Food recalls in the national news have been grabbing some priority headlines lately.  Actually, it’s an important public health issue involving some kind of contamination, mislabeling, undeclared food allergens, or tampering.  Foods are regularly being recalled that we as food industry professionals may not always be aware of.  The recent list includes  peanut butter, meats, poultry, seafood, canned chili, produce such as spinach and tomato products, the dog food recall and food ingredients from China. 

The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and U. S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) are kept pretty busy on such incidents to influence companies selling or producing these foods to get them pulled back out of the marketplace.  So what exactly triggers a recall and how can a food manager keep aware?  It is difficult for a  manager to be aware of all of them, but there are several websites – just do a search on “food recalls.”   

The headlines are wrong in indicating that the FDA can "order" a recall.  The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, (the law) does not generally authorize the FDA to "order" a manufacturer to recall a food, but may request a product recall if the firm is not willing to remove dangerous products from the market without the FDA's written request.   State health departments sometimes have more “recall power” than the FDA or USDA. 

Recalls are expensiveeither way you look at it for a food firm—a good argument for implementing comprehensive food safety plans such as HACCP.  The cost of physically getting foods returned is high and the cost of getting sued by consumers if you don’t remove the food from the marketplace can cost millions.

Most Recalls are Voluntary --The manufacturers or distributors of the product carry out most recalls of products regulated by the FDA voluntarily.  In some instances, a company discovers that one of its products is defective and recalls it entirely on its own.  In others, the FDA informs a company of findings that one of its products is defective and suggests or requests a recall.  Usually, the company will comply.  If the firm does not recall the product, then the FDA can seek legal action under the FD&C Act.  These include seizure of available product, and/or injunction of the firm, including a court request for recall of the product.

http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/recall2.html

This cooperation between the FDA and its regulated industries has proven over the years to be the quickest and most reliable method to remove potentially dangerous products from the market.  This method has been successful because it is in the interest of the FDA, as well as industry, to get unsafe and defective products out of consumer hands as soon as possible.

The Basics of a Recall -- The FDA defines a recall as “action taken by a firm to remove a product from the market,” adding, “Recalls may be conducted on a firm’s own initiative, by FDA request, or by FDA order under statutory authority.”

Both the FDA and USDA are involved in food safety. Which agency oversees or requests a recall?  The answer is: It depends on the food. The USDA oversees meat, poultry, and eggs. Examples include ground beef, hot dogs, and smoked ham. The FDA oversees all other food, such as bagged spinach, fresh melons, pancake mix, pasta, soup mix, candy, baby food, infant formula, bottled water, pet food, and many other products—in all, about 80 percent of the US food supply.

The defined purpose of a recall is to protect public health, and recalls are classified by level of threat and Class I is the most serious:

•         Class I recall—The product poses a reasonable probability of serious adverse health consequences or death. Example: E. coli in ground beef.

•         Class II recall—The product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences, or the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote. Example: undeclared milk allergens in soup.

•         Class III recall—The product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences. Example: Soda labeled “caffeine-free” is found to contain caffeine.

FDA Recall Statistics--FDA recall actions also extend to medical products and drugs. The FDA notes that “In 2005, more than 5,300 products regulated by the FDA were recalled. Of these products, 466 were Class I; 3,781 were Class II; and 1,091 were Class III. Most Class I  recalls in 2005 were in the food category.”

The Peanut Butter Recall -- The most highly publicized recall in 2007 has been the recall of Great Value peanut butter (lot numbers beginning with 2111), and Peter Pan peanut butter. Both products were made by ConAgra in the same facility. As of March 2007, the Centers for Disease Control cited Salmonella-related illnesses in 425 people from 44 states, with 71 hospitalizations. All were linked to a strain of bacteria called “Salmonella Tennessee,” found in peanut butter purchased as far back as May 2006.  

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/pnutbuqa.html

The FDA response:

•         Alerted the media and the public, with advice not to eat peanut butter from specified lots.

•         Notified authorities in other parts of the world where the product may have been distributed.

•         Sent field investigators to the manufacturing plant in Georgia to collect samples, review records, evaluate causes of the contamination, and recommend further actions.

FDA Pilot Program with Visual Photo Labels--Because of the sheer volume of food recalls, the FDA launched a pilot education program in February 2007.  The objective is to help consumers identify products involved in recall actions through photos of product labels. The FDA has been trying out this educational approach for the last six months.

Bottom Line:  With many recalls occurring each year in a broad range of food categories, there is no way a manager can expect to avoid every food recall.  However, staying informed can help you respond quickly to remove any problematic products from your inventory.  Talk to your distributors and suppliers about recall policies and practices.  Your distributors may be your front-line source of information, and will likely assist you in removing any questionable products from inventory in the event of a recall.   In addition, you can check the Recalls website or sign up to receive recall alerts by email. https://list.nih.gov/archives/fda-recalls-l.html