PETER FERNER
Associates

Fresh & Frozen Meat Surveyors

Consultants to the Food Industry

Food Standards, Food Industry Consultants, Meat Surveyor, Food Law, Environmental Health & Hygiene, Trading Standards, Factory Management, Production & Food Processing, Fresh, Frozen, Chilled, Farm, Consumer, Legal Advice

Web Site by
Totalscope
Web Design

PETER FERNER ASSOCIATES

Interesting Cases

Some Interesting Cases...

New stories – Updated for 2009

Some Cases in progress, or recently completed – so I cannot be specific…

·         A client was in dispute with an official body with regard to licences. It appeared that they had not kept up with current practices in the modern meat trade, as their ideas related to conditions as they were when I first entered the trade, many years ago.  After reading my report they revised their opinions and allowed the licences rather than face court action.

·         A restaurant in dispute with the Inland Revenue.  The Inland Revenue claimed that the balance of meat purchased did not match the number of meals served.  They disputed the amount of wastage incurred during preparation and cooking using a limited unscientific experiment as proof.  I carried out a series of controlled tests with full photographic evidence, and eventually we proved our case at a Special Tribunal.

·         A major recall of cooked meat by a supermarket because of the presence of small pieces of bone.  I found the supplier had inadequate and flawed quality control, combined with badly written contracts – they were allowing the raw material supplier a leeway with a small amount of bone, and yet guaranteed their client a bone-free product.

Other Stories

·         A shipload of poultry meat was refused at its first destination. The new customer would only accept and pay for perfect goods. I was asked to oversee the unloading in Turkey. Incidentally, if overseas jobs sound like freebie holiday jaunts, think again. I was onboard ship from 8 in the morning until midnight, working at temperatures of over 30˚C. The Turkish customer had a practical and inexpensive method for checking whether the goods were wholesome; they allowed individual pieces of meat to thaw in the ambient temperature of 30C, and if the goods smelt right and looked right; they were right! As only 0.38% of the load was rejected, the client was delighted with the outcome.

·         A major UK food processor discovered their Stock Management was totally out-of-control.   There was a very large black hole in their books.  I spent a month on site, working both during the day and on the night shift observing the situation, which included a ‘virtual stockroom’ where goods were stored that didn’t fit elsewhere.  The actual goods were stored in one or more of the real stockrooms, but it took a major checking exercise to put everything back in an orderly manner.  I put in place a new series of protocols that enabled the company to regain control, and I did this without major expenditure.

·         An International company had problems with rancid pepperoni on pizzas. All the parties involved carried out investigations and test work without success. When I examined the paperwork, I found that one of the ingredients contained a low percentage of anti-oxidant. The rancidity happened because the anti oxidant was not incorporated into the dry ingredient mix in the correct manner. Improved supervision of manufacturing practices solved the problem.

·         A manufacturer of Chinese meals received complaints regarding a bitter, burning taste from certain products. Bacteriological tests proved the goods were sound, but through my contacts, I was able to find an expert in the production and manufacture of recipes with bean shoots.  He demonstrated the fault by making his staff eat correct and incorrect samples…a very quick and interesting experiment!

·         A client had pleaded guilty to supplying beef mince that was too fat. Trading Standards opposed his plea of due diligence, claiming he was not making sufficient tests. We found the standards they were using applied to manufactured goods, and were not food specific standards, and the authorities reduced his fine accordingly.

·         Although most of my work is in the UK, I do get trips abroad.  Sometimes this is pleasant, sometimes not.  However, sometimes I am asked to evaluate a situation solely from the paperwork.  One such case involved a shipment of meat prepared in one country and shipped to another which was temperature damaged. I was asked to prepare a report on behalf of the shippers.  I found that, although two surveys had already taken place, neither of them were satisfactory in that they were very sketchy in meat terms, and were not acceptable under the rules of the International Meat Traders Association.  Neither of the surveys took account of the chart from the refrigeration units on board ship, and I was able to prove to my satisfaction and the client’s that the damage had not occurred whilst in transit.

·         It is not often I go searching for business, but I suppose you could say that I did so in this case.  I am very fond of cooked pork rinds, called scratchings, in this part of the UK.  The ones I bought from my local supermarket were often unsatisfactory, having a rancid taste.  After returning a few packets, I contacted the manufacturer directly.  He invited me to come and look, and I was able to give him some pointers that enabled him to make a more reliable product.  He offered to pay me in a lifetime’s supply of scratchings, but I declined….

And then there was -

·         The supermarket whose client complained of 'black mould' on a marinated lamb product. The Public Analyst verified the complaint, but the Independent Analyst engaged by me, found the 'mould' was in fact vegetable residue from the marinade...

·         The client accused of selling unfit chicken portions. The case did not proceed, because the complainant refused to appear in court. We wondered if the reason was contained in the witness statement from her son stating that he was unemployed. His statement began 'When I came home from work'…

Bearing in mind client confidentiality, I am not at liberty to name the organizations that have used my services. However, my clients include:

·         Government Departments - Environmental Health Departments - Trading Standards Offices - International Food Companies - Insurance Companies - Banks - Food Manufacturers and Wholesalers in Australasia, Europe, America and the United Kingdom - and my local butcher's shop.......

Intro  .  Cases  .  Links  .  Contact Me