1. Can you define what an emergency situation is?
1. Emergency is a situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or environment (Wikipedia), but when we talk about a food-related emergency that involves the adulteration and/or contamination, threatened or actual, of food, that impacts or may impact human health.(NASDA - National Association State Departments of Agriculture)
Food-related emergencies may result from a variety of factors, including:
- Natural disasters or man-made events that affect food and impact human health. These may include hurricanes, floods, power outages or other events that result in the loss of food from contamination or spoilage;
- Unintentional contamination or adulteration of food that results in a public health threat or food borne disease outbreak, such as improper processing or production of a food product; or,
- Deliberate contamination or adulteration of food to cause harm to the public or to the economy.
2. Can inadequate packaging of product be a cause of product recall?
2. Yes of course, especially in cases when inadequate packaging can affect the proper storing, shelf life and in the end food safety. Also there is to considered the food contact materials when we talk about inadequate packaging.
Inadequate packaging can also be the reason for product recall if there is bad information on the same (labels that are not in compliance with the legislation).
3. In what way can small companies and enterprises make safety procedures for a crisis?
3. First i think the best way is to find information about how to make safety procedures in the legislation document, standards and of course there are number of procedures available on the internet. After that they must be checked and customized according to the processes in the company, by the employees that are most familiar with this.
Other way is to find consultants that can help in developing customized procedures.
BR,
Vlada