Five Steps to Optimum Product Inspection for Fruit and Vegetable Producers

The need to equip fruit and vegetable processing lines with top-quality product inspection equipment is more pressing than ever before. Tightened regulatory standards and heightened consumer awareness require that fruit and vegetable producers take all measures necessary to protect both customers and their brand reputation.

- Neil Giles

In 2010, UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) reported 116 incidents of physical contamination, with 66 percent concerning ‘extrinsic material not related to the food itself’. Thirteen product recall notices were issued. Interestingly, in 2009 the number of incidents was 56, less than half the 2010 figure.

These figures and the example above are the type of issues that provoke concern amongst fruit and vegetable producers. There are inevitable and serious consequences in the event of a product recall – the financial cost of sanctions and fines is often high, and can have immediate and long term implications for company reputation and share price. Food safety scares can dent consumer confidence to such an extent that affected brands may find it very difficult to recover.

In order to keep your customers satisfied and to ensure your brand and reputation are protected, certain product inspection steps must be taken. Below is a five-point checklist of your route to the highest-quality product inspection.

Understand the Regulations

The first step in satisfying food regulations and standards is to acquire a full understanding of what they entail and which particular ones apply to your organisation. It’s important to select equipment and suppliers that can ensure compliance and have knowledge of global and local quality standards, regional differences and industry variations.