According to Worldometers, the global population currently standards at close to 7.5 billion. While it is hard to put an exact number on the amount of people across the world, it's safe to say that one of the challenges facing society is food distribution.
As well as the ongoing poverty in many nations, there is now a flourishing middle class across Asia and South America – all demanding increasing resources from food-producing nations such as Australia. We are in an advantageous position thanks to our rich soil and geography to become a true leader in food production and manufacturing. Of course, any hard work can be undone in one bad media story.
Quality Bakers Australia recall
On September 29, Quality Bakers Australia recalled a number of its products sold in NSW and ACT including Hot Dog Rolls, Hamburger Rolls and White Round Rolls. Based on the press release from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the recall relates to the small metal pieces from processing equipment that may have contaminated the product during manufacturing.
Foreign material was the third most common cause of food recalls between 2006 and 2015, according to Food Standards Australia and New Zealand.
Foreign material was the third most common cause of food recalls between 2006 and 2015.
While the Quality Bakers Australia products were only sold in two states and, to this date, have received no complaints – it highlights the risk food manufacturing companies shoulder on an everyday basis. If this issue had cropped up after exports arrived in another country or on a larger scale, it could have major ramifications for the local food industry.
As New Zealand dairy company Fonterra found in 2013 following a false contaminated milk scandal, foreign governments are quick to ban or restrict products when consumer safety is involved. Even though botulism-causing bacteria wasn't discovered, the Chinese government banned all New Zealand milk whey products until the issue was resolved.
So, how can Australian food manufacturers ensure they remain welcome across the world? One option is using smart checkweighing technology from SRO Technology.
How does checkweighing work?
Checkweighing systems are designed for both packaged and unpackaged products and work to ensure your products are clear for distribution.
One of the real advantages is that they can not only manage under and/or overweight packages, the systems can scan for contamination and missing components. For example, if a small piece of metal become lodged in the food product, the business can catch it before it goes to market.
If you would like to learn more about checkweighing systems, feel free to contact the expert team at SRO Technology today.
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