The protection of the health and safety of consumers is a fundamental requirement and a legal obligation of all companies involved in the production and sale of food and grocery products. Suppliers and retailers must take every precaution to ensure products are safe. Suppliers and retailers are also committed to ensure that the quality of products is maintained and that the information provided to consumers is accurate. However, problems sometimes occur which require the recall or withdrawal of products.

While the supplier has absolute responsibility for removing the product from the market place, the safety of products is a shared responsibility throughout the distribution chain. Recalls which are not handled correctly can place consumers at risk, impose large and unnecessary costs on the companies involved and leave them liable to legal action.

Australian and New Zealand suppliers, retailers and wholesalers have, through ECR Australasia, adopted procedures for product recall and withdrawal which include a standardised form for the notification of retailers, wholesalers and Government agencies in Australia and New Zealand and a Product Recall & Withdrawal Process Flowchart.

Also included with the procedures documents are 24-hour contacts for suppliers, retailers and wholesalers, Government agencies and Police.

The standardised procedures are designed to overcome possible differences in the requirements of individual retailers and wholesalers and at the same time, meet the initial needs of the relevant regulatory agencies. Data relating to recalls or withdrawals now need to be keyed in only once – the scope for error is reduced, the efficiency of the process is enhanced, and costs to suppliers, retailers and wholesalers are also reduced. While information relating to sales channels other than supermarkets, such as convenience stores, food service and vending machines, is not included, the standardised form may also meet the demands of trading partners in those channels.

Trading partners are encouraged to use these procedures and the standardised forms whenever a recall or withdrawal is undertaken. Trading partners recognise that recalls and withdrawals require cooperation in their management and impose demands on both suppliers and retailers. The procedures are intended to facilitate collaborative action and minimise resource demands.

A particular issue to be considered by the initiators of a recall or withdrawal is the time at which other interested parties – retailers, wholesalers, Government agencies and consumers – are advised of the recall or withdrawal. Notification late in the day, and especially late on a Friday afternoon, creates added complexity, inconvenience and cost for all parties. Whenever possible, notification of a recall or withdrawal should be made at a time convenient to all parties, and certainly well before 5.00pm on Friday.

The following documents are included to implement the standardised procedures adopted by Australian and New Zealand suppliers, retailers and wholesalers:

Australia and New Zealand Product Recall/Withdrawal Processes

A&NZ Product Recall/Withdrawal Form and Contacts (updated 25/05/11)

A&NZ Product Recall/Withdrawal Process Flowchart

A&NZ Product Recall/Withdrawal Contact List This document has not been updated for a contact at NZ Police. If NZ Police notification is required please contact Detective Inspector Stu Alsop-Smith Ph (09) 259 0768

New Zealand Product Recall/Withdrawal Media Contact List


Comments or further information on these procedures and the associated contact information should be addressed to:

Katherine Rich, Chief Executive, NZ Food & Grocery Council

Ph: (04) 470 7725
Fax: (04) 470 7727
Email: admin@fgc.org.nz

PRODUCT RECALLS – PLANNING, CONDUCT AND MAF INVOLVEMENT

MAF (NZFSA, the NZ Food Safety Authority) information on recalls is found at the following address:

www.foodsafety.govt.nz/recalls-warnings/

The home page provides access to five pages:

Overview – covers requirements (under food legislation administered by MAF), a summary of the remaining pages and how to keep up to date with developments and recalls.

About recalls – covers the two types of recall – trade recall (involving food product that has not been available for direct purchase by the general public and the removal of an unsafe food product from the distribution chain including from hospitals, caterers etc) and consumer recall (recovering food product from all points in the production and distribution network, including any affected product in the possession of consumers). Also how a recall starts, deciding to conduct a recall , what a recall notice looks like, MAF’s role and privileged statements.

Conducting a food recall – provides a quick checklist (contact the local food act officer, follow your company’s recall plan, complete form 15.1 and provide to Food Act Officer, draft a newspaper advertisement and despatch first to the Food Act Officer then for publication and provide advice on the company website. Recall advertisement templates are provided from this page together with Newspaper and Radio Bureau contact information.

Developing your food recall plan – refers to the Recall guidance material and recommends including the Form 15.1 in the plan.

Documents – this page contains a set of forms and templates and guidance:

Food recall notice template – general – advertisement template for a product recall

Food recall notice template – point of sale – template for a point of sale notice about a recalled product

Form 15.1 Recall Hazard/Risk Analysis – MAF and food act officers use this form to decide whether to recall food. Manufacturers/importers can use this form a form for internal company use to help make the recall decision and to record the actions taken for future reference.

Recall Guidance material – this is a 37 page document dated Aug 2011 for industry that sets out procedures for identifying and removing unsafe food from the food supply. Key areas covered include Purpose of a Product Recall, Roles and Responsibilities (industry and regulatory authorities), Levels of Product Recall, Procedures and Policy, Decision to Recall and scope, Notification of a product recall (Communicating with those involved), Managing a Product Recall, Closing a recall and Reviewing a Recall. It also contains a set of Appendices: setting diagrams, templates and contacts.

Recall Policy form for company use – to assist a company by setting out how it will respond in recall situations.

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