Ignoring FSMA? You Could Go To Jail.

As I’ve written before, it’s truly scary to me when I talk to companies hoping to “let things ride” in terms of food safety, sanitation, or quality control. Let’s face it: we all like to imagine that nothing bad could ever happen to “us.” It’s always the other guy somewhere else out there. I recently saw an ad for State Farm’s life insurance that brings it home:

We don’t want to think about worst case scenarios or tragedies, yet we also know we MUST prepare for the future and protect ourselves. In business, it’s no different. Especially when you are making a consumer product that could kill someone or cause a serious illness if not manufactured correctly. So I hate to be the bearer of sad (but totally obvious) news that, no, you can’t leave FSQA or sanitation roles open indefinitely and hope nothing bad happens.

The truth is people are tired of corporations that cut corners to make a fast buck. Or who penny-pinch relentlessly in the hopes of saving a few dollars. After what happened with Peanut Corporation of America, consumers are not willing to turn a blind eye anymore. From an NPR report on the story:

“Before and during the outbreak, company executives assured customers that their products were free of salmonella when no tests had been carried out.

When tests did turn up salmonella, company executives sometimes just retested that batch, and when it came up clean, they sold it.

In one memorable email exchange, when Parnell was told that a shipment was delayed because results of salmonella tests weren't yet available, he wrote back, ‘Just ship it.’”

Their salmonella outbreak sickened hundreds of people and killed nine.

As a result, the Parnell brothers who owned the Peanut Corporation of America were sentenced to jail time. That’s right—not a fine or a slap on the wrist, but actual jail time. They aren’t the only ones who’ve encountered liability either. From eater.com:

“For the first time in history, individual-decision makers responsible for selling food contaminated with foodborne bacteria are facing criminal charges that could lead to jail time, and corporations are paying out huge fines. In May 2015, ConAgra agreed to pay $11.2 million, the largest fine ever for a food safety case, after pleading guilty to shipping contaminated Peter Pan peanut butter in 2006 and 2007 that sickened at least 700 people in 47 states. The fines have raised eyebrows, and the threat of a long prison sentence for the Parnells sends a strong message.” (emphasis mine)

Your company can face massive fines and you personally could go to jail.

Still think you can cross your fingers and hope for the best?

If you are a hiring manager with an open FSQA or sanitation role, please email me directly at sara@sectechnical.com and I will personally respond with recommendations.