Visit Harford Control on Stand B46 at PPMA
Why are food products with mislabelled allergens still on the shelf ?
Visit Harford Control on Stand B46 at PPMA
Food recalls due to allergen mislabelling are still very common in the UK . Food Standard Agency data shows that 314 allergy alerts were issued in the reporting period for 2022 / 23 .
The consequence of food recalls not only leads to tragic loss of life , but also causes serious damage to the brand ’ s financial health . Pret a Manger set aside £ 10m to cover legal costs after Natasha Ednan- Laperouse died from consuming mislabelled baguettes in 2016 and Celia Marsh suffered from a fatal reaction to a ‘ vegan ’ wrap in 2017 .
Whilst efforts are made to ensure allergens are properly labelled , some food and drink manufacturers are not fully aware of the allergen labelling guidance . Some choose not to invest further and instead opt to ‘ hope for the best ’. Others have integrated ineffective solutions , such as print rooms .
Print rooms cannot be solely responsible for ensuring that products are accurately labelled ( that the right label goes on the right product ), as workers may overlook allergens or ingredients . Besides , the print rooms may not have access to all the necessary information .
How to Ensure Accurate Allergen Control ?
From raw materials to finished products , it ’ s the manufacturers ’ responsibility to ensure allergen control and provide clear and safe products to retailers and consumers . Allergen control must include , but is not restricted to :
• Supplier verification : Verify that suppliers provide accurate
92 FDPP - www . fdpp . co . uk information about allergens present in their ingredients and adhere to appropriate safety standards .
• Allergen testing : Implement regular testing of both ingredients and finished products to verify the absence of allergens and detect any contamination . This can include laboratory testing as well as on-site testing methods such as swabbing for the presence of allergens .
• Accurate labelling : Review and improve their labelling and inspection procedures regarding allergen declarations to ensure clear and accurate labelling of all known allergen ingredients .
Harford Autocoding : 100 % Verification of Packaging Accuracy
Harford Autocoding Solutions help manufacturers ensure 100 % verification of packaging accuracy , to avoid inaccurate label information and unnecessary wastage . The solutions can be integrated into production lines to send real-time actionable data directly to those who need it . At the start of each production run , the system will ensure that label printers are set up accurately and in-line barcode scanners are configured to check that the correct packaging materials and labels are used – on each individual product , case or pallet . In some instances , on-line integrated cameras may also be required to ensure that the pre-printed packaging displays the correctly highlighted allergens .
Though this is a huge , essential step towards ensuring compliance , it must also be said that no automated system can ever guarantee total compliance , and full training and operator engagement are also essential to provide world class due diligence .
Harford have enormous experience in helping food and drink manufacturers ensure greater accuracy of labelling for control of allergens , date coding , quality and much more . If you are ready to eliminate risk and improve labelling accuracy using Harford Autocoding , please reach out to us at info @ harfordcontrol . com or give us a call on + 44 ( 0 ) 1225 764461 .
* Harford Control announced a solution range update earlier this year and we will showcase our latest end-to-end MIS / MES system on Stand B46 at PPMA .