February saw a remarkably high number of food product recalls in the UK: according to the Food Standards Agency’s website, there were 11 recalls. To put this in context, we have seen around 60 recalls per year for the last few years, so you would only expect to see this number in a month once every five years! Even more remarkably, seven of these recalls are due to actual or possible salmonella contamination:
- Tesco hog roast style pork with apple sauce;
- Waitrose green pesto with basil;
- Abbott infant formula powder;
- Freshers Foods pork snack products;
- Dogs Choice frozen raw dog food;
- Snaffling Pig perfectly salted pork scratchings; and
- Holland and Barrett hulled sesame seeds.
Beyond the fact that three (possibly four) of these products are derived form pork there is no obvious connection so the root cause of the sudden spike remains a mystery. Regardless of cause though, the principles of managing a product recall are well understood; follow the link for guidance on planning and training for such an incident.
If you are concerned about any food products that you have, please consult the FSA website for details of all recalls.