Product Recall Specialists Deliver `Peace of Mind'

Product recalls can be devastating for a food company. Take Hudson Foods and Thorn Apple Valley for instance. Following massive product recalls and subsequent financial woes, both meat processors were sold in fire sales.

Several factors have converged in recent years to put the spotlight on product recalls. Improved detection technology has made it easier to trace food pathogens back to their source. The Federal government has stepped up its food safety efforts. And, consumer groups are demanding more regulatory oversight of food distribution.

Fortunately, there is help available for food companies who find themselves either embroiled in or at the precipice of a product recall.

RQA Inc., Darien, Ill., offers product recall, withdrawal and retrieval services for food manufacturers. It has a global field staff of 4,200 dieticians and food industry professionals in more than 1,000 cities.

"We pride ourselves on speed and quick resolution of the problem because we understand the needs and concerns of food processors and the liability, financial and publicity issues involved," declares Dan Cahill, director of business development for RQA.

Once a customer instructs RQA to recall a particular product lot or lots, the company directs its extensive field force to identify and remove the affected lot codes from retail outlets, warehouses or from the distribution system. Depending upon the wishes of the food company, the recalled product can be destroyed, shipped to a lab for testing and disposal or returned to the processor.

"RQA's field personnel are trained in product recalls. Our direct sales force is not," notes Gary Raasch, sales operation manager for Pillsbury.

"They also understand the importance of speed when it comes to a Class I recall involving a potential allergen."

Raasch's group has been using RQA's product recall services since 1996. "1 heard about them from our Quality Assurance department, who had used them for retrieving products associated with consumer complaints. Our Marketing department has also used RQA to retrieve product samples for quality evaluations."

For the first product recall project for Raasch, RQA handled 4,000 stores in less than a week. "The largest national recall involved about 18,000 stores, which took about three weeks," reports Raasch.

"Their turnaround time is phenomenal. I once gave them a recall involving a couple hundred stores on Friday and they had it done by the time I came in on Monday morning. They're so thorough and efficient ...they really provide `peace of mind,"' says Raasch.

Although it's hard to quantify in hard dollars the benefits of using the recall service, Raasch points out that "if our direct sales force is out chasing down a product recall, then they're not selling any product or promoting a special campaign. How do you measure that?"

Raasch also notes that it would take 20 to 30 phone calls to his sales force managers to check on the status of a recall. "With RQA, I have one contact

person who is really responsive to my questions," remarks Raasch. "Plus, RQA supplies me with a detailed spreadsheet report."

According to Cahill, RQA offers three types of product recall services. The first is a Standard Recall program whereby a food company pays a fee on a per recall basis. (Pillsbury uses this program.)

The second service is called Recall Retainer. "Under the recall retainer program, we identify and incorporate key contacts into a customer's database, verify data transfer capabilities and evaluate the client's recall/withdrawal system," explains Cahill. "We also benchmark a customer's recall procedures against best practices and USDA/ FDA requirements."

The third service is called Mock Recall. "We provide the client with a recall scenario, evaluate their response program, make recommendations for improvement and establish standard operating procedures," says Cahill. "We can even help a company set up a recall program from scratch."

In order for its customers to check on the status of a product recall, RQA has developed a proprietary Internet website with both password and firewall protection.

"At the end of the day, customers can view in real-time the progress of their recall-the number of stores visited, how many products were retrieved at a particular store and other data," notes Cahill. "These reports can be printed from the website and provide documentation for regulatory agencies."

RQA, Inc., International Retail Quality Assurance & Retrievals, 7900 South Cass Avenue, Darien, IL 60561. Tel: 630-512-0011; Fax: 630-512-0014.