I don't know about you all, but I'm pretty accustomed to having whole wheat Eggo waffles included in my morning routine. Evidently there was a massive recall of Eggo waffles in September of this year which has result in an Eggo waffle shortage. The recall occurred due to extensive flooding in one of Eggo's main plants in Atlanta which in turn caused the bacteria Listeria Monocytogenes to infect the waffles.
While this bacteria isn't as fatal as some, Kellogg still made sure to recall thousands of boxes.
For the full article:
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/eggo-waffle-shortage-bacteria-forced-plant-closure/story?id=9117059
It is nice to know that Kellogg had some decency and admitted that the waffles were potentially contaminated. In April of 2009 the salmonella outbreak in peanut butter could have more then likely been prevented had the peanut butter manufacturers not been so afraid of losing profits due to a massive recall.
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I love how corporate machines take so long to recognize and fix major problems like this, its obviously not the first time this kind of accident has occurred nor will it be the last, but you'd think that there was a more efficient method of detecting and eliminating faults. What specific traits make some companies more reliable and others (GM pre-bankruptcy) so violently inadequate? Is it simply just inherent business structure, or could a deeper psychology play a part in the development of such enormous flaws. It would be interesting to read some in depth analysis of the two automotive companies. E A
ReplyDeleteAli, i agree with your opinion. Not a lot of large companies such as Kellogg's are willing to acknowledge and accept their mistakes/failures even if it means losing profits and some customer distrust. The government controls the market and should ensure that the products sold in the market are of good quality. When were thousands sold before this possible contamination was discovered? Aren't there tests/screening carried out before these products are released on the market?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update on the Eggos, Ali!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you were aware, but McNeil Products, which owns Tylenol, Motrin, and Benadryl, is recalling certain lots of their products due to possible contamination issues. It's interesting how just the other week we were talking about how we trust the products we consume to be relatively good for us, due to government regulations and company liabilities. I wonder how many more rules we'll have to make before mistakes like these stop making the headlines so often.
E
I think this is only a temporary shortage though.Once they are approved by the FDA they will be back in business. This is a good application example because it helps me in understanding the concept of shortage. I make sense of what a shortage is, in thinking, due to the fact that Kellogg is not producing anymore waffles people are unable to purchase them, therefore the demand is greater than the quantity supplied. Feels good to be able to refer back to the text and see some relevant material that relates to what we're learning in class.
ReplyDeleteI am also very glad to hear that Eggo company made a professional and mature decision to alert their consumers of possible risks. It is very disturbing to hear about companies who rather earn a profit than protect the well-being of their customers. It just shows the negative impact that money and greed can have on people.
ReplyDeleteI think that recalls such as this reinforce how important that safety is in the manufacturing of ingested products, and it's a smart business decision as well because if Kellogg's didn't recall Eggos and a lot of people got sick they could have gotten sued, a media circus could have occurred, and they could have lost a lot of revenue from Eggos.
ReplyDeleteI think that the shortage is especially interesting in this situation not for any economic reasons, but rather because the phrase "Leggo my Eggo!!" has taken on a whole new meaning!! =D
This really reveals some of the added danger that the current food system adds to the equation. Recalls like this happen all too frequently, be it in the meat, dairy, produce or processed goods industry. I agree that this is a positive sign that these waffles were recalled by the company, but I wonder if this happened before major distribution. Often due to a lack of transparency in tracking and reporting such contaminations, food has been on the shelves of stores for weeks before an official recall prompts the attention of consumers and store owners.
ReplyDeleteI can just imagine them cleaning up thousands of soggy waffles.
ReplyDeleteI've always kind of wondered what thought goes on behind the decision to issue a recall. Do they weigh the cost of the money they'll spend against the cost of people that may be hurt? Or is it agains the cost of a potential lawsuit? Or bad press? I don't know. But I wonder. A
It is a good thing that Kellogg did recall these waffles, because what happened to the peanut butter manufacturers would have happened to them if they did not. Believing that it would hurt their profits, the peanut butter company decided to distribute the contaminated peanut butter. What they did not realize apparently is that in doing this, people were obviously going to get sick from it, and once enough people got sick, it was going to trace back to who else but the peanut butter manufacturers. So after it was all set and done, distributing the peanut butter with the knowledge that it was contaminated actually led to a horrible decrease in profit, not only because the general public did not want to go out and buy it because they feared they would become ill, but it also led to lawsuits because they knowingly let the contaminated products hit the shelves. Kellogg did the right thing, because even though this may hurt them in the short-term, in the long-term it will benefit them because consumers can have confidence that not only are they buying a safe/good product, but they are also buying the product from a loyal company. This loyalty is felt by consumers, and it will definitely benefit Kellogg over time. (A, T)
ReplyDeleteThis to me is just one more reason to grow/make it yourself. I used to love frozen food but the more I learn about all the possible dangers--and the fact that the same people that own meat companies and genetically modified seed companies are part of the FDA and USDA and naturally do a dismal job of self-regulation--the more I visit the farmer's market and use a cookbook. A, E
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely a good thing that they recalled those Waffles. Business ethics and image is really important, if things get out of hand, it wouldn't just be their profit that suffers, their brand image would really suffer, too.
ReplyDeleteI think they should have a more strict procedure in testing these products. Quality management could really improve.