A seafood company in Shandong Province, China has received a warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for HACCP violations at its canning plant. A story that opens up necessary reflections on global food security
It was November 2023 when an inspection revealed significant deviations from the HACCP regulation at the low-acid canned food (LACF) and seafood manufacturing plant, Rongcheng Jiayuan Foods, in China. Today, the US FDA details the compliance issues it has identified and makes public the warning letter it sent to the company.
Why the FDA? As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction, and business owners have 15 days to respond.
The letter shows that the HACCP plan for the Chinese company’s canned tuna is inadequate since they would have been omitted security checks fundamental for it Staphylococcus aureus and thehistamineessential to prevent contamination in fish products. Additionally, it revealed gaps in temperature and processing time records to help maintain product safety during canning, and the facility did not have adequate tools to prevent debris from entering the water circulation system during canning. canning, increasing the risk of contamination.
What does this story teach us
The warning letter from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to Rongcheng Jiayuan Food Co. Ltd. throws in our faces the reality of very relevant critical points not only for the company itself, but also for the global food safety system and for international trade.
An analysis of what happened must consider several aspects. First of all, precisely the dimension of food safety.
Rongcheng Jiayuan Food Co. Ltd.’s failure to comply with HACCP regulations and LACF standards represents a real risk to public health. Problems detected (such as lack of Staphylococcus aureus and histamine controls) could lead to serious contaminationespecially in a widely consumed product like canned tuna. This raises questions about the effectiveness of companies’ self-monitoring measures and the importance of training and correctly implementing security systems.
A less obvious but crucial aspect also concerns the environmental impact of these episodes: violations, such as failure to monitor water levels or inefficient screening of circulation systems, denote potentially negligent management of resources, which could contribute to . This raises the question of the balance between economic growth and sustainability in food production.
It goes without saying, therefore, that the story of Rongcheng Jiayuan Food Co. Ltd. represents an emblematic case of the global challenges in terms of food safety, regulation and sustainability. It is a warning to all companies in the food sector about the need to maintain high standards and transparency. For consumers, it offers an opportunity to reflect on the importance of rigorous control systems.
This with the FDA, but in Europe?
The European Union imposes strict controls on imported products, including tuna from China. However, there are no specific incidents of contamination of Chinese tuna on the European market.
According to a report by Coldiretti, in 2024 there was a 75% increase in food alerts linked to imported foods, with China in first place in terms of number of notifications. These alerts concern various products, but not specifically tuna.
In any case, with tuna, Europe already has its internal problems
Recently, an investigation conducted by non-governmental organizations Bloom and Foodwatch raised concerns about the presence of mercury in canned tuna sold in Europe. The analysis involved 148 cans purchased in five European countries: France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain. The results revealed that 100% of samples contained traces of mercury, with over half (57%) exceeding the maximum limit of 0.3 mg/kg established for other fish species.
In response to these findings, the National Association of Fish and Tuna Canners (ANCIT) reassured Italian consumers, stating that canned tuna marketed in Italy complies with European Union legislation on food safety and meets legal requirements regarding the possible presence of mercury.
HERE is the whole investigation in detail: The whole truth about mercury in tuna: New investigation reveals unprecedented public health scandal
In short, the concerns about what is one of the most consumed foods in the world, i.e. canned tuna, are part of a broader picture, which includes the growing control over imported food products, including China, and non-imported ones. What if we did without it?
