Going back to a blog which I wrote recently on product liability insurance, another big firm is in the news. Apparently Marks and Spencer are recalling three of their seafood range as a purely precautionary measure in the run up to Christmas amidst fears that a relatively small number of recent food poisoning cases may be linked to them, although according to the Food Standards Agency there is no clear evidence as yet that this is definitely the case.
The three products, M&S Mussels and Clams, M&S Mussels in White Wine and M&S Mussels in Garlic, have all been withdrawn from the shelves and anyone who has bought any of the same have been advised not to eat them and to contact their nearest store for a refund.
The mussels originate from Pinney’s, a firm in Scotland, which was awarded a Royal Warrant in 1986 to supply smoked salmon to the Queen, subsequently branching out into fish delicatessen and ready meal products including the M&S Cook! Range.
A spokesman for the store said: ‘At Marks & Spencer food quality standards and our customers’ enjoyment of our products are key priorities for us. We take this very seriously, and as a precautionary measure, we have recalled all packs of M&S mussels, which should not be eaten by customers.’
If you’ve ever had shellfish food poisoning you will know that it is possibly the worst feeling in the world short of being slowly disembowelled with a rusty spoon. Not that I’d know about the latter you understand, but I do know about the former, and I would have possibly rather have been disembowelled at the time than put up with the several days of living hell to which I was subjected. This move by the company, therefore, is probably a very wise one. If no end of people start dropping like flies around Christmas time there would be no end of claims on the company’s product liability insurance, as well as the clearly not too positive publicity to go with it.
So once again, a little story to reiterate the need for product liability insurance if your business is involved in anything to do with the production or distribution of foodstuffs. Compare product liability insurance here at CompareCrazy.com. The business insurance comparison site!
