Manufacturers warned over foreign body contamination

Cable management specialist HellermannTyton said the problem was becoming more widespread, with the number of incidents involving contaminated food reported rising since the start of this year.

In May alone, glass contamination sparked the recall of packs of chicken tikka chunks, while a batch of mints was recalled for containing small pieces of metal.

Foreign body contamination can be an expensive issue for manufacturers, forcing product recalls, prompting legal action and damaging consumer confidence in a company brand, warned Hellermann.

UK product manager Richard Rands said manufacturers needed to renew their hazard analysis critical control point procedures.

‘Doesn’t need to be costly’

“This doesn’t need to be costly for manufacturers that already use detection systems. There are a wide range of products available to the [food and beverage] market which can aid with the prevention of foreign-body contamination,” said Rands.

“By adopting these where possible, manufacturers can be confident that the food products they are delivering to the market are safe, significantly reducing the risk of recalls, and protecting consumer confidence.”

Rands suggested specialist detectable cable management solutions such as metal detectable cable ties and fixings, cable protection systems, radio frequency identification and printed identification markers to help prevent plastic contamination in the production line.

Meanwhile, fears of glass contamination has forced the recall of a number products produced by Peter’s Food Service sold in Asda and Lidl.

Recalled as a precautionary measure

The batch of products was recalled as a precautionary measure, due to a potential contamination incident at Peter’s Food’s factory in Bedwas, south Wales.

Md Mike Grimwood said: “The company does not believe that any of its products have been affected. We immediately informed the Food Standards Agency [FSA] and are working with them, and our customers, to remove this small batch from point of sale where applicable as a precaution.

“We have taken every step possible to address this matter and we can confirm that no other products produced by Peter's are affected.”

Peppered steak slices sold by Asda and chicken and mushroom slices available at Lidl were among the products recalled. See a full list of recalled products below.

The FSA advised customers who have bought the products not to eat them and instead return them to the store they were purchased from for a full refund.