Food Recalls — Managing The "Do This, Not That" List

By Melissa Lind, contributing writer

In the food industry, sometimes the need for a recall is inevitable. In order to keep the public safe, the ability to locate a specific food product at any point in the supply chain is critical. With developing regulations, managers are required to act in a proactive manner, ensuring that practices are already in place in the event of a recall

Traceability is a vital component in the ability to respond effectively to an event that warrants a recall. This development has been driven — in part by developing standards and legislation such as FSMA — but another major driving factor is consumer demand for increased visibility throughout the supply chain.

FSMA, and similar legislation or standards developed internationally, are forcing food processors and producers to develop business processes, including traceability measures, to ensure the ability to react quickly. These standards are requiring that food industry members move toward prevention and proactivity, rather than simply acting retrospectively on a critical event. To increase the ability to react efficiently, there are some best practices that your company should implement including:

Do This

• Develop and enact a standards-based approach to traceability measures through the food-supply chain. A company’s internal-tracking measures must be integrated with systems throughout the supply chain. This means that your company needs to ensure that it can trace its supply back to raw ingredients and the final product to the consumer. Systems such as GS1 markers allow a particular food product to be tracked from harvest to final consumer and can include supplementary information, such as expiration date and batch number, which makes response to an emergency immediately possible.
   
• Communicate with trade partners. Over 700 organizations, including large grocery chains, are using Rapid Recall Exchange (RRE). This is an internet-based service which enables food-supply chain members to communicate in a two-way method to execute actions regarding recalls and product withdrawals.
   
• Prepare by running trial events. RRE and similar services allow for the conduction of mock recalls which can help a supplier identify areas which need improvement. Process adjustments can be made before an event happens so that when an emergency occurs, efficient action can take place immediately.

Not That

• Do not assume that every batch must be discarded. Complete supply-chain visibility and traceability equates to precise responses to contamination and other events. This pinpoint accuracy can help reduce waste caused by unnecessary discards. Up to 40 percent of the American food supply is disposed of as waste and reduction of that amount can result in greater efficiency and use of resources throughout the world.
   
• Don’t become complacent. Even if your company is not operating in high-risk areas, such as seafood, your company is not immune to a recall. Lack of a previous food-safety emergency doesn’t guarantee one will never occur. Most food-borne illnesses are never identified, or even reported, so just because your company has not had a known event, doesn’t mean that none will occur.

Traceability is required by regulations, but is also demanded by today’s consumer. With increased visibility and good traceability practices, your company can provide consumers with more information about where, when, and how food and ingredients were harvested, handled, processed, and delivered. In addition to ensuring public safety, the measures will help preserve your company’s reputation and build customer loyalty.