ICA meat repackaging controversy
A controversy surrounding the illegal repackaging of out-of-date meat led the
Background
There has been a general prohibition of relabeling packed meat for many years in Sweden.[5] The current legislation and a major part of the Swedish National Food Administration Regulations are based on European Union law.[6] According to the National Food Administration, some 1,000 food safety inspectors make annually between 25,000 and 30,000 inspections in the country. As regards to the retail market, the local municipalities are responsible for controlling and acting against food safety irregularities.[5]
Irregularities revealed
On December 5, 2007,
According to the rating institute MMS MediaMätning, the documentary was one of the most watched television programs in Sweden that day, rating some 930,000 viewers.[8]
Hans Hallén, a former quality control manager for ICA, revealed that the company knew that meat was being illegally repackaged as early as 2003. Hallén, who monitored ICA stores in southern Sweden from 2003–2005, said he had informed the company's managers of the exact practices that were exposed in the documentary program. According to Hallén, many stores engaged in practices such as repackaging meat in order to change the 'best before' date, saying that "they even re-minced meat that had already been out on the shelves, before repackaging it and putting it back out on the shelves". Sausage meats that had become old and sticky were also repackaged after rinsing, he said.[9]
Hans Hallén, who was one of eight quality control managers employed by ICA until 2005, when the position was discontinued, said that "(his) main job was to train staff in order to ensure that scandals of this kind would not occur".[10][11]
Store managers
- Mats Nilsson, Maxi ICA Hypermarket in Nacka,[12]
- Markus Lönnroth, Maxi ICA Hypermarket in Botkyrka,[13]
- Jonas Berg, Maxi ICA Hypermarket in Södertälje,[14]
- Mikael Gadd and Mikael Andersson, Maxi ICA Hypermarket in Haninge.[15]
The store managers who were confronted with the footage defended themselves, saying that "failures in routines and ignorance" were behind the practice, and that employees must have done this "on their own initiative" after being told not to do so by management. According to Uppdrag Granskning, Markus Lönnroth had also said that "everybody is doing this".[16] Although confronted with compelling evidence, Jonas Berg said that "there is no evidence that [he had] done anything wrong".[16] On December 13, it was announced that Markus Lönnroth had resigned and transferred ownership of his hypermarket to ICA Sverige.[17][18]
Reaction
Television viewers reacted strongly to the footage and the following day state prosecutors launched a criminal investigation.[19] There have also been reports from at least two local food safety inspectors taking action. "After yesterday's program there are clear suspicions that a crime has been committed," said Daniel Selin, health inspector at Nacka municipality, one of the four municipalities to report stores.[20]
ICA chief press officer Staffan Ekengren said the company had provided all the information that it possessed about the stores to the National Food Administration. "This is unacceptable, and I am surprised that it is so common and happens on such a systematic basis," he said, adding that it was "a clear breach" of the law. Ekengren said that ICA quality control managers are to visit the relevant stores at the weekend to hold meetings with those in charge. He also said that ICA's 1,400 independent store managers were to be summoned to an emergency conference with focus on food safety and ethics. Although the independent status of the ICA stores means that there is no possibility of sanctions, Ekengren said the incidents "make it relevant to discuss" whether a system of sanctions could be introduced.[21] "These are large, successful stores which have acted in a completely irresponsible manner," he added. "We have had serious conversations with the merchants involved. They are naturally aware that a very major error has occurred," said Ekengren.[20]
On December 6,
On December 11, more than 1,000 of ICA's 1,400 Swedish store managers summoned at the emergency meeting in Stockholm, where CEO Kenneth Bengtsson said that the food safety irregularities had occurred also outside the four stores covered by the investigatory documentary. It was reported that ICA decided on "zero-tolerance" against food safety irregularities, as well as the introduction of an annual 3,000 un-announced self inspections throughout the network of ICA stores.[27]
After the food safety irregularities were revealed, sales of ground meat fell by up to 50% at some ICA stores.[28] At the same time, a survey showed that 50% of the consumers have no trust in the food safety in the retail market.[29]
See also
References
- ^ Pictured is a Maxi ICA Hypermarket in Kungälv that was not among the four stores implicated in the investigative documentary.
- ^ ICA Sverige AB Archived 2007-12-14 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ ICA Sverige AB : Annual report 2006[permanent dead link]
- ^ [1] Archived December 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Märking av kött, Livsmedelsveket (National food administration) official website.
- ^ See in particular: The Food Act (No. 804) of June 8, 2006; and The Food Decree (No. 813) of June 8, 2006.
- ^ Trichinellosis Fact Sheet | Division of Parasitic Diseases | CDC
- ^ Senaste veckan Archived 2007-12-13 at the Wayback Machine, MMS MediaMätning i Skandinavien.
- ^ "ICA 'knew about meat cheats for years". 7 December 2007. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
- Sydsvenska Dagbladet. 2007-12-07. Archived from the originalon 2007-12-08.
- ^ "Krismöte på Ica". Expressen (in Swedish). 2007-12-07. Archived from the original on 2007-12-09. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
- ^ ICA Maxi, Nacka
- ^ "ICA Maxi, Botkyrka". Archived from the original on 2008-01-18. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
- ^ ICA Maxi, Södertälje
- ^ ICA Maxi, Haninge
- ^ a b Systematiskt köttfusk på ICA, Uppdrag Granskning, Sveriges Television, December 5, 2007.
- ^ Ica Supermarket Manager Resigns Archived 2008-10-13 at the Wayback Machine, Sveriges Radio, December 14, 2007.
- ^ Ica-handlare lämnar butik, Dagens Nyheter, December 13, 2007.
- ^ Åklagare inleder förundersökning Archived 2007-12-08 at the Wayback Machine, Stockholm City, December 7, 2007.
- ^ a b Ica till full reträtt efter köttfusk Archived 2007-12-25 at the Wayback Machine, TT via Sydsvenska Dagbladet, December 7, 2007.
- ^ Handlarnas medlemsskap omprövas Archived 2007-12-08 at the Wayback Machine, TT via Stockholm City, December 8, 2007
- ^ ICA stoppar reklamfilmerna Archived 2007-12-18 at the Wayback Machine, Resume, December 7, 2007.
- ^ Ica drar tillbaka reklamfilmer Archived 2007-12-08 at the Wayback Machine, Expressen, December 7, 2007.
- ^ Felaktig datummärkning av kött i ICA-butiker Archived 2007-12-09 at the Wayback Machine, ICA Sverige AB, official website.
- ^ Coop och Axfood avslöjade som fuskare, Aftonbladet, December 11, 2007.
- ^ Flera butikskedjor har märkt om köttfärs, Aktuellt, Sveriges Television, December 10, 2007.
- ^ a b Köttfusk även hos andra kedjor, TT via Svenska Dagbladet, December 11, 2007.
- ^ Fall för färsen hos Ica, Dagens Nyheter, December 11, 2007.
- ^ Förtroendekris för butikernas hantering, Dagens Nyheter, December 11, 2007. Archived December 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
External links
- Systematiskt köttfusk på ICA, Uppdrag Granskning, Sveriges Television.
- ICA AB, Official website (English)