Lately, it has come to the focus of many within the food industry, that horse meat has been used as a substitute for beef; as much as a 100% substitution of the meat content was found in some instances. In other cases, other undeclared meat was also utilized as a substitute; to include pork. The problem first got significant interest on 15 January 2013 when laboratory testing outcomes of frozen beef burgers sold in Irish and British supermarkets showed outcomes of horse DNA and also of pig DNA in numerous of the samples (23 out of 27 samples). After further investigation by impacted businesses, to consist of some big brand name companies in the European markets like Dalepak, Freshlink and ABP Nenagh within the UK, more testing was conducted by other businesses. Burger King, being supplied beef by Silvercrest, dropped them as a supplier following finding horsemeat in their supply chain. Tesco and Aldi each cancelled contracts with ABP Food Group as a result of the adulteration. A pub and restaurant supplier in the UK, a food wholesaler called Makro, also discovered that a few of its laboratory testing of beef goods contained horse DNA. Sodexo, a private catering business in Fantastic Britain, withdrew frozen beef goods they created as a result of horse DNA found inside a sample. Sodexo is a significant supplier of schools, armed forces, prisons and old age houses in Great Britain.
In France, about exactly the same time frame, A la Table de Spanghero, a French based meat processing business that supplied Findus (a frozen food brand), was discovered to be the supplier of beef products that contained horse DNA. Of 18 beef lasagna products tested, 11 had been positive for horse DNA; containing between 60 – 100% horsemeat. It was discovered that the horsemeat originated in Romania, sold to an additional French company known as Comigal and created the adulterated product in Luxembourg.
Nestle, a Swiss based business, on 18 February 2013, found two of their beef pasta products had been positive for greater than 1% horse DNA and led to the withdrawal of pasta products in Italy, Spain and France. The adulterated meat was procured via a sub-contractor called HJ Schypke. Also in February, Birdseye, promoting chile con carne product in Belgium, revealed that testing found horse DNA was within the product and withdrew 3 products for sale that contained beef procured from the UK through its supplier; a Belgium firm known as Frigilunch.
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What do all these instances tell us? Well, they tell us a minimum of three essential issues. 1 is that the supply chain for beef throughout Europe (as well as numerous other goods and solutions) impact not just one small local area as was the case numerous years ago. Now that our globe is shrinking in terms of access of solutions and products, the impacts of mismanagement, accidents and intentional fraud impacts not only a few members of a small community; but a sizable population scattered over numerous nations with magnified political, well being and economic ramifications.
Second, there was a major failure within the inspection of the supply chain that allowed this to occur. In reviewing many of the horsemeat scandal cases, the suppliers had been deep within the supply chain and not usually the very first or second significant supplier of the goods in the chain. This tells me that the inspectors from the product weren’t doing a complete supply chain inspection of the item and more than most likely focused their attention around the final stages from the procedure exactly where it was normally discovered, via costly laboratory testing, that the item was adulterated. This could have been avoided if the supply chain from the item was properly managed, physically followed and inspected by competent experts to make sure the supply chain was thoroughly vetted.
Third, numerous of these companies have trusted their main suppliers because they have used the same suppliers for years with small or no issues. Today, because of the expansion of the supply chain and the large quantity of territory it covers, it is a much more tough job to ensure that the entire supply chain is safely managed. It’s now more crucial than ever to make sure that both a food safety and food defense perspective is imbued in the every day duties of all members from the supply chain. Unfortunately, this viewpoint is not accessible or present in many companies these days.
What is needed now in Europe, as is in every part of the globe, is definitely an unbiased system that helps businesses in assessing the state of their supply chain to ensure that they can make an sincere assessment of where they presently stand when it comes to having a safe food supply chain; secure from accidental and intentional contamination. This really is what INSCATECH can provide businesses worldwide.
Hector Haas, Director of Field Operations, INSCATECH Corporation, www.inscatech.com, April 2013.
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