Food safety, traceability and sustainability blog

Friday Round-up (8/21/20): Food Industry Events Remaining Virtual

Every week FoodLogiQ will be aggregating the latest updates and resources for businesses navigating the changing food industry. Learn how the industry leaders are adapting to protect and feed consumers, while building resilience in the face of global crisis.

The coronavirus crisis continues to pose new and continued challenges for individuals and industries. Wherever possible, organizations are opting for risk reduction and attempting to accommodate distanced pandemic life. As we approach the fall, it’s no wonder the food industry is continuing a trend that started in the Spring: the virtual conference. From the digital edition to the annual GS1 Connect conference, to newer events like Attricon put on by Attribytes. Elements of the virtual conference have been vehicles for industry engagement long before the COVID-19 health crisis. Webinars, on-demand videos and virtual meet-and-greets are not altogether new. However, food industry institutions are bundling these elements in new ways to fill the conference void—a void carries on into the latter half of 2020.

Friday Round-up (8/14/20): Recalls Felt Across Food Industry

Every week FoodLogiQ will be aggregating the latest updates and resources for businesses navigating the changing food industry. Learn how the industry leaders are adapting to protect and feed consumers, while building resilience in the face of global crisis.

2019 was another big year for recalls. According to Food Safety Magazine, the FDA confirmed a total of 337 recalls and the USDA FSIS confirmed a total of 125 recalls last year alone. Between undeclared allergens, Listeria, Salmonella and E. coli outbreaks, as well as foreign material contamination, the year proved grueling for the world of food safety. And, this year appears to be following similar trends, including a major Salmonella outbreak this month that has affected nearly 900 people to date.

How to Cut Your Recall Solution Time in Half Using Mock Recalls

Recalls are on the rise, jumping four-fold in the last five years - and 2019 had no shortage of them. From food products like romaine and papaya, fish, poultry and beef, to food and beverage packaging, food companies executed recalls on a daily basis.

In Wake of Romaine Lettuce Recall, FoodLogiQ Calls Supply Chain Management and Food Traceability "More Important Than Ever"

"When you consider that 3,000 people die every year from foodborne illness—that's one 9/11 every year," says FoodLogiQ CEO Sean O'Leary. "That's unacceptable because this is a preventable issue, and unfortunately, these illnesses are an underreported public health problem."

FoodLogiQ shared thoughts from corporate leadership today in the wake of the ongoing E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce.  The affected produce has sickened 67 people in 19 states, with 39 hospitalizations and six cases of kidney failure, according to a November 26, 2019 update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As of today, no deaths have been attributed to the E. coli outbreak.

A Year Later: What We Learned About the 2018 Romaine Lettuce Recall

After retailers pulled romaine lettuce off shelves in the Fall of 2018, consumers were left wondering if leafy greens were safe to eat.

Nothing alarms consumers at the grocery store more than seeing row after row of empty shelves where produce used to be. This was the scene during the nation’s largest recall of romaine lettuce one year ago. Although consumers were repeatedly reassured by the FDA earlier this year that all the affected produce was removed from retail locations, some consumers still have underlying concerns about whether the lettuce is really safe to eat.