As companies strive to cut costs, the intersection of cost-efficiency and food safety is under the microscope. With an eye on the bottom line, stressed budgets often lead to reductions in redundant and superfluous spending. Sometimes budget cuts are easy to identify and will have minimal impact. Other times the temptation to save money can compromise product quality and safety.
As belts tighten, one tool that can help reduce costs as it prioritizes food quality and safety is food testing. Here’s how.
1. Food Testing Detects Harmful Contaminants
One of the primary objectives of food testing is to identify contaminants that could be hazardous to consumers. Pesticides, heavy metals, and pathogenic bacteria, for example, can all be identified through rigorous testing.
Allergen cross contamination is also important. Food testing helps to prevent costly product recalls and potentially damaging lawsuits, contributing to a company’s bottom line.
Don’t just rely on your supplier’s testing. As a food manufacturer, the last line of responsibility for ensuring a safe food product is yours.
2. Food Testing Protects Against Food Fraud
Food fraud is a growing concern worldwide. After all, everyone is looking for ways to cut costs, even your suppliers.
However, without diligent testing you could become the victim of food fraud where unscrupulous suppliers replace high-cost ingredients with cheaper alternatives.
As you review your supplier agreements, both long term suppliers and when vetting new suppliers, ensure that adequate controls are in place to protect you from food fraud. Then test to verify authenticity. Food testing enables companies to authenticate ingredients and safeguard against fraud.
You’ll ensure you receive the product that you paid for and in turn provide that same peace of mind to your consumers, ultimately protecting brand integrity and customer loyalty.
3. Food Testing Optimizes Shelf-Life
Food testing determines the optimal shelf-life of ingredients and finished products. This allows products to be available for sale and visible to customers for longer periods of time, a clear advantage.
Specifically, challenge studies in foods and beverages enable manufacturers to determine in a scientific manner how products degrade over time and inform the development of sell-by and best-by dates.
Looking to take advantage of new shelf-stable technologies like nanotechnology or change your product formulation? Conducting a challenge study is particularly important when any change might affect your product’s shelf-life since spoilage due to inaccurate shelf-life data can cost you. (Get a quote for you next challenge study here.)
From a tarnished brand reputation to litigation risks to consumers who will “never buy it again,” products that should have been designated “expired” are wasteful to manufactures and potentially dangerous for consumers.
4. Compliance with Regulatory Standards
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Drug & Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) mandates safety standards for food products. Examples include the Food Safety Modernization Act found in the Code of Federal Regulations 21 CFR Part 117 and thermally processed Low Acid and Acidified Foods regulations of 21 CFR 113 and 21 CFR 114, respectively.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has its own regulatory requirements for meats, dairy, and other products under its purview. Even states will have regulatory requirements pertaining to food safety.
It is important to understand and maintain compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements to legally market food products in the U.S. Many of those requirements pertain to food safety measures, which are verified through laboratory testing.
Examples of testing include environmental monitoring for microbial pathogens and allergen cross contamination, nutritional analysis to create accurate Nutrition Facts Panels and others. Some types of testing may be voluntary, but others are required. Ensure your food safety managers are well versed in the specifics of your regulatory requirements and perform compliance activities that keep you on the right side of the law.
5. Food Testing Ensures Nutritional Accuracy
Speaking of Nutrition Facts Panels, nutritional analysis is a critical aspect of food testing. It ensures that product labels accurately represent the nutritional content, a crucial aspect of consumer trust and regulatory compliance.
Inaccurate labels can lead to significant financial penalties and harm a company’s reputation. By verifying the nutrient content, companies can avoid these pitfalls and maintain their market position.
While the upfront costs of food testing can seem daunting, the long-term financial and reputational benefits are significant. Not only does it facilitate regulatory compliance and protect against food fraud, it also helps optimize shelf-life and ensure product quality and safety. By investing in rigorous food testing, companies can effectively cut costs and safeguard their reputation in the competitive food industry, particularly in inflationary markets when cutting costs can cut corners. Contact us with any questions about how our food testing services can help you save money.
