Data revealing aflatoxins to be the biggest cause of food-related recalls demonstrates the important role effective sorting and quality analysis systems can play in boosting food safety on the production line, says TOMRA Sorting Food.
The first quarter European Recall & Notification Index, produced by Stericycle Expert Solutions, found that aflatoxins – a fungal toxin that contaminates crops - were behind 21 percent of all food recalls, followed by salmonella, pesticides/fungicides, metal fragments, chemicals, listeria, insects and E. Coli.
Despite an overall drop in food recalls on last quarter of 2014, there was a 67 percent increase in recalls relating to nuts, largely as a result of issues with products coming from India and China. Those originating in China spread to 13 countries and were primarily due to aflatoxins.
"Implementing sorting technology can significantly reduce the risk of contamination from aflatoxins, mycotoxins and foreign material, and drives up food safety on the production line," says Ashley Hunter, head of TOMRA Sorting Food.
"The reputational and financial impact of a product recall can be devastating for a company. Effective food sorting and analysis equipment have a huge role to play in consumer and brand protection."
Ashley says the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in the US is food for thought for nations around the world.
TOMRA Sorting Food is a provider of food sorting machines and processing technology for the fresh and processed food industries. The company developed a range of sorting machines which are able to detect and remove the smallest of defects and foreign material from production lines.
TOMRA machines use a variety of sensors. Near Infra-Red (NIR) spectroscopy enables an analysis of the molecular structure of a product whilst x-rays, fluorescent lighting and lasers measure the elemental composition of objects. The internal composition and surface structure of objects can also be analysed to determine good or bad produce.
“As safety regulations and the demand for food have increased, optical and sensor-based sorting has become a requisite rather than a luxury for many producers who have previously relied upon manual sorting and inspection.”
