Physical contaminants in foods are objects that, under normal circumstances, should not be present in food products. Common contaminants include glass, bone, wood, metal, plastic, rubber, stones and insects.
Food safety concerns associated with physical contaminants include:
• choking (particularly young children)
• cuts to the mouth and tongue
• broken teeth
• damage to the gastrointestinal system.
There are three main ways that physical contaminants can become present in food products:
• Inadequate removal or contamination during primary production, including harvesting, sorting, processing and transport; examples include:
– bones not fully removed from fish or meat
– stones and insects gathered up with fresh produce during harvesting
– metal from farm machinery contaminating fresh produce during harvesting
– inedible parts of fresh produce not completely removed during sorting and packing
– packaging material parts, such as nails from pallets.
• Introduced during processing and handling by food businesses, examples include: – personal items of food handlers (e.g. jewellery or pens)
– food handler wound dressings
– pieces of poorly maintained equipment or fittings (e.g. shards of rust, or nuts and bolts)
– pieces of packaging materials (e.g. broken glass or plastic caps)
– insects and pests (e.g. cockroaches or bird feathers)
– tools and miscellaneous items (e.g. paper clips, staples or cable ties).
• Intentional – deliberate contamination, which may occur either at the food business or at the place of sale.
The primary control measures to minimise the risk of physical contamination of food products are:
• Prevention – take steps to eliminate potential sources and risky handling practices; for
example:
– check that product specifications for raw ingredients cover physical hazards
– keep a record of physical contamination of raw ingredients and change suppliers if it becomes a frequent issue
– have an adequate pest-control program
– prohibit staff from wearing jewellery or taking personal items into food handling areas
– monitor the use of wound dressings on hands, which should be protected by a waterproof dressing or disposable gloves
– avoid purchasing equipment that may become a physical hazard; for example, do not use glass thermometers in food handling areas
– modify equipment, fixtures and fittings; for example, buy plastic covers for glass light fittings or redesign equipment to reduce the chance of parts falling into food
– have a maintenance schedule for equipment; for example, checking for loose, perished or rusted parts that can fall into products or torn sieves that can let foreign bodies through
– look after, and regularly replace, tools and other items used for equipment maintenance so they do not themselves become a physical contaminant
– do not store non-food items in food packaging.
• Detection – use manual or automated systems to detect physical contaminants in ingredients or products; for example:
– educate your staff on the importance of being alert for the presence of physical hazards
– where necessary, use sorting or inspection lines dedicated to separating out contaminants from ingredients (e.g. inspectors or vibrators to remove small stones)
– rotate staff on inspection duty frequently to make sure they remain alert
– use automated detection equipment, such as a metal detector, if appropriate.
• Removal – either routine removal or in response to detection of a specific contaminant; for example:
– routine washing of fresh produce to remove soil, insects and plant material
– routine sieving of powders to remove any objects
– have pre-printed ‘Reject – not safe’ labels ready for contaminated products that may need to be separated and disposed of
– have dedicated disposal bins or hold areas for rejected items
– have a glass breakage procedure.
• Investigate and implement corrective actions – determine the source of the contaminant and take steps to prevent future occurrences.