Posted 05 October 2004 - 11:48 AM
Dear Narongchai,
Let me give you an example of why it is was important for us to retain samples.
We purchase a product which is diluted down with glucose syrup. The supplier makes one large batch a year and our company calls off stock when required.
A sample of this glucose was sampled by the Dutch ( or Belgian, I can't quite remember ) government and found traces of a banned cattle growth hormone. A food alert was raised by the EU and Europe wide manufacture of products containing this ingredient was stopped. A potential withdrawal of all effected batches was threatened ( about 6 months production ).
As I work for a group which has 18 or so factories in the EU the cost would have been tremendous.
Each site retains samples and we all sent them to a lab in Germany which could carry out testing for this hormone.
All results came out clear.
We petitioned the EU who in the meantime had carried out further tests which were also clear.
The ban was lifted and no recall was needed.
So to answer your question I think that the intention of this clause is to help investigate unforseeable problems.
"Have the courage to be ignorant of a great number of things, in order to avoid the calamity of being ignorant of everything." Sydney Smith 1771 - 1845 www.newsinfoplus.co.uk