This article is written by a food safety officer at Vmanifest Private Limited

Working in the food industry, I often come across sensitive and convoluted cases. One such incident involves the imported frozen meat products sector.

The Incident

This happened at a company where I worked a few years ago. Our canteen hosted a lavish lunch for employees and customers. Everyone enjoyed the buffet menu, the service, and the arrangements. Guests eagerly savoured meat specialities and other delicacies. The celebration was going smoothly until the canteen team called with alarming news. “Something has pierced a customer’s gum, and he is bleeding profusely.” The team rushed the customer to a nearby clinic for medical attention. The doctor removed a sharp metal object and confirmed that it was a broken surgical needle.

The entire service team was shocked. How could a broken surgical needle end up in the food? Unfortunately, it had. The company arranged the best possible medical treatment for the injured customer and provided substantial compensation.

The Investigation

The investigation team included staff at every level, from frontline employees to top management. We started at the operational level and examined every possible reason why a surgical needle might have contaminated the food. We questioned each employee separately to reconstruct the processes involved in preparing and serving that lunch. After a thorough investigation, we discovered something surprising: the broken surgical needle had come from the beef preparation. The next question was, how had it happened?

Given the seriousness of the incident, we contacted the supplier and the manufacturer. The manufacturer acknowledged that meat could potentially contain a broken surgical needle. Its investigative report explained the vaccination practices used for livestock. Although needle breakage during vaccination is rare, a practitioner who fails to notice a broken needle can create a serious risk. What if the customer had swallowed it? Such negligence could have cost him his life!

This incident strengthened my confidence as a food safety trainer in the value of thorough investigations. A systematic investigation can identify the root causes of incidents in food processing and help prevent similar occurrences while reducing their severity.

The training we had received before the incident also helped the team remain vigilant at every stage of the operation. Our team had kept the process control forms up to date and documented all critical control points. These records helped us gather the right information and conduct an effective investigation.

The Conclusion

Though the incidents of finding needles in food are few, the risk to the consumer could be fatal. Food safety involves everybody in the food chain. The food industry has a moral responsibility to ensure that the food supplied to their consumers is free from any contaminants. This can be ensured by having risk assessment audits, following HACCP guidelines, and, in the words of Bill Marler, “ Each and every member of the food industry, from farm to fork, must create a culture where food safety and nutrition is paramount”.