A recall of contaminated pre-packaged salads in early February has left many Australian consumers confused and cautious about what they buy.
“There is still confusion and some people have been tossing out all salad instead of just the salad in the recall,” Produce Marketing Association Australia and New Zealand (PMA ANZ) Technology Manager Richard Bennett says.
“But my understanding is that the recall was effective and retailers and other customers removed recall product very quickly. It’s also important to remember that this type of contamination has a limited lifespan, and all recalled product will be completely out of the system by now.”
The recall was announced on 4th February 2016 and related to a range of pre-packaged salad brands sold at retail and other outlets in a number of states and territories, mainly Victoria, due to the detection of salmonella.
The contaminated product was identified as coming from one supplier, and only related to products with use by dates up to 14th February 2016. No other growers are part of the recall, although sales have been down across the industry since the announcement.
“Given this is the peak consumer season for salads and there is a pipeline of product planted, growing and awaiting harvest, of course it’s going to hurt all growers and processors of salad products,” Mr Bennett says.
“The extent will vary from business to business, but they are hurting now.”
But he also says that they have seen a growing number of consumers now returning to the category.
“We’re aware that some consumers, once confident that the incident was isolated, were quite happy to go back and purchase product, albeit from a different supplier, soon after the recall. They had the information they needed, and for them it was fine,” he says.
“But it’s about human behaviour, and while some have regained their confidence, others remain cautious, so we need to make sure we rebuild their confidence and trust now.”
He says it’s important for the industry to now conduct a full investigation and technical review of the event in order to identify the cause, as well as to consider “what opportunities there are for the industry to improve”.
“Obviously the more known about the cause, the more we are able to implement corrective actions.”
He also says the industry will need to work together to rebuild consumer confidence in what is considered a major fresh produce category. Pre-packed salads have been readily available to Australians for over 20 years, with sales data showing consumers buy around 205 million bags per year.
“Particularly as this time of year is salad season, we need to work swiftly to rebuild consumer confidence,” he says.
“The best way to do that is to promote the health benefits of fresh cut salads and regain consumer confidence and trust that this particular situation has happened, has been resolved and that the systems that are in place have been improved to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
The Produce Marketing Association Australia-New Zealand is the trade association for the fresh produce and floral industry, representing stakeholders throughout the supply chain.
Mr Bennett says they are committed to continually lifting their game when it comes to quality assurance.
“We look at the critical limits and the best process to achieve them, and we continually strive to innovate, adapt and reset best practice for the industry,” he says.
“Nothing’s static in this industry. It’s about research, education, outreach, and continuous improvement and innovation. And the industry is quick to adopt.”
