Picture the quality of your food products as a boat floating in the sea. On a perfect day, the sea would be completely calm and still, making predictions about the general safety and shelf life of these products relatively easy. But, we know that seas are rarely calm. When winds pick up, your small boat is rocked, rising and falling on the waves. These conditions could be viewed as the day-to-day quality or microbial load of your products—not exactly perfect but within a reasonable range for planning and management. Sometimes though, the sea can become very rough. Perhaps a huge wave arises out of nowhere that can actually sink your boat. This is the situation with food safety recalls linked to foodborne pathogens.
Calculating the economic impact of a food safety recall is relatively simple. Take the total value of your company—your assets, brand equity, hard work, etc.—and divide by one significant recall. These “big waves” can cost you everything. Just ask Peanut Corp. of America, a Lynchburg, Va., peanut processing company who closed in 2009 due to a Salmonella outbreak, or New Food Classics, a Canada-based meat processor who closed its doors in 2012 because of a recall involving E. coli O157:H7.
But, what about those smaller waves, the ones that affect quality and shelf life of your products?
Although the economic impact of poor food quality is more difficult to calculate, it can nonetheless impact the profitability of your business. When product quality is inconsistent, a manufacturer may overproduce to compensate for this uncertainty, or perhaps limit expansion into larger markets where longer transportation times could affect product quality. Production losses due to food spoilage occur every day and can significantly affect your bottom line. So, what causes these unstable food quality issues? More importantly, what can be done to minimize them and settle your rocking boat?
Foods are complex systems, and spoilage can occur due to multiple factors. Depending on the type of product, spoilage or reduced shelf life can be influenced by temperature abuse, light, moisture/water activity, air and endogenous enzymes, to name a few. Failing to control these factors can not only lead to premature spoilage, but may also accelerate other factors, such as lipid oxidation and the proliferation of unwanted microorganisms.