Agricultural commodities such as grains and soft commodities can be used for food or feed, but are typically unprocessed.

Processed foods, on the other hand, are shipped and stored in a variety of ways, including freezing, refrigeration or at ambient temperatures, and are packaged in various types of packaging, such as boxes, bags, drums and cans. However, processed foods and food ingredients are highly susceptible to damage and contamination during transport and storage.

Food safety is of paramount importance to consumers, and anyone producing or selling food has a responsibility to ensure that only safe products are placed on the market. Processed food claims can be particularly challenging because of the food safety and regulatory issues involved.

In addition to the more common marine cargo claims relating to water damage, condensation, mould and infestation of food, our company has been involved in numerous cases of food contamination with Salmonella, E.coli, mycotoxins and other food safety issues.