Kick in the guts

This is something Premier Foods found out to its cost in November last year when the Food Standards Agency (FSA) issued a warning advising people not to consume specific jars of its Loyd Grossman Korma sauce because of the risk of botulism poisoning. Although only one jar from a batch was found to have been contaminated with the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism, it was enough to hospitalise several members of the same family in Scotland. The damaging headlines in the nation's press only added to the company's woes.

The news couldn't have come at a worse time for Britain's largest food manufacturer, which had been suffering a series of poor financial results, generating a barrage of criticism from city commentators for the way the business had been led prior to its new chief executive, Michael Clarke taking over the helm in August 2011.

Clarke might be forgiven for feeling particularly unlucky because botulism is rare in the UK and is caused by toxins, which attack the nervous system. The infection is not contagious and so cannot be spread from person to person, but the potential impact on those contracting the illness can be very serious.

According to the FSA, symptoms include a combination of blurred vision, difficulty swallowing and difficulty speaking symptoms that rapidly get worse. While antitoxins have proved very effective in treating the condition if treated early, full recovery may take several months.

While the FSA is still investigating the source of the contamination, there is the possibility that it may never be completely identified in view of the particular nature of this bacterium, which grows in an oxygen-free (anaerobic) environment.

Following the Loyd Grossman incident, the FSA published a reminder of ways to avoid foodborne botulism. It warned manufacturers to take Clostridium botulinum and other food safety issues into account "when formulating and processing their products, to ensure they will be safe to eat"​.

FSA chief scientist Andrew Wadge said: "Certain foods that are packaged in airtight containers ... or in oil, can represent a potential botulism risk, so care needs to be taken when they are manufactured, transported and stored."​

After the Loyd Grossman incident was first reported, Grossman's agent Peter Schnabi was quick to declare that contamination occurred elsewhere along the supply chain. The FSA and Premier distanced themselves from this statement, since the source of the incident was and still is unidentified.

However, it provides a salutary reminder of the dangers of handling dealings with the press. After all, there are all too many critics of 'big food' lurking in the wings.

Victoria Cross, a partner in the Razor crisis practice, says: "When a serious product issue emerges, act immediately and with conviction, taking into account the needs of all parties, but ensuring that the health and well-being of consumers is paramount. Particularly important is ensuring that messages, whether direct to consumers or via the media, are appropriate for their intended audience you must address concerns and risk perceptions in suitably lay terms, else risk accusations of clouding the issue." ​

The FSA advice on botulism last November also extended to consumers: reminding them of some basics about food hygiene in the home. This included checking products before use to check if the packaging has distorted or burst, if the lid has 'popped' or the seal is broken and advising them not to eat such products.

The FSA also called on consumers to follow any storage instructions on labels. It reminded them that if the food should be stored in the fridge, it must be kept at 5ºC or below. The FSA added that labels should be checked to see whether unopened food that can safely be stored at room temperature had to be refrigerated after opening. Further advice was given not to eat food after its 'use-by' date; to use any opened food within two days, unless the instructions state otherwise; and to follow any instructions on the label about how to cook or reheat food.

In view of the very isolated nature of the Loyd Grossman incident, one possible source of the Clostridium botulinum might be suggested by a separate incident in which a tin of canned salmon was contaminated externally post processing with fish guts on warm cans from an operator's apron, according to a report on www.FoodManufacture.co.uk​ in December. But without specific evidence to prove whether this sort of mechanism lay behind the latest botulism incident, it will remain pure speculation.

Avoiding cross-contamination​

What it does highlight, however, is how easily simple mistakes can undermine even apparently good food hygiene procedures. The need to avoid cross-contamination at any stage is a major concern for the FSA, since it has proved to be a significant source of food poisoning in past incidents: from the tragic South Wales E.coli O157 outbreak to more recent cases involving animal feed contaminated with dioxins and cross-contamination from UK poultry, which is known to be infected with campylobacter. Both in high risk food sectors, such as meat processing, and within the home, the FSA continually emphasises the importance of complete separation of raw and cooked meats to prevent cross-contamination.

Following further food safety incidents over the past year and in response to requests for clarification, the FSA has updated its advice on the control of cross-contamination of E.coli O157. The advice was originally produced to address the serious outbreaks in South Wales in 2005 and Scotland in 1996, both of which were attributed to cross-contamination from the poor handling of food.

While the advice is primarily designed to reduce the likelihood of E.coli O157 cross-contamination, the FSA points out that the measures outlined will also help with the control of other bacteria such as campylobacter and salmonella.

The original advice produced in February 2011 identified the importance of having separate work areas, surfaces and equipment for handling raw and ready-to-eat food, as well as the use of separate 'complex equipment', such as vacuum-packing machines, slicers and mincers for each. It said handwashing should be carried out using recognised techniques, with anti-bacterial gels not used as a substitute for proper handwashing. It said disinfectants and sanitisers must meet official standards and should be used as instructed by the manufacturers.

The November revision took account of the E.coli O157 outbreaks last year that resulted from handling contaminated vegetables. It made further clarification about what comprises complex equipment as well as on a number of other points.

All food business operators are legally required to manage food safety using hazard analysis critical control point principles, but they would also do well to acquaint themselves with the new recommendations emerging from the FSA. While the FSA's recommendations might appear to be common sense, that does not necessarily imply they are automatically part of a firm's culture and are being implemented on the shop floor. All too often, food firms produce food hygiene policies in order to satisfy due diligence requirements and keep their fingers crossed that their staff will adopt them.

Firms might want to consider that, from April 1 this year, legislation is being changed to extend Remedial Action Notices (RANs) to all food premises. RANs are issued by food hygiene inspectors after identifying serious food hygiene failing. They force firms to carry out necessary procedural and hygiene improvements identified. If they fail to make the improvements stated they risk their operations being suspended and that will be even more costly.