The contaminated pork was a “classic example of what can go wrong if a supply chain is left to evolve without appropriate checks and safeguards”, said Vendigital md Roy Williams.
“This is a classic example of what can go wrong if a supply chain is left to evolve without appropriate checks and safeguards,” said Williams. “The food industry can’t afford to do nothing about this – it must shorten supply chains immediately in order to improve visibility and consider introducing blockchain technology for added security.
‘Infiltrate supply chains’
“Whilst food producers and retailers prioritise quality and safety standards, the constant nature of price pressure in a very competitive marketplace, can chip away at this over time. If a lack of transparency is allowed to develop, contaminated food products can infiltrate supply chains and end up on supermarket shelves.”
Williams’ comments came after a PHE report revealed pre-packed ham and pork sausages from one particular supermarket – only named as Supermarket X – were linked to hepatitis E infection. Between 150,000 and 200,000 UK citizens were infected from pork a year, the report claimed.
A Food Standards Agency spokeswoman said: “We are aware of the findings of this report and are reviewing all aspects of hepatitis E infection with other government departments and industry.
“The risk from acquiring hepatitis E from eating thoroughly cooked pork or pork products is low. As a precaution, the FSA advises consumers that all whole cuts of pork, pork products and offal should be thoroughly cooked until steaming hot throughout, the meat is no longer pink and juices run clear.”
Source of the contamination
Supermarket X wasn’t necessarily to blame for the infections, but the scientists linked it to imports. Animal husbandry practices outside the UK needed to be explored further to find the source of the contamination, the researchers said.
“The implicated products are pork sausages, which require cooking prior to consumption, and ready-to-eat pre-packed sliced ham,” the researchers wrote in the report, published on July 31.
“Only Supermarket X, especially [own-label], was significantly associated with [the hepatitis E strain] HEV G3.”
The study compared shopping habits from 60 individuals confirmed to have HEV G3. The researchers found that only Supermarket X’s own-label products were contaminated.
The hepatitis E virus can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, and even cirrhosis of the liver, according to the British Liver Trust.
Meanwhile, in 2014, a leading food safety expert warned that hepatitis E in pork products would be “the next battleground in foodborne diseases”.