The Strauss Group has received approval for a gradual return to operations at its factory in Nof Hagalil, four months after the food giant’s production lines were shut down due to concerns of salmonella contamination.
The Health Ministry announced Sunday that following a “sanitary and technological audit,” the company’s manufacturing permit was restored.
Approval was given for the company to produce gluten-free waffles and wafers “after all the actions declared by the factory were carried out and the cleaned lines were returned to operation, were tested and meet the new standards,” the statement said.
“The Health Ministry will continue its inspections until the plant can be allowed to return to full operations,” the statement added.
In May, Strauss announced a massive recall that began with popular chocolate products made by its subsidiary company Elite due to concerns of salmonella contamination. It later expanded the recall to include a wide range of additional products after ongoing lab tests found further suspected bacteria.
The move also affected exported items, and eventually expanded to include a range of chocolate and snack products, chewing gum, energy bars, and candies, sold in Israel, the US and Canada. It was believed to be the biggest recall in Israel’s history.
The Strauss Elit candy factory in Nazareth, northern Israel, after salmonella was found in a few of their products. April 28, 2022. (David Cohen/Flash90)
The improvements made since the recall was first announced included upgrading a sampling system for finished products and raw materials.
“In this regard, it is important to note that the factory will now inspect each batch before leaving the factory,” the Health Ministry said.
Additional areas of the factory were designated as “sensitive” and appropriate dress codes and procedures put in place. There were also extensive sanitation improvements made including sealing roofs, replacing equipment, replacing floors, and filling cracks.
Changes were also made in the organizational structure, the ministry said, with an enlargement of the quality control team. Throughout the gradual return to operations, the ministry said the factory will continue implementing corrective actions.
The Health Ministry said that in May the factory was found to have “fundamental defects” and a decision was made to close it for three months or until the issues were corrected.
A ministry report at the time cited a range of issues that it blamed on Strauss, including construction work at the factory that was undertaken without concern for its effects on production, the presence of pigeons in the factory that could potentially have played a role, the unfilled role of director of food safety at the factory, and improper thawing conditions for dairy fats used in chocolate production.
News of Strauss’s return to operations came a week after another major Israeli food manufacturer, Tnuva, pulled some of its frozen products from grocery stores because a customer found bits of snake in a bag of green beans.
That incident took place two weeks after bits of dead mouse were found in another bag of frozen green beans from the company’s Sunfrost label.
חלקי נחש בתוך שעועית ירוקה של סנפרוסט: משרד הבריאות מסר שהחברה סירבה לאסוף את המוצרים. לפני כחודש נמצאו חלקי עכבר במוצר אחר והמשרד הודיע "שיש חשש לגבי כשלים אפשריים במערכות בטיחות בקווי הייצור במפעל". רק נדגיש שעד עכשיו לא הודיעו על ריקול. מצ"ב תמונה של חלקי הנחש שנמצאו בשעועית pic.twitter.com/C5JCLaBA21
— Yollan cohen יולן כהן (@yollancohen) August 19, 2022
Tnuva’s frozen vegetable subsidiary, Sunfrost, told the Calcalist daily in a statement that the Health Ministry had not requested the more drastic step of a recall and instead agreed to suffice with the pulling of products with the same batch number from grocery stores, without a public announcement.
Strauss operates in about 20 countries worldwide, offering a range of products including dips and spreads, coffee, dairy products and water purification and filtration solutions (in Israel, China and the UK) through different brands, subsidiaries and local partnerships. The company employs about 15,000 people across nearly 30 production sites globally.
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August 28, 2022 at 11:00PM
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Strauss factory to gradually return to operations 4 months after salmonella scare - The Times of Israel
"Factory" - Google News
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