Food Recall Systems
To comply with legal obligations, food business operators must establish food recall/withdrawal systems that can effectively and efficiently remove affected food from the market. As part of these systems, food business operators should establish a written food recall/withdrawal policy and alert staff to this policy. The policy should be supported by a documented procedure.
There are two distinct processes regarding food recall for food business operators to follow:
Planning: this focuses on the development and documentation of procedures which are necessary for effective food recall/withdrawal and this should be undertaken by all food business operators well in advance of any food incident.
Management: Focuses on the important considerations for identification of unsafe food and its efficient and effective removal from the market during a food recall/withdrawal.
Effective Traceability System
With an effective traceability system, food business operator can track and trace food through the food chain. In the event of a food incident without a traceability system, a food withdrawal/recall could be difficult and time consuming than otherwise necessary. This can damage the food business operator`s reputation and potentially tarnish the entire sector of the food industry. Food business operators are therefore reliant on each other to have efficient and effective traceability systems in place and practice the same.
It is advisable to stay informed about up-to-date Food Alert Notifications from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland notifications system. In this section you can subscribe to alerts and updates for information on the site or subscribe to FSAI newsletter which is published every 2 months. To subscribe please click HERE.
Every year, millions of tons of food products ready-to-eat and partially processed go to waste due to product recall. The food supply chains and regulatory agencies are protecting consumers as they should. For the restaurant operators, shop vendors, or anyone handling, producing of selling food this means one small step of extra vigilance for a big step to retain reputability