The Food Science and Human Nutrition Department of the University of Florida has assembled a manual to assist food businesses, in all stages in the food chain to conduct rapid and effective product recalls. Link to the Food Recall Manual EDIS publication at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs108
The manual was developed to help businesses with the process and is based on information provided by important food recall and safety resources.
The mandatory food recall authority of the Food and Drug Administration went into effect when the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), was signed into law in January 2011. Food recalls are necessary to protect both public health and a company or brand’s reputation, the food recall manual states. The number and scope of food recalls is increasing as regulatory agencies implement new tools including whole-genome sequencing of microorganisms, which permits linking illnesses to a specific food with a whole new level of sensitivity and accuracy, according to the manual.
Under the FSMA, plans for product recalls are mandated for operations that manufacture, process, and pack or hold foods; in short, any food operation that must register with the FDA. Under FSMA there are some exempted operations, such as small farms. However, under its broad authorities to protect the public health, recalls can affect even exempted operations should FDA conclude that a threat to public health exists. FSMA also gives the FDA a new authority — the ability to order a product recall.
The food recall manual offers a guide to what actions a food business should take. For example, if a regulatory agency believes a product is causing an illness, the producer should assemble its recall team and ask if recall is recommended.
This 134-page manual instructs food producers through dozens of scenarios regarding food safety and legal responsibility, and provides links important food recall and food safety resources.
The Food Recall Manual (Version 2)1
Keith R. Schneider, Renee Goodrich-Schneider, Douglas L. Archer, Michelle D. Danyluk, George L. Baker, and Chris Thomas2
This publication is only available in PDF format. The following is a description of this publication:
The Food Recall Manual:
The Food Science and Human Nutrition Department of the University of Florida has assembled this manual to assist food businesses, at all parts of the food chain, in learning to conduct rapid and effective product recalls.
Click here to print or view the entire publication:
Food Recall Manual: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FS/FS10800.pdf (PDF)
Footnotes
1. This document is FSHN0410, one of a series of the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date December 2004. Revised December 2004 and June 2017. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
2. Keith R. Schneider, professor, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition; Renee Goodrich-Schneider, UF/IFAS Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition; Douglas L. Archer, professor, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition; Michelle D. Danyluk, UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center; George L. Baker, assistant professor, UF/IFAS Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition; and Chris Thomas, Chris Thomas Communications, Boise, ID and Seattle, WA; UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611.
0
