We have all seen them on the internet – pictures of people finding strange things in their food. Mice, fingernails, hair, metal, glass….it has all happened. Foreign material, according to the University of Minnesota Extension, is the third most common reason for recalling food (1). Since September 1, 2021, there have been five recalls for foreign material. They include three for plastic, one for glass and one for metal. How does this happen?
First, you must realize that there are several components that go into making food, and this is a very simplified version. The raw materials, the actual production of the food, the packing, and shipping of the products all have a chance of becoming contaminated with foreign material. Machines break, screws vibrate loose, conveyor belts wear, and there is always that person who accidentally drops their pen.
What is Foreign Material?
Foreign material is anything that is not a food product. The USDA FSIS defines it in part as “… non-animal objects, such as metal, plastic, rubber, glass, wood, steel, or lead shot.” (2) The FDA puts limits on the size and sharpness of the object since the size and sharpness can lead to injury if it is eaten. The limits are 7 mm x 25 mm, and hard or sharp (3). Does it mean the bug that I found in my oatmeal is considered foreign material? The answer is no, because the FDA allows a certain amount of insect fragments in foods. What about the bone fragment in my hamburger? Again, no, because it is of animal origin.
If It Isn’t Classified as Foreign Material, What Is It?
Insects, hair, and frogs all have the “eww” factor, but they are not usually considered foreign material. They probably would not cause you harm, unless they are hard, sharp, or are a choking hazard. If they do not fall into the 7×25 mm limit category, and they are considered of animal origin, they will instead fall into the category of quality, wholesomeness, or aesthetic adulteration (4).
How Does Foreign Material Get Introduced into Food?
Food manufacturers use many diverse types of processes to produce the food that we buy in the grocery store. They include mixers, conveyor belts, grinders, shakers, injectors, ovens, freezers, packaging equipment and many more types of machines to numerous to mention here. Parts fall off equipment, metal detectors fail, and people are involved, so there is always human error.
When crops are harvested, pieces of wood, debris, and stones are picked up with the crops. Stones and wood can be missed during processing of these foods and make their way to the further processing facility or the consumer. If you look at packages of dried beans, you are advised to sort them before cooking, because stones and other debris can end up in the bag with the beans.
How Do Food Manufacturer’s Control Foreign Materials?
There are several ways in which manufacturers control foreign material, and they are usually pretty successful. When you think about the amount and variety of foods that you consume every day, you rarely encounter foreign material. The ways that foreign materials are controlled are listed here:
- A Hazard Analysis that determines if there is a risk of foreign material at each step in the process, from receiving to shipping.
- Observation as the ingredients move down the line. This can be achieved by cameras and/or people.
- X-raying the products. X-ray technology is especially valuable in locating objects that can not be found by a metal detector. Pieces of plastic can sometimes be seen in the machines, however, not all types of plastic will show up on the screen. Thin, flexible plastic pieces, especially if they are small, are hard to detect.
- Metal detectors are used to detect certain metals as ingredients or finished products move down the line.
- Using contrasting colored plastic liners for totes and bins help to identify if pieces become introduced into the products.
- Inspection of raw materials, ingredients, and machinery before starting up, during processing, and at the end of the shift help detect foreign material.
- Frequent checks during processing help minimize the chance of foreign material becoming an issue.
- GMPs or Good Manufacturing Practices – this includes limiting what personal items are allowed, wearing smocks, gloves, and hairnets, using metal pens, and other rules for employees to follow while they are working in production areas. These practices reduce the risk of foreign material being a hazard.
What Should I Do if I Find Foreign Material?
If you happen to find foreign material, contact the manufacturer so that they can do an investigation to ensure that it is an isolated incident. When you contact the Customer Service Department, they will ask you a series of questions about where you purchased the item, what you found, were there any injuries regarding the item. Please make sure that you keep the packaging because there is essential information contained on them. Most importantly, send a photograph of the object next to a ruler or other item of a known size, such as a coin. This gives scale to the object so that it can be determined what size it truly is, and where it might have come from. If they ask for the object to be sent to them, it is because they are doing an investigation, and many things can be determined from having the item to study. It is hard to determine what type of metal is in a picture because you can not use a magnet to determine if the metal detector should have caught it.
Hopefully, you will never experience finding something untoward in your food, but keep in mind that stuff happens. It is usually an accidental occurrence, and everyone involved is embarrassed that it happened. As always, stay safe, wash your hands, and watch for frogs in your green beans!
- “Don’t Ignore Food Recalls.” n.d. Accessed October 22, 2021. https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/dont-ignore-food-recalls.
2. Safety, Food. n.d. “UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.” https://meathaccp.wisc.edu/validation/assets/Directive%207310.pdf.
3. n.d. https://www.fda.gov/media/71953/download.
4. Fortin, N. D. (2016). Food Regulation: Law, Science, Policy, and Practice. John Wiley & Sons. 150-151.