It always makes us at eProduce sad when we see yet another food recall. First off, we’re concerned for the people who have bought whatever food was contaminated.
Even if there turns out to be no danger from the product, they’ve no doubt worried about it and been scared about having eaten it. But the thing that makes us most frustrated about recalls is how the vast majority of them could have been avoided.
Why Are Mass Scale Recalls Still Happening in This Modern Age?
In general, recalls happen when there’s some kind of mistake made in the growing, handling, packing, or shipping of produce. Mistakes happen when there isn’t proper guidance for employees and when the produce itself isn’t properly tracked and documented. Record keeping catches small problems with produce before they become big — keeping any potentially mishandled produce off of shelves and stopping it from doing any damage.
Yet although contamination is preventable, we see new contamination cases almost weekly. This week, it was peanuts and mushrooms that threatened customers. Across the country, top grocery stores pulled peanut butter and trail mix off of their shelves. Products containing mushrooms were quick to follow as concern rose.
The Social Cost of Product Recalls
A recall like this is costly for grocery stores and food companies alike. Not only is getting all of those products off the shelves a logistical nightmare, but the potential danger makes customers afraid. A recall sends a message that a particular food is unsafe, and damages sales of that food for months, and in some cases, for years afterward.
Demand for Better Farm to Farm To Fork Tracking
How can companies save money and ensure consumer safety? Paper record keeping is an outdated anachronism compared with what a custom software solution can provide. With the technology available today, there is no reason that companies shouldn’t be using food tracking software other than the fact that there is no pressure to change.
With eProduce food tracking software, fresh produce can be tracked through every step of the growing and shipping process, catching any errors before they become too big to contain. Growers and distributors will know if something goes wrong almost as soon as it happens, rather than months later when a costly recall is required to contain the problem.
But even more importantly, software gives companies a way to ensure that employees remember and follow proper procedure. Checklists can be created to guide workers through picking, packing, and storage, ensuring that proper temperatures and other specifics are always observed. This kind of oversight stops problems before they start.
Why don’t more companies use this software? We’re as confused as you are. Management software saves time and money, and protects the customers. That’s exactly what companies want to do, and new software innovation makes it easier than ever. Let’s stop these recalls and dangerous problems once and for all by holding distribution centers, packaging centers and growers accountable.
