Call for better systems to avoid fatal errors

A food safety specialist has called for better training and food safety management systems in the foodservice sector following the recent salmonella outbreak in Ireland and the UK, which has resulted in 110 confirmed cases of illness and one death.

Geoff Ward, food safety specialist at health and environmental risk management services company National Britannia, has attributed the outbreak to a failure of hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) systems, which he argued urgently need to be addressed.

Following the outbreak of Salmonella Agona​ in Ireland and the UK, Dawn Farm Foods based in the Republic of Ireland has withdrawn cooked bacon as a precautionary measure because of the possible presence of salmonella. The bacon had been supplied to the Kerry Group, which used it in the manufacture of three own-label sandwich fillers. The salmonella outbreak has been linked to this possible source.

Ward said: “This recent outbreak has spread rapidly through the food chain. As the apparent source is a producer of fillings for pre-packed sandwiches, the contamination has spread to a number of canteens, retail outlets and other food outlets across the UK.

“Most worryingly in this case is that the contamination appears to have slipped through all the HACCP safety systems in place at the manufacturer. This suggests that despite the new laws and systems in place to protect against food contamination, food producers are still making fatal errors.”

Ward argued the regulations were not proving effective and what was really needed was improved education for those working within the industry. “An important factor in reducing food contamination outbreaks is to employ a fresh pair of eyes to assess the food safety risks,” he said. “While in-house specialists can keep a site safe on a day-to-day basis, they are often blinkered by costs and should not dismiss the value of the services of an external consultant.”