EXTRANEOUS MATTER ANALYSIS

Market Survey: HOLIDAY COOKIES & PARTY CRACKERS

December, 2000
Imported product (Wasa from Sweden and Germany; Venus Wafers and Fifty 50 Foods from Canada; Carr's of Carlisle from the U.K.) was analyzed for filth (insect and rodent hair contamination). More than one box of product may have been used for the analysis in order to get the required sample size. In these cases the date code was the same.


Results on 225 gram sample using AOAC extraction procedures:

Fudge Brownie Cookies:

 3 insect fragments
 
Water Crackers: 3 insect fragments
1 feather barbs/barbule
 
Water Crackers: 1 insect fragment
 
Crackerbread: 7 insect fragments
1 rodent hair (2 mm)
 
Cinnamon Toast: 1 insect fragment
 

Opinion:
It doesn’t get better than this. As imported product, these products showed a very high quality of care. Rodent hair under 3 mm is considered to be pre-process contamination.

UPDATE: December, 2003
Well, it can get worst.
Four brands were purchased and tested for filth. Two imported brands (Le Petit E Colier, France and Royal Dansk from Denmark), an American Standard Brand (Pepperidge Farm), and an independent bakery (Leonard Novelty Bakery of NJ).
One brand contained cockroach and rodent contamination. Another contained evidence of flat grain beetle, and a third contain a psocid insect. -- ALL are judged to be post processing contamination.
You may request a copy of the full report with brand names and filth results. Email Jmar@CentralHudsonLab.com


For a complete list of the FDA's Defect Action Levels for food
products, please visit FDA-CFSAN Defect Action Level Handbook.

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