A few years ago, my brother-in-law and his wife had come over to my apartment to visit. I offered them something to eat and they accepted. I warmed up two plates of a casserole I had made which consisted of pasta, tomato sauce and ground turkey and topped with melted mozzarella.
After just a bite, my sister-in-law enthusiastically complimented me on the dish and asked for my recipe. But about twenty minutes later, she wasn’t looking so good. She started coughing and it looked like she was having trouble breathing. She tried getting up but had difficulty walking. Her husband jumped up, grabbed her and quickly helped her out of the apartment with a small commotion. I was bewildered; I had no idea what had just happened and why they left so abruptly.
To my further surprise, about 30 minutes later, they walked back in together and she was doing better. After she sat down again, she asked me if what I made contained onions. In fact, it did; I had sautéed onions and add them to the ground turkey, plus I had seasoned it with onion powder, among other spices. Turns out, she was severely allergic to onions. Needless to say, I was instantly mortified and severely apologetic; I love onions and constantly cook with a mountain of them every chance I get! I had never heard of anyone being allergic to onions. My sister-in-law acknowledged her part for not inquiring about the ingredients before eating. Fortunately for us all, she had a fast acting injectable medication in her car and was able to stop the anaphylactic reaction.
Not knowing that one seemingly innocent ingredient was present in her food turned a pleasant visit and meal with family into a life and death situation for her.
This is the kind of danger that people with allergies face when foods and medications are not properly labeled with known allergens along with all of the composite ingredients. In the month of February, quite a number of companies initiated voluntary recalls due to this very issue. Here are just a few examples.
PRODUCT #1
LaRosa’s Creamy Garlic Dressing
AFFECTED REGIONS
Greater Cincinnati OH, Columbus, OH, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana
BRIEF
Marzetti Company of Columbus, OH recently recalled 627 cases of their Creamy Garlic Dressing in 1.5oz packets. The product was mislabeled and failed to declare milk and allergens. More details at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm434474.htm.
PRODUCT #2
El Popocatepetl’s 8in. Chipotle, Spinach Pesto and Sun Dried Tomato Wraps
AFFECTED REGIONS
Greater Chicago, IL Area
BRIEF
El Popocatepetl Ind. Inc. of Chicago, IL voluntarily recalled several versions of their flavored wraps because of undeclared milk and Yellow #5. After a review of the product ingredients and the labels, the recall was initiated out of concern that allergic reactions might result. More details at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm435190.htm.
PRODUCT #3
Sock It To Me Crème Cake
AFFECTED REGIONS
Wal-Mart stored in over 30 States.
BRIEF
Bogart, GA based Old Home Kitchens voluntarily recalled its “Sock It To Me Crème Cake because of undeclared pecans. An inspection of the packaging revealed that the ingredient was not clearly indicated. More details at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm435170.htm.
INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS
Food processing companies and drug manufactures are held to extremely high standards. It is critical that they are not only able to provide traceability for every ingredient in their supply chain, but proper reporting and labeling is also critical. Thousands of dollars in revenue – not to mention corporate reputation – is at stake when a recall must be initiated after an error is uncovered.
Having the right business process software in place will help to maintain proper record keeping and manage every step in the production process to minimize errors before they happen. How could that possibly look in action in your business? Watch this video to take a sneak peek.
If you are unsure if your current ERP or other business software solution is best suited to expertly manage your food processing or drug manufacturing business, CONNECT with our consulting team today to begin exploring your options.
The post Recall Roundup – February 2015 (The Dangers of Not Knowing All The Ingredients) appeared first on Think, The Blytheco Blog.
