The past few years have been marked by a sharp uptick in food and beverage recalls. Stericycle Expert Solutions’ quarterly Recall Index reports that the food and beverage industries has seen the greatest spike in recalls in the past five years compared with other industries.
The fourth quarter of 2017 showed a 92.7 percent jump compared with 2012. About a third of those recalls were related to bacterial contaminations. Although many of these recalls affected food items, the risk still exists for beverages. In line with this, hygiene and product safety are “absolute, non-negotiable top priorities” for filling technology customers, says Bob Adamson, director of marketing at ProMach Filling Systems, Waukesha, Wis.