XL Insurance Bermuda Ltd. (XLIB) yesterday shone the spotlight on food product safety, in the aftermath of the recall of hundreds of millions of eggs in the US.

Around 40 people, many of them brokers, attended a seminar at XL House yesterday on the company's new "broad-form" Product Contamination policy.

Beth Piggott, chief casualty underwriter at XL, said yesterday that the policy would cover accidental and malicious contamination and product extortion and was tailored for North American clients. What is different about the policy from what has been offered before is that it will cover forced and government recalls, adverse publicity and round-the-clock crisis management.

"We are expanding the coverage we provide in our policy to meet the emerging issues and evolving legislation in the US," Ms Piggott said.

Legislation expected to go before the US Senate shortly would, if enacted, give US authorities the right to mandate food product recalls, if deemed necessary. XL's new policy would cover this scenario.

Around 400 million eggs produced at two Iowa farms were recalled in the US last month, after a salmonella outbreak, which made more than 1,300 people across the US ill.

According to Ed Mitchell, XL's global product recall manager, there were lessons to be learned from that. "Regulators in the US are raising the bar on food safety and so it is important to have the right food safety systems in place," he said.

Mr. Michell, who is based in XL's London offices, said: "We see this as a growth business for XL and we are one of the longest-standing players in this area.

"In the last three or four years, we have built it out to Europe, Australia and Singapore. And it's a growth market for North America, particularly with the passing of the Food Safety Enhancement Act."

Other speakers at yesterday's seminar included Joseph Bermudez, partner and head of crisis management at the law firm of Nelson, Levine de Luca & Horst; Simon Oddy, partner at RGL Forensics and John Turner, vice-president at the global claims services company McLarens Young International.