It was only a matter of time

This week brings us yet another product recall. A batch of gluten free onion bhaji mix produced by Samosaco was found to contain 'elevated levels of gluten' - (http://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2015/14080/gluten-free-onion-bhajee-mix-recalled).  Samosaco produce a range of vegetarian Indian snacks and this includes some gluten free mixes.

The question that is burning on my lips is how did this come about? Are the recalls purely because companies are more rigorously testing the batches themselves or are Trading Standards testing them and recalling products?  Either way how is gluten getting into 'gluten free' mixes?

We have been told all along by various companies, who have emerged in the last five or so years to the ever growing gluten free market, that the gluten free food they are producing is made in a 'dedicated environment', or in a place where strict procedures are adhered to and yet there have been too many products that have been contaminated recently and one wonders how this can happen.

If it is a procedural issue then one can only assume that the processes that are in place are either not adhered to or they are not robust enough.  Do staff require further training, or has the purchasing process failed so that the raw materials are not monitored effectively?

If it's an environmental issue then the significance of it is far more wide reaching.  If companies cannot make gluten free food in a factory where other products are manufactured, then they have to either have a dedicated facility (which could adversely affect the price point) or they simply don't produce gluten free food - in fact that extends to all allergens - not just gluten.

This spate of recalls could prove to be a significant turning point for manufacturers.  Yes businesses are ultimately there to make money (which is required to pay for R&D, staff, factories, utilities etc), but the main responsibility has to be to the consumer.  Contamination of this nature is as serious as a batch of food that contains salmonella or another potentially deadly bacteria...factories would be shut down until Environmental Health are satisfied that procedures are in place to prevent it happening again - the same should be true of allergens.