Food factories nowadays produce literally thousands or millions of individual food products. The products are manufactured in batches or consignments and it is humanly impossible for the manufacturer to check or handle each item. Yet mistakes and low quality items sometimes enter the production line. These products are either not saleable or they pose a health risk to the public. The manufacturer therefore needs some form of system to track and record their products, and food traceability software systems are one option.
The two primary reasons for problems with food products are that they are either too old to be sold or they are a health hazard to the public. When a product is legally too old to be on the market, this does not automatically mean that it is unhealthy. It simply means that the legal expiry date has passed. The product is then not permitted to be on the shelf. The retailer is not allowed to sell it, even though it is still fit for consumption.
Another reason is that the food is genuinely decomposed and cannot be safely consumed. This is particularly true in the case of perishable products such as fresh produce and dairy. However, many other products are subject to the same issue, such as tinned foods or even long-term storage items like grains.
In order to track down all of these different products, manufacturers can use software systems to record and track a batch or consignment. They can then identify each batch and try to pinpoint its location so as to remove the products from the shelf.
The public, however, can also take steps to ensure that what they buy is still fit for consumption. The trouble is that any system of recording, tagging and location can be manipulated by retailers and producers. The date that you see on the product is not always the correct expiry date. There are certain things that consumers can check themselves to protect themselves from this unscrupulous practice.
An example of a product that the consumer can inspect themselves is tinned food. Tins that have been penetrated, dented or that are rusting should be avoided. If the contents of a tin are decomposing, the tin will inflate. This may also indicate that air has entered the tin.
Other long-term storage items are also susceptible to expiry and decomposition. This issue arises where the product is designed for this purpose, such as where it is advertised as a "long-life" product. These products sometimes are stored for a very long time, even one or two years. This does not make them immune to expiry and where they have expired and the retailer is still insisting on selling them to the public, the manufacturer or the authorities can be contacted.
Expired food products are a serious threat to public health and they should be identified and eliminated from sale as soon as possible. This is not only about the taste or quality of the products - the public should be protected against avoidable diseases.
The two primary reasons for problems with food products are that they are either too old to be sold or they are a health hazard to the public. When a product is legally too old to be on the market, this does not automatically mean that it is unhealthy. It simply means that the legal expiry date has passed. The product is then not permitted to be on the shelf. The retailer is not allowed to sell it, even though it is still fit for consumption.
Another reason is that the food is genuinely decomposed and cannot be safely consumed. This is particularly true in the case of perishable products such as fresh produce and dairy. However, many other products are subject to the same issue, such as tinned foods or even long-term storage items like grains.
In order to track down all of these different products, manufacturers can use software systems to record and track a batch or consignment. They can then identify each batch and try to pinpoint its location so as to remove the products from the shelf.
The public, however, can also take steps to ensure that what they buy is still fit for consumption. The trouble is that any system of recording, tagging and location can be manipulated by retailers and producers. The date that you see on the product is not always the correct expiry date. There are certain things that consumers can check themselves to protect themselves from this unscrupulous practice.
An example of a product that the consumer can inspect themselves is tinned food. Tins that have been penetrated, dented or that are rusting should be avoided. If the contents of a tin are decomposing, the tin will inflate. This may also indicate that air has entered the tin.
Other long-term storage items are also susceptible to expiry and decomposition. This issue arises where the product is designed for this purpose, such as where it is advertised as a "long-life" product. These products sometimes are stored for a very long time, even one or two years. This does not make them immune to expiry and where they have expired and the retailer is still insisting on selling them to the public, the manufacturer or the authorities can be contacted.
Expired food products are a serious threat to public health and they should be identified and eliminated from sale as soon as possible. This is not only about the taste or quality of the products - the public should be protected against avoidable diseases.
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