Food products are mass produced in the modern era. They are manufactured in batches or consignments of thousands or millions. This makes it impossible for their manufacturers to individually inspect and approve each item. This does not mean, however, that defects are never encountered. So, where a batch has as defect, there is a threat to the public's health and the manufacturer needs to be able to trace the batch and eliminate the products from the market. Food traceability software systems are one way of doing this.
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.
But the other reason is more serious. One would expect this to be limited to the perishable products like fresh fruit and vegetables and dairy, but even tinned foods and long-storage cereals suffer from the issue of decomposition. Once this has set in, the product is genuinely useless and cannot be consumed, let alone sold.
In order to track down all of these different products, manufacturers can use software systems to record and track a batch or consignment. They can then identify each batch and try to pinpoint its location so as to remove the products from the shelf.
The public, however, can also take steps to ensure that what they buy is still fit for consumption. The trouble is that any system of recording, tagging and location can be manipulated by retailers and producers. The date that you see on the product is not always the correct expiry date. There are certain things that consumers can check themselves to protect themselves from this unscrupulous practice.
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.
The flavor or quality of the product is not the only consideration when it comes to expired food products. Public health is important and expired foodstuffs can cause disease and death. These products should be detected and removed from the market as a matter of course.
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.
But the other reason is more serious. One would expect this to be limited to the perishable products like fresh fruit and vegetables and dairy, but even tinned foods and long-storage cereals suffer from the issue of decomposition. Once this has set in, the product is genuinely useless and cannot be consumed, let alone sold.
In order to track down all of these different products, manufacturers can use software systems to record and track a batch or consignment. They can then identify each batch and try to pinpoint its location so as to remove the products from the shelf.
The public, however, can also take steps to ensure that what they buy is still fit for consumption. The trouble is that any system of recording, tagging and location can be manipulated by retailers and producers. The date that you see on the product is not always the correct expiry date. There are certain things that consumers can check themselves to protect themselves from this unscrupulous practice.
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.
The flavor or quality of the product is not the only consideration when it comes to expired food products. Public health is important and expired foodstuffs can cause disease and death. These products should be detected and removed from the market as a matter of course.
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