The safety of food products is being put at risk by a rise in people using trucks to enter the United Kingdom, according to a report.
Oakland International said the report, developed with market analysis company Analytiqa, shows the urgent need for coordinated action, particularly in the food supply chain.
Clandestine infiltration of trucks refers to the illegal transportation of goods or people, often across borders. A distressed load is a consignment that has been compromised because of damage or contamination.
Oakland said the use of refrigerated trailers to gain illegal access remains a threat to food safety. The firm called for more acknowledgement from the food industry that this practice is widespread. Refrigerated trailers render ineffective the heartbeat detectors used at ports. Only a small sample is checked by Border Force.
About 3,100 truckloads or more than 80,000 tons of food could be entering the UK with a human contamination risk associated with it, according to estimates cited in the report.
Ticking time bomb
Dean Attwell, Oakland International co-founder, said: “The rise in clandestine infiltration is not just a statistic, it’s a ticking time bomb for food safety, driver security, and public health. Every compromised load puts the public at risk and costs the industry millions per year.”
Attwell said there is a need across the supply chain to implement robust security protocols, improve traceability, and ensure accountability.
“We are witnessing a perfect storm, desperate individuals risking their lives to cross borders, criminals exploiting vulnerabilities in vehicle security, and a food industry struggling to maintain safety and compliance. The current system is failing to protect both people and products. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) must step up, and the entire industry must unite to close security gaps and safeguard our food supply.”
Figures from the report show a month-on-month increase in cases of clandestine infiltration, where migrants enter lorry trailers, putting the safety of food products and the integrity of the supply chain at risk. It found industry experiences large losses each year as spoiled loads are discarded due to infiltration and contamination.
Incident management costs
On average, 56 percent of a truck’s stock is disposed of after a clandestine entry incident. This covers firms transporting ambient or frozen food, household goods and pharmaceuticals. There are reports retailers have destroyed whole truckloads of stock to minimize the risk of produce contamination and loss of brand reputation.
Upon finding evidence of contamination, vehicles are usually isolated and delayed for assessment and evaluation. Actions taken are incident-specific and will depend on their nature, the product and approach to risk by truck operators and cargo owners.
The cost of handling a distress load incident, including managing stock and having vehicles cleaned, varies but respondents reported costs of £3,500 ($4,700) to £5,000 ($6,700) per investigation.
Analytiqa’s research suggests that for a truck carrying general foodstuff, the average claim made to insurers is in the region of £20,000 ($26,900) to £30,000 ($40,300) per trailer. However, for chocolate brands, claims can be as high as £70,000 ($94,200) to £80,000 ($107,600).
The main routes of disposal for compromised products are third party contractors, landfill/ waste disposal, or being repurposed for juicing or animal feed.
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