Can Your Organization Pass the Food Safety Test?

Amazon has changed the game of retail forever. They not only have innovated new forms or distribution but have changed how consumers buy. From streaming content to same day delivery, Amazon is delivering new and innovating experiences to consumers. 

However, this technology and retail giant is experiencing an unexpected selling failure. Recently, the retail has come under sharp criticism for delivering food items well past their expiration dates. While some expiration dates aren't set in stone, it has been discovered that food items have been shipped out that are months or even a year past their expiration date. This comes as a shock to consumers as they begin the question of the retailer’s delivery capability and commitment to quality. 

Andrea Wilson purchased Hostess Brownies on Amazon that were over a year past their expiration date - but, she had already eaten one before she noticed. In an interview she shared, "It didn’t occur to me that you could even sell something that was expired. If I had bought it the first time and it was like that, I never would have bought it at all.”
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Ironically, if this scenario were to happen at your local grocery store, you might expect a bevy of suits and string of negative Yelp! reviews.  The damage to the store’s reputation would have rippling repercussions that could cause them to go out of business. 

For a technology company, the lack of oversight points to glaring loopholes in Amazon's logistics system. Expiring items are being sold, and shipped, without much accountability. Amazon's marketplace also continues to grow, which worries consumer safety advocates who believe this will only expand upon the problem. Many are not convinced that Amazon has figured out how to scale the food business. 


If it can happen to Amazon, it can happen to you

Despite Amazon's size and financial resources, they are not invincible to the complexities around food safety. Another issue is, that expired food items can leave people sick or worse. In the digital age, consumers demand even more transparency and food safety. 

Okay, enough about Amazon. The point is, food safety is everyone's concern. What could Amazon have done better? In what ways can your company improve the way it handles and transports food items?

Let us know what you think about the way companies are making sure they sell high-quality products and how can they use technology to make it happen. 

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