HVP Recall Reminders

Another potentially major recall is in process: hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) from Basic Food Flavors due to Salmonella Tennessee contamination. The adjective major applies, because, like much of the product in the earlier Peanut Corporation of America peanut butter recall, the product in question is a food ingredient, a factor that exponentially raises the risk of Salmonella-contaminated foods reaching the consumer.

However, practically speaking, the actual potential is likely much smaller. FDA says at this point, no illnesses traced to this recall have been reported—and the recalled product goes back to Sept. 2009. According to the FDA press conference about the HVP recall, “the risk presented by this recall is very low to consumers. Many of the foods that incorporated this product at a very low level have kill steps in place that would eliminate Salmonella.” Because of this, FDA has not asked companies to recall product containing the contaminated HVP product if it received a validated kill step because those products pose no threat to consumers. That means finished food like dips, dressing and snacks that used the questionable HVP and aren’t thermally treated are subject to recall due to the risk of Salmonella.

The contamination was found by a customer of Basic Food Flavors checking incoming ingredients, and its source traced back to the plant where the HVP was manufactured. The customer notified the FDA’s Reportable Food Registry (an electronic reporting system for industry to notify regulators there is reasonable probability that an article of food will cause serious adverse health consequences) and the recall and identification proceeded as it was set up to do. That’s a good thing—unless you happen to be on the receiving end of the recall.

There’s no way to know at this point whether the Salmonella contamination was due to indifference to basic sanitation, like the peanut butter problem, lack of diligence and HACCP on the part of the manufacturer, or just one of those “Oh %$#@! That would only happen once in a million years” moments. But it should serve as a warning to everyone in the food industry: It’s essential to be hyper-vigilant to make sure that any problem, no matter how seemingly insignificant, be corrected—and corrected quickly. And if you’re responsible for product safety, you better be the type that looks at every conceivable contingency for risk. And if you’re in charge of the company, you better listen very carefully and take product safety seriously, unless you want to find yourself in the middle of the next major recall.

   -Lynn A. Kuntz