Ethics in the Food Industry

I have always believed that each of us, who wish to be a part of the food industry are given the responsibility of protecting the public by producing food products that will not harm our customers. If the only reason we entered this business was to make money, then we have no right to be in this industry.

There is no less responsibility to protect the public in the food industry than there is in the medical field or firefighting or emergency workers or police officers.

Whenever we see people getting ill or dying from consuming food that they believe to be safe, then it harms not just the plant operators that do not care about their products or do not care to learn how to produce safe products, it harms each of us in the food industry.

The trust in the industry has been lost. In my years in the industry, I do not recall the situation being so out of control. And because one plant can send out ingredients and products that affect other products and because companies have merged and closed down underperforming plants, one large operator covers a larger part of the industry.

Today, in the Washington Post, it was revealed that the peanut company that had produced peanut butter and paste that was implicated in causing many illnesses and up to seven deaths, had internal tests over the last two years that were positive for Salmonella. Some of the tests were environmental and some were in products that had been shipped out. Those products were not withdrawn or recalled.

When a company does internal testing, and almost all do, and finds positive results what do they do with the results? Most companies have a plan for cleaning, protecting the product, protecting the public. I believe you are obligated to do more than test.
Before you start a testing procedure, you should put down in writing your plan to handle positive results. Then if you have a positive test, you must follow your plan.

Later today, the Peanut Corporation of America announced further recalls on all peanuts and products that were manufactured in their Georgia facility.

If you are CEO or president of your food company now is the time to ask the following four questions:

What bacterial contamination tests are being performed by your Quality Departments?

Who is aware of the results of these tests?

What action is occurring if a test result is positive?

When and how is the decision made to remove the product that may be contaminated from the market?

Based on your answers you may want to call or email me for a confidential and candid discussion. Understand that the persons supplying answers to your questions may be telling you the policy answer and not reality. They may be conditioned to do so.

Be informed, step up and take ownership of the process, and do not punish the public or your industry, because you do not have the time or desire to do the right thing.

Do more than is expected or required to protect the public. Help us put confidence back into our food industry and its safety.

Rudy Westervelt
rudy@powerinlearning.com
www.powerinlearning.com