Worms in can ‘rare case,’ Hormel says
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:02:00 11/15/2008
Filed Under: Food, Local authorities
MANILA, Philippines – A leading manufacturer of canned meat products Friday said it appreciated consumer concern over one of its products on issues of quality and safety.
In a statement e-mailed to Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net), which ran a story about a priest who said he found worms in a can of Spam Lite Meatloaf about to be served in a seminary, Julie H. Craven, vice president of Consumer Affairs of Hormel Foods Corp. based in Minnesota, USA, said it was “sorry” to learn of the incident. Spam is a product of Hormel Foods and is distributed locally by Purefoods Corp.
“We certainly regret any consumer concern toward the quality and safety of our products that this extremely unusual situation may cause,” she wrote.
“This is not a food safety issue. Containers for this product have vacuum seals. We have strict quality control procedures in the production plants to test these seals before they are shipped to warehouses and retailers.
“In order to provide an ez open can, the seal can only be so strong. If, during the distribution process, a case or can is dropped, a break in the lid can occur. Even a small leak will allow air to enter the container, affecting the quality of the product.
“If consumers see a break in the can, they should not open it. They should return the product to the store it was purchased at and it will be replaced. Unless the can was damaged, such incidences are very rare.”
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