Biscuiteer swallowed up at US border

Nelson-based biscuit manufacturer David Crispo was refused entry to the US when border security at LAX first detected a metallic object somewhere on the man at a security checkpoint. Crispo, whose company produces Li’l Tart brand individually packaged biscuit tarts for the airline industry, was visiting the US to exhibit his new range of pre-packaged in-flight biscuits at the bi-annual Airline Food Service & Supplier Fair in Orange County, CA.

In a bizarre twist, Crispo was found to have ingested one of his own in-flight biscuits, which in turn harboured a 2 mm diameter, long, thin, metal object which lodged in his windpipe. The news of Crispo’s fate has taken the US media by storm and the likely product recall of the Li’l Tart biscuits has left airline industry buyers declaring Crispo’s business a ‘no fly zone’. Upon investigation, it was found that Crispo relied only on metal detectors for product purity, the limitations of which have now clearly been exposed.

“It seems extraordinary that any producer looking to service sophisticated FMCG markets anywhere in the world would risk producing a contaminated product,” says airline industry insider Cammille O’Creme. “The simplest measures like installing magnets in the production line would have avoided a foreign object like this becoming part of the end product.

“All I can say is Mr Crispo should count himself lucky he found that piece of metal himself; if it had been a US citizen, he would be looking at not only a product recall of epic proportions but a class action lawsuit,” O’Creme said.

While Crispo is in a comfortable condition in an expensive LA hospital, his company has missed its tradeshow opportunity, destroyed the Li’l Tart brand on the global stage and raised questions from America’s FDA in the production processes and quality assurance programs in New Zealand manufacturing.

While this story is purely fictitious, it serves to highlight the importance of implementing a Magnattack Magnetic Separation solution in a company’s process line. Before visiting local or foreign markets with foreign bodies in your product, visit magnattack.co.nz or call Aurora on 0800 557 733.