The processing industry is no stranger to food safety challenges. Whether triggered by pathogens, foreign materials or allergens, more and more companies are becoming embroiled in recalls. But almost without exception, the industry has successfully confronted and solved its greatest challenges.
E. coli O157:H7 is a prime example. Just 10 years ago, the beef industry experienced 22 recalls of ground beef triggered by E. coli concerns. Almost 35 million pounds of ground beef was removed from store shelves. This year, there have been only eight recalls involving 150,686 pounds of ground beef. This demonstrates incredible success in controlling this once seemingly unmanageable food safety risk.