Lost sales during and after the recall, penalties from retailers, legal claims, higher insurance and the long term damage to the brand.

A single high strength magnetic separator costs a small fraction of a single recall.

Control 1: know your hazards

Under HACCP, every plant must list the hazards at each stage and decide where they must be controlled. For metal, walk the line and write down where iron and steel can enter. Raw materials, sieves, mills, mixers, pumps, conveyors and maintenance work are the usual sources. See our guide on critical control points.

Control 2: remove metal at every stage

Fit a magnetic separator at intake, after each stage that sheds metal, and before packing. Use a grid or grate for powders in a hopper, a drawer housing for enclosed lines, a liquid trap for pipelines and a plate or chute magnet for deep beds.

The final separator before packing is the last chance to catch a fragment. Use the highest practical strength here. SMAG rods are made up to 13,500 gauss, which holds fine particles and work hardened stainless steel as well as ordinary iron.

Control 3: cover the metals a magnet passes

Aluminium, copper, brass and some stainless grades are passed by a magnet. If these are a risk on your line, add a metal detector after the final magnet. The magnet removes the bulk of the contamination and protects the detector from constant rejects. The detector catches the remainder.

Control 4: prove the controls work

An auditor wants evidence. For each separator, keep:

• The tested certificate of magnetic strength supplied when it was made.
• A cleaning log showing when it was cleaned and what was found.
• Gauss meter readings taken at least once a year, compared with the certificate.
• An inspection record for tube damage, seal wear and loose fixings.

A separator with no records is treated as no control at all.

Control 5: manage change

Recalls often follow a change. A new supplier, a new product, a repair or a new machine. Review the hazard list and the separator positions every time the line changes, and after every metal complaint, even if the complaint is not confirmed.

Control 6: train the people

Operators must know how to clean a separator, what to record, and what to do when they find more metal than usual. Maintenance staff must know to count tools and fixings, and to clean with a hand magnet before a restart.

The SMAG range

Santosh Magnetic Works makes magnetic separators for food lines in 304 stainless steel, including the high intensity liquid trap for syrups, oils and sauces. Every unit is supplied with a tested certificate of magnetic strength. See the separation range or contact us.