A ban on the two top Indian spice brands imposed by the Hong Kong and Singapore governments has once again sparked the debate over quality standards followed by Indian food brands.
Spice Brands Failed Quality Testing
Two top Indian spice brands have found themselves in hot water with Singapore and Hong Kong’s food safety authorities. The two countries’ governments have asked shopkeepers to stop selling particular Indian spice mixes after they failed quality testing. According to a report on the Center for Food Safety, Hong Kong’s website, popular spice blends from these top brands contain ethylene oxide, a cancer-causing chemical. The samples tested from different stores recorded higher than permissible levels of the chemical in their products.
Last week, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) recalled the fish curry powder of a top Indian spice brand after finding a higher percentage of ethylene oxide. The SFA has also issued a statement suggesting that anyone concerned about their health after consuming the product may seek medical help.
Brands must take quick action before other countries follow the same suit.
What Are the Concerns Over Ethylene Oxide?
Ethylene oxide is a pesticide used for fumigating dried food items like nuts, spices, etc., to treat them for disease-causing microbes and insects. However, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has noted the chemical as a group 1 carcinogen. There is sufficient evidence to link ethylene oxide to increased chances of cancer in humans, especially breast cancer. It is unsafe for human consumption beyond a specific level. The samples tested in Hong Kong from three stores were reported to exceed the permitted level of Ethylene Oxide or EtO of 7ppm.
It is not the first time that Indian food items have been placed under scanners by foreign food safety authorities. In 2023, the US Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) ordered a recall of multiple spices and food items from Indian brands upon finding traces of Salmonella bacteria. In another occurrence in 2019, the FDA asked an Indian brand to withdraw their Sambar Masala distributed in northern California for Salmonella contamination. Following these events, it is safe to say that Indian brands need stringent food safety and quality guidelines and must strictly adhere to those to avoid similar setbacks in the future.
An ERP application in the food industry plays a critical role in integrating the production process, from procurement to distribution and logistics. With real-time quality checks, RnD integration, and formula standardization, an ERP system can ensure higher quality standards and minimize events of product recall.
Recommendations to Improve Quality Control in the Food Industry
India is a global leader in exporting agricultural and processed foods to the international market. In 2022-23, India exported spice and spice products worth ₹31761 crore. Events such as these bans may affect the business prospects of the Indian food industry. Indian food producers and exporters must implement stricter quality control to avoid facing backlashes in the future.
Here are some steps to improve quality control in the food industry :
- Testing raw material: Food producers must test the quality of their raw materials at the beginning of the production process to ensure they match the quality standards. Testing of raw materials includes determining any presence of pollutants, allergens, and other factors to eliminate any chance of contamination or product spoilage afterward.
- Sourcing from listed vendors: Having a list of suppliers guarantees that each party is vetted to meet quality and distribution specifications.
- Recipe standardization: Documenting the manufacturing process and recipe confirms the same quality each time. It allows standardization of the process across departments and removes production bottlenecks. Documentation also helps in future research and developments and product enhancements.
- Real-time process monitoring: With ERP software, it is now possible to monitor the manufacturing process in real time. Manufacturing process monitoring offers insights into any bottleneck in the production process and simplifies addressing the issue.
- In-process quality control: In-process quality control ensures monitoring of critical production points, adherence to the standard operating procedure, and goods are produced in a controlled environment to avoid any quality or safety concerns
- Checking the final product: Analysis of the final product confirms that the final product satisfies product quality check-lists, nutrition levels, labeling requirements, etc.
- Adherence to food safety standards: Another aspect of implementing a rigorous quality control process is adhering to the compliance regulations and safety standards. Failing to meet the quality standards not only results in a loss of market but also jeopardizes the reputation of the exporting country.
- Environment surveillance: Environment surveillance, integrated into quality checks, ensures a safe and clean working environment, water quality, sanitation procedure, and insect management.
Leveraging Business Management Software for Food Safety
ERP systems are globally elevating process monitoring and quality control in the food industry, making the process smooth, documented, and transparent. The recent stir has further highlighted the usefulness of a comprehensive ERP system in the food industry and how it can help integrate the quality checks system into the production environment.
ERPs like Sage X3 are multi-purpose software that integrates all processes of food business, from procurement to formula management, production management, documentation, inventory, logistics, and distribution management. A comprehensive ERP solution offers traceability and tracking solutions providing real-time checks to mitigate issues arising from product recall and other supply chain challenges.
Easy Recall Management: Companies associated with the production and sales of food items should have a well-laid-out plan to take the right actions in situations of a product recall. Product recall refers to an incident when a company is required to withdraw its product from the market due to quality or health concerns. An ability to act on time and having a well-curated product recall plan will allow the company to minimize business damage, enhance communication with customers, and put the brand in a positive light. In the case of a product recall, ERP software can provide data on the defective product, aid in tracing defective items, and maintain effective communication between suppliers, distributors, and customers. Production data stored in the ERP system accelerates the process of finding the root cause and resolving the issue. The system alerts the manufacturing engineers to comply with regulatory standards.
Final Thoughts
In the food and beverage industry, companies must match all regulatory standards of food safety authorities to curb any health issues. The recent event has emphasized the importance of setting stricter quality checks and regulatory standards in production. Companies should rely more on a comprehensive ERP application to streamline, automate, and document production processes.
