Infant Formula Milk Powder Quality Control and "All Due Diligence"
Infant Formula Milk Powder - Future Risks for Big Brand Manufacturers First published 2015 and still very relevant in 2019 particularly after the Lactalis incident in 2018 RISKS to Infants, Senior Executives & Shareholders Advances in the technology for the testing of bacteria, micro-nutrients and contaminants in Infant Formula Milk Powders coupled with the increasing reliability of test results will result in significant increased risks for infant formula manufacturers as well as major dairy ingredient manufacturers. WHY? Currently the cost of testing micro-nutrients (and pathogens) in Infant formula is extremely high and this results in manufacturers not testing as frequently as they might wish. This high cost also ensures that local authorities place the burden of proof and due - diligence on manufacturers quality systems due to the prohibitively high cost of testing. Why is this not satisfactory? Due to the severity of the consequences. Supplier and manufacturer quality systems / audits might not pick up a deficiency Field tests indicate that there is significant variation in micro-nutrient levels and contaminants, some of which were outside of the legal limits / recommended limits. There are many variables: Manufacturers equipment varies, particularly when dry blending vitamins and minerals. Processes for heat treatment will change as the production progresses so that the nutrient level results at the beginning of a run may be different from the end of a run. Raw materials micro-nutrient levels change with the season of the year and with suppliers, breed of the animals, feed and with changes in their processes. The proliferation of brands and manufacturers for the Chinese market has increased the importance of testing particularly as any further incident involving Infant Formula harm to infants in China (or elsewhere) will likely result in severe consequences for the brands and their responsible senior executives. We need to learn the lessons now and future proof the risks. Recent food scares from Melamine in Infant formula to a lack of essential vitamins have resulted in severe disabilities and even deaths of infants. In 2013 a wide-scale product recall sold by dairy producer Fonterra was announced after suspected botulism-causing bacteria were found during safety tests. The contaminated whey products had been sold to third parties who use it to produce infant formula and sports drinks. Approximately 1,000 tons of consumer product was affected by the recall across seven countries, but no cases of sickened consumers were reported. China, which imports most of its powdered milk from New Zealand, instituted a temporary ban on the import of the ingredient from New Zealand. Bad practices in meat processing resulted in BSE which decimated the industry for a protracted period. The recent horse meat scandal reflects badly on manufacturers but does highlight once again that in some cases the motivations for these incidents can be financial. What has changed? Little has changed but things will change and it is important for manufacturers to recognise that change is coming. Chief Executives need to react early enough to put their houses in order now to minimise the risk to infants, executives and shareholders. Sign up for Dairy Jobs Candidate link Dairy Jobs Recruiter link Watson Dairy Consulting Please also visit Infant Formula Ethics and Compliance