Dont’t be blue, be happy and safe with Twirl’Blue!
By Sofia Jule-Manzon
LABPLAS Scientific Support Specialist
Canada is one of the safest countries when it comes to food safety. However, no food safety program is flawless. Contaminations of any kind can happen at different points of the production process, and this can lead to outbreaks and recalls.
Last year in Canada alone, there were more than 200 food recall warnings and allergy alerts ranging from low risk (Class III) to high risk (Class I). Food recalls can originate from different types of hazards. Canada separates food hazards into three categories: biological, chemical, and physical. For instance, contaminants could include bacteria, viruses, parasites, pesticides, insecticides, or fragments of metal or rock.
In 2016, it was estimated that 4 million (1 in 8) Canadians are affected every
year by foodborne illnesses caused by biological hazards. In fact, roughly 30
foodborne bacteria, parasites, and viruses are the cause to approximately 11,600 hospitalizations each year. To protect the Canadian population, mainly the people most at risk such as pregnant women, infants, and elders, it is important to have a proper preventive control plan (PCP) in place to avoid any type of biological hazard from arising. PCPs are based on risk assessment and testing and are a great way to prevent foodborne illnesses from occurring, especially when risks are higher. For that purpose, it is important to choose the best sampling and testing tools.
To avoid such erroneous results and capital loss, LABPLAS provides sterile sampling tools that are tested and trusted globally. Indeed, LABPLAS always has the best interest of its clients at heart; not only does LABPLAS offer an array of choices when it comes to sampling but also its scientific expertise. However, even with the finest sampling tools, contamination may occur if sampling is not done properly. Therefore, to avoid contamination, whether it be crosscontamination or getting fragments in the finished product, it is recommended that only trained individuals should perform the duty of sampling.
Physical risks
If fragments or pieces of plastic end up in the food product by negligence or inadvertence, these could become physical hazards. In fact, physical hazards are any extraneous material introduced into the product during its process or naturally occurring and found in the finished product that poses a danger to the consumer. Health Canada considers foreign matters that measure two millimetres or more a Physical Hazard. As previously stated, some foreign matters are unavoidable, occurring as by-products of the processing system, or as inherent from the product. These foreign matters may include insect fragments, fruit stems, dirt, etc. Then again, some foreign matters can also be avoidable and may result from accidents or worst, improper GMPs. Glass and metal fragments are good examples of such avoidable extraneous matters. These hazards may contaminate the product at any stage of the process and endanger consumers. That is why it is critical to control them. For example, one of the many ways to reduce risk is by restricting the wear of jewellery on the processing floor, especially knowing that damages can range from broken teeth, chocking or perforation of the gastrointestinal tract. To control and prevent such hazards, regular visual inspections are just as important as following proper analysis procedures. Moreover, a physical hazard previously contaminated by a pathogen can cause foodborne illnesses, and therefore be both a physical and biological hazard.
LABPLAS offers preventative measures for both hazards, the TWIRL’BLUE sampling bag, and the Detectable Blue Pen. The TWIRL’BLUE sampling bag is sterile, keeping samples free of contaminants and delivering accurate results. Its vibrant blue colour stands out from the rest of its environment, allowing the user to quickly find any fallen pieces. The blue colour makes it visually easier to locate the strip in case it falls, thus preventing pieces of plastic from ending in the consumer’s plate. It would be quite unsettling to bite onto a piece of plastic when enjoying a meal amongst friends and families. In addition, the Detectable Blue Pen was also designed for the prevention of extraneous physical hazards. It is a pen manufactured as a single piece and injected with metal particles, thus allowing a metal detector or an x-ray machine to easily detect it and alert employees, if fallen into the production line.
The TWIRL’BLUE and Detectable Blue Pen were both created with the food industry in mind to prevent the facts outlined above. Not many foods are naturally blue, which makes the bag easy to spot and remove, thus reducing the risk of contamination. Of course, foods with similar colours such as blueberries, blue corn, honeyberries, haskap berries, Decaisnea fargesii, Saskatoon berries, blue carrots, concord grape and candies with artificial blue colour do exist. Nonetheless, the TWIRL’BLUE is still prominently noticeable overall.
Aforementioned, Canada is one of the safest countries when it comes to food contamination; however, that also means that standards are higher, and consumers are less and less inclined to check their food for foreign matter before eating it. This is unquestionably an improvement from the past, but also lowers the public’s tolerance to any type of food hazard. Any minor incident would severely damage the company’s reputation, and consumer’s confidence would rapidly decline.
In Canada, since the beginning of 2021 to late April, there has been six recalls due to physical hazards and nine recalls due to the presence of pathogens, stressing just how important it is for food companies to establish, conduct and verify food safety programs according to regulatory requirements and best industry practices.
LABPLAS’ objective is to protect client’s reputation and investment. That is why all these facts are taken into consideration when creating sampling products. Stop the outbreaks; use TWIRL’BLUE & Detectable Blue Pen available only at LABPLAS.
