Several large-scale recalls have been issued recently for products containing foreign material, which creates headlines that draw a lot of attention to how the industry keeps foreign material from contaminating the food supply. We’ve heard rumblings of new government policies, so it is prudent to review the basic concerns. I believe it is safe to say that all parties — consumer, regulator or protein manufacturer — do not want foreign material in food.
If you step back and recognize the sheer scale of our food supply and the industry, you would be astounded at how well we actually control this. Yet, regardless of the progressive steps we have taken, there are still changes to be made in order for us to manage the risk.