Food warnings: Figures and causes
According to the German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety, contamination with pathogens is the most common cause of recalls—accounting for around 33% of cases. Foreign bodies such as glass or metal fragments are responsible for 15%. Convenience products such as ready-made salads or sandwiches, whose rapid processing poses specific challenges for quality control, are particularly affected.
In 2019, around 500,000 businesses in Germany were inspected, with 12.6% of inspections resulting in complaints. Food for special nutritional requirements, such as baby food, had a particularly high complaint rate of 25.4%. Such figures underline the importance of robust quality management throughout the food industry.
The consequences for companies
A recall can have far-reaching consequences for companies, from economic losses to a loss of consumer confidence. In addition to direct costs such as the recall and disposal of affected products, there are also indirect costs, such as production downtime or loss of reputation.
In an increasingly digitalized world, information about recalls is being disseminated faster and more transparently.
Secure supply chains as a solution
Secure supply chains play a key role in minimizing the risk of contamination and recalls. Traceability is a key aspect of this. Modern systems make it possible to precisely identify affected batches and recall them in a targeted manner instead of withdrawing entire production series from circulation. This reduces costs and maintains consumer confidence.
Technologies such as metal detectors, X-ray systems and vision inspections help to identify and reject foreign bodies at an early stage. Supplemented by digital solutions, such as the integration of GS1 Digital Links on packaging, transparency is improved across the entire value chain.