Workers at a popular crisps company allegedly suffered skin irritation and breathing difficulties from ‘burning hot condiments’, a union has claimed.
The United Workers Union claims workers at the Smith’s Chips factory in Adelaide have raised concerns about ingredients used to flavor Doritos ‘Flamin’ Hot’ corn chips, according to the ABC.
Doritos says their Flamin’ Hot Cheese Supreme corn chips, marketed for their spiciness, “bring a bold cheesy flavor with full flavor”.
“Ignite your taste buds with flamin’ supreme hot cheese,” the back of the package reads.
Workers have listed some irritation from prolonged contact with the hot Doritos flaming flavorings. Brian Zak/NY Post
A report sent to SafeWork SA and published on their website states: “Workers have raised significant safety concerns regarding the improper handling of highly irritating substances.”
“The [company] produces a hot snack product with ‘burning hot seasoning’ every few weeks, the seasoning is spread throughout the production area from the seasoning machine.”
According to the ABC, some staff at the Smith’s Snackfood Company site in Regency Park, north of Adelaide, have had mixed reactions after working with the product.
PepsiCo claims that the safety of its employees is Frito-Lay’s “priority..”
“After interviewing 13 workers from the evening shift, 11 reported various effects, including sneezing, coughing, eye and skin irritation, runny nose, sore throat, chest discomfort and difficulty breathing,” the SafeWork SA report reads.
UWU organizer Jacky Chen told the publication more staff raised similar concerns when she conducted an inspection of the site in early December.
“When they produce this kind of product, the workers put a little bit of seasoning into the seasoning machine, and the seasoning ends up spreading throughout the factory,” he said.
“Workers reported to me that they coughed, sneezed, their eyes hurt, their skin burned, some even told me they (felt) hard to breathe, and some also told me they felt discomfort in their chests when they got home.”
He said he had not received any updates from SafeWork SA after reporting the issue.
The company has reportedly put a lid on the flavoring machine, but Mr Chen believes it “doesn’t really work well”.
In a statement to new.com.au, PepsiCo, which owns Smith’s Chip, said the safety of its workers was their “top priority” and masks had been made mandatory at the Adelaide site while producing the chips.
“We follow several safety procedures and protocols when producing products that contain spicy seasonings. To further enhance these measures at our Adelaide site there is mandatory mask wearing during production of this product and we are installing additional extraction fans,” a spokesperson said.
“We are committed to working with our employees and unions to address any further concerns.”
SafeWork SA told news.com.au it is “currently considering the complaint submitted by the UWU earlier this month to determine whether further action is warranted”.
“A previous complaint from UWU made in January referred to the accumulation of flavoring dust on PC lines, but contained no reference to adverse health effects,” they said in a statement.
“In response to this complaint, SafeWork inspectors attended the site to ensure adequate controls were in place to minimize any risk to workers.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
