Oh For Food's Sake

The Truth About Allergen Safety: Lessons from Microsearch Laboratories’ Danny Franklin

Episode Summary

In this engaging episode of Oh for Food's Sake, we welcome back a favourite guest, Danny Franklin from Microsearch Laboratories. We dive into the often-daunting world of allergen management within the food industry. Danny shares insights on the importance of rigorous allergen testing and the role it plays in ensuring food safety. He underscores the challenge of managing allergens and how it extends beyond the factory floor right back to the soil where ingredients are grown. We discuss real-world incidents, like the peanut contamination in mustard powder, to highlight the crucial need for vigilance and proactive measures. Throughout the conversation, we emphasise the significance of trusting relationships with suppliers and the crucial role that testing laboratories play in safeguarding public health.

Episode Notes

We chatted with Danny Franklin, returning guest and managing director at Microsearch Laboratories. Together we explore the importance of allergen management, spurred by high-profile cases in the UK, where contamination led to widespread recalls. Danny explains how food factories often react to major incidents rather than proactively prevent them, a mindset he aims to shift. 

We highlight the growth in allergen testing, driven by both increased awareness and regrettably, food fraud. 

The episode delves into the complexities of the supply chain, shedding light on potential contamination during farming and the necessity for stringent controls and testing at every stage. 

Danny shares practical advice on how businesses, regardless of size, can implement effective allergen testing protocols and why regular buyback testing from supermarkets can be a game-changer for ensuring product safety.

Timestamps:

• [00:00:00] Danny explains how change often occurs after a major issue.
• [00:00:22] Introduction to Oh For Food's Sake and its hosts.
• [00:01:03] Welcome to guest Danny Franklin, and discussion on allergen management.
• [00:02:13] Danny's background and role at Microsearch Laboratories.
• [00:02:27] Discussion on increased allergen testing due to peanut and mustard issue.
• [00:04:06] Statistics on allergens versus food poisoning cases.
• [00:06:48] Complexities of contamination in food supply chain.
• [00:08:13] Importance of lab collaboration and proactive testing.
• [00:15:30] Innovative testing methods and managing allergens in production.
• [00:21:58] Role of buybacks and risk assessments in allergen management.
• [00:28:32] Food fraud, its dangers, and its effect on the market.
• [00:33:30] Importance of supplier trust and communication in ensuring food safety.

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Oh For Food's Sake is sponsored by Microsearch Laboratories: https://micro-search.co.uk/ 

See you next time!