Food sector taking chances with cheap imported seals
5 Aug 2016
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Wolverhampton, UK - The food industry needs to do more to ensure its supply chain is using the right materials to avoid contamination later in the process, according to UK rubber manufacturer MacLellan Rubber.
The warning follows a major recall by yoghurt manufacturer Yeo Valley due to contamination by rubber pieces - possibly from a degraded seal on a production line.
The recall brought the issue of rubber integrity into the headlines this week, but bosses at MacLellan Rubber believe it is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to a much bigger problem for the sector.
At Wolverhampton-based MacLellan Rubber, managers Simon Winfield and Andrew Onions believe less than 10 percent of the rubber used in gaskets and seals is purchased from the UK or Europe.
This, said the seals experts, "means the vast majority are less likely to meet the Food Contact Regulation EU 1935:2004, 2023/26 and FDA 21 CFR Part 177.2."
And while larger businesses are ensuring their processes are compliant, the pair believe that "there is less enforcement further down the supply chain and this can cause serious financial and reputational issues."
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