By Darin Detwiler, Gillian Kelleher and Roger Hancock
The goal of a food recall is simple: to remove compromised food in order to prevent people from eating contaminated food that could kill or sicken them. But if people don’t know about the recall, that goal cannot be achieved. If they hear about the recall after eating the food, the goal cannot be achieved. If they don’t trust, understand, or recognize the importance of the recall information, again, the goal cannot be achieved.
To save lives and minimize health risks, we need clear, credible, and compelling recall information that is disseminated quickly and widely, not just to businesses across the supply chain, but also to consumers.
The good news is that we know what to do and how to do it. We have the tools, the templates, and the technology to succeed. What we need is a shared and vigorous commitment on the part of the FDA, the USDA, the states, and the industry to modernize recalls today.
3 Steps the government should take
Both the FDA and the USDA have expressed interest in modernizing recalls. Here’s how they can move from rhetoric to action:
- Both the FDA and the USDA should write and post all Class 1 food recalls. Today, this is standard practice for the USDA: it writes the recall announcement, gives the recalling firm a short period to review it, and then disseminates the announcement. The USDA uses templates to standardize and expedite the process. The messaging is concise to prevent confusion and promote action. The FDA needs to adopt this same practice.
- The FDA needs to modernize its IT systems to facilitate and streamline industry reporting of recalls. For example, it could finalize seamless connectivity with the Reportable Food Registry (RFR) database for faster reporting.
- Government agencies need to reach a consensus on the specific information that should be part of recall communications and eliminate extraneous information that does not help consumers recognize the products involved and motivate them to take action.
3 Steps the industry should take
- Companies need to disseminate recall information through channels commonly used to promote their products. While loyalty programs, social media, and websites are effective in reaching consumers, we see little evidence that these same tools are used to distribute recall information.
- With the goal of ensuring consistency and clarity in the provision and dissemination of recall information, the industry must agree upon a unified set of data elements and protocols. This will make information exchange faster and more reliable, providing all stakeholders with accurate and uniform data.
- The industry needs to promote the use of modernized recall simulations that replicate real-world scenarios, going beyond traditional “mock recalls” that serve primarily as trace-back exercises. This allows stakeholders to practice and refine their response strategies in the context of their supply chains.
What’s already being done in this space
In addition to the work being done by regulators and individual companies, other organizations are leading the charge to standardize and optimize the recall process, including consumer communication.
- STOP Foodborne Illness, through its workgroup on recall modernization, is conducting crucial research to identify needed improvements in consumer messaging. Led by Dr. William Hallman, Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University and former chair of FDA’s Risk Communication Advisory Committee, STOP is developing and testing new food recall templates to determine those that will best inform and motivate consumers. In addition, STOP is emphasizing the need for the FDA to create a transparent set of recall classification decision criteria and to classify recalls in real time, something USDA already does.
- The Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) has issued a white paper, Recall Modernization: Accelerated Partnering for Effective Recalls, urging the FDA to develop a concise recall handbook, standardize a process for classifying recalls, and work more closely with industry for effective recalls.
- The Alliance for Recall Ready Communities (ARRC), is a newly formed alliance that the three of us co-chair. We are bringing together organizations such as the International Fresh Produce Association, the American Frozen Food Institute, the Consumer Brands Association, the National Restaurant Association, and more, to establish and enable companies to use agreed-upon data standards, collaborative processes, powerful tech solutions, and recall simulations to quickly and effectively practice and manage food recalls.
The steps outlined above are concrete and actionable. We encourage the FDA, the USDA, and industry to build on the work that’s begun. Together we can achieve the goal of reducing death and illness connected to contaminated food.
About the authors:
Darin Detwiler, founder and president of Detwiler Consulting Group, LLC, is the director of the MS in Regulatory Affairs of Food and Food Industry and Professor of Food Policy at Northeastern University in Boston. In addition to serving as the chair of the National Environmental Health Association’s Food Safety Program Committee, Detwiler serves on numerous editorial and advisory panels related to food safety, sustainable development, leadership, and policy. He is a sought-after speaker on key issues in food policy at corporate and regulatory training events, as well as national and international events. Detwiler holds a doctorate of Law and Policy.
Gillian Kelleher is a food safety and quality leader with a four-decade career in the food industry, spanning multiple countries and sectors. She has worked with leading companies such as Häagen Dazs, Burger King, Express Foods, Pillsbury, and spent over twenty years at Wegmans Food Markets. As CEO and President of Kelleher Consultants LLC, Gillian helps companies build sustainable food safety and quality programs with a focus on prevention. She is a member of IAFP, IFT, and ASQ, and has served in various leadership roles, including vice chair of the Global Food Safety Initiative Board. Gillian is board co-chair of Stop Foodborne Illness. She also chairs the Educational Advisory Board for the Food Safety Summit and leads the Leafy Greens Safety Coalition.
Roger Hancock, CEO of Recall InfoLink is one of the world’s foremost experts on recalls, with experience that spans retail, tech, data, regulatory, and the entire supply chain. Prior to founding Recall InfoLink, he spent 15 years at Albertsons where he oversaw 250+ recalls every year, experiencing first-hand the pain points and need for better recall practices.