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.
The other cause is authentic decomposition, or loss of quality to the extent that the food product cannot be consumed any more. This is usually encountered in the case of perishables like vegetables, fruit and dairy, but it is also possible with canned goods or items which can be stored for a very long time, such as grains.
The software systems are used to tag and record each batch of products. The manufacturer can then track the batch and monitor its movement, so that they can locate it and eliminate it from the market if they need to.
Yet the consumer can also empower themselves in order to avoid purchasing undesirable expired goods. This is important because the system of tracking and monitoring is not foolproof. Retailers can manipulate the system to avoid the elimination of expired goods. For example, where an expiry date is published on the packaging, this date may not be accurate or may be edited as it approaches.
Tinned food is easy to check because the packaging easily betrays the expired nature of its contents. A swollen tin, for example, means that air has entered the tin or that the contents are decomposing. In either case, the tin should not be purchased. A dented, rusted or punctured tin should not be bought.
Some products are specifically marketed as long-life or long-term. But this does not mean that they never expire. The temptation for retailers is to stock them for a long time, so that even after one or two years they still have not past their expiry date. But they may yet be expired. If the retailer refuses to remove them from the shelves, the consumer has the right to contact the authorities or the manufacturer.
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.
The other cause is authentic decomposition, or loss of quality to the extent that the food product cannot be consumed any more. This is usually encountered in the case of perishables like vegetables, fruit and dairy, but it is also possible with canned goods or items which can be stored for a very long time, such as grains.
The software systems are used to tag and record each batch of products. The manufacturer can then track the batch and monitor its movement, so that they can locate it and eliminate it from the market if they need to.
Yet the consumer can also empower themselves in order to avoid purchasing undesirable expired goods. This is important because the system of tracking and monitoring is not foolproof. Retailers can manipulate the system to avoid the elimination of expired goods. For example, where an expiry date is published on the packaging, this date may not be accurate or may be edited as it approaches.
Tinned food is easy to check because the packaging easily betrays the expired nature of its contents. A swollen tin, for example, means that air has entered the tin or that the contents are decomposing. In either case, the tin should not be purchased. A dented, rusted or punctured tin should not be bought.
Some products are specifically marketed as long-life or long-term. But this does not mean that they never expire. The temptation for retailers is to stock them for a long time, so that even after one or two years they still have not past their expiry date. But they may yet be expired. If the retailer refuses to remove them from the shelves, the consumer has the right to contact the authorities or the manufacturer.
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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