What are the penalties for food laboratory violations?

Food safety is serious business. Whether you’re preparing family lunch or running a multi-million dollar food lab, proper operational practices need to be observed at all times.

Naturally, there are significant repercussions for businesses that fail to adhere to these guidelines, with a recent example from the US highlighting the reputational and financial damage this can cause.

This example illustrates the need for an effective digital monitoring system to be sure your facility is operating as intended.

What went wrong?

American firm ConAgra Grocery Products LLC has been hit with a substantial fine after it was ruled to have been responsible for an outbreak of salmonella that caused illness in over 700 people. The company was found guilty of shipping a batch of peanut butter that was contaminated with the bacteria.

The mistake ended up costing the company US$11.2 million, a crippling fine for a business of any size. This should be enough to provide warning to other firms in the industry. However, history has shown that despite these fines, the same mistakes keep repeating themselves, meaning serious industry changes are required.

What happens when fines are not enough? Two high-level employees were sent to prison in a similar incident after the egg producer they worked for released products contaminated with salmonella.

Sickness and Salmonella are bad enough on their own, but another case saw things take a turn for the worst for a company and its customers. Two brothers received five year probations after their farm’s cantaloupes were responsible for 33 deaths due to a Listeria contamination.

How can you avoid this?

Strictly following government rules, regulations and requirements is the best way to ensure your food laboratory never has to be involved in similar circumstances.

Now is as good a time as any to review the relevant codes, especially as they have recently been revised. The changes included in these alterations will come into effect in March 2016. It seems like a long way away now, but it’s best to start preparing as soon as possible. This ensures that they are smoothly integrated with the rest of your operating procedures beforehand.

Testo’s Saveris Wireless Monitoring System is another option that all food laboratories and warehouses should be implementing when reviewing the above codes. After all, what’s the point of introducing these new guidelines to your workplace if you have no way of ensuring you’re adhering to them at all times?