Stericycle reports fall in US recalls in Q1 2016
The firm said it was ‘interesting’ to see that after major food recalls in 2015, such as the cumin spice issue, the number of them and reported units affected fell in Q1 2016 compared to the last quarter.
Undeclared allergen recalls were very prevalent in 2015 but the presence of foreign materials – which includes glass, metal and plastic – was the leading cause in Q1 2016.
Four goals in every recall
Kevin Pollack, VP at Stericycle, said industry knows it must continue to prioritize food safety or risk unwanted scrutiny and hefty fines.
“In every recall, there are four goals: protect the public, protect the brand, protect the environment, and close the event as soon as possible. Public health is paramount and in the case of an allergen, the stakes are high,” he told FoodQualityNews.
“A company with a recall plan in place is best equipped to achieve these goals, as well as to avoid any delays that could prolong the recall or lead to additional costly events – not to mention the adverse brand damage associated with poorly executed recalls.
“Manufacturers and businesses have a responsibility to notify the parties that are affected by the recall and it’s imperative to remove the product from the market before any harm is caused.”
For FDA food recalls, there were 90 in Q1 2016, down from 108 in Q4 2015. The biggest drop came in number of units affected, which declined from more than 44 million to less than 1.5 million.
49% of FDA food units were recalled due to foreign materials, including glass, metal, and plastic.
The same categories continue to experience the greatest impact from recalls: prepared foods, baked goods, and fruits and vegetables.
Recall causes tend to fluctuate over time, said Pollack.
“Often, a single recall can cause a spike in the number of units recalled for any given reason, especially when the multiplier effect is involved, so looking at one quarter doesn’t provide a full understanding of whether a particular issue is improving. However, there is more awareness of the issue and a greater understanding of the scope of the problem.
“Recalls for allergens offer a singular example of why it’s so important to be proactive and prepared for a recall. It’s not a matter of if a recall will occur, but when. And businesses must be prepared for the worst.”
For the USDA, the number of recalls stayed consistent, with 24 in the last quarter of 2015 and 25 in Q1 2016. The number of units affected increased during this time, from about 765,000 pounds to more than 1.1 million.
Beef was the top recalled USDA product making up nearly 68% of total pounds recalled in Q1 and 28.6% was chicken.
A trend or a blip?
When asked about determining a trend versus quarter to quarter variation, Pollack said with an issue such as the Listeria recall, it sees a multiplier effect.
“In these cases, one safety issue can affect dozens or even hundreds of products. This impact may be felt across multiple quarters, which can indicate an ongoing issue rather than a trend,” he said.
“In many cases, we see trends emerge in year-over-year data, especially when we look at the number of recalls and units affected over time. In the food industry, while FDA recalls have declined recently, they remain higher than 2005 levels.
“One interesting trend that is also pointed out in our index is that a few types of food products continue to experience the most recall activity over time. In fact, produce and baked goods have been among the top recall categories since the beginning of 2015.”
Managing the many aspects of a recall is complex, said Pollack.
“A typical recall includes many actions, such as notifying affected consumers, establishing dedicated websites, retrieving the affected product from store shelves, processing the product, and storing or destroying the product. At the same time, the affected company must also collect all recall data in a central repository to support complex regulatory compliance and reporting needs.
“Completing these tasks while also running a business is a challenge that not all manufacturers are ready for, so working with a trusted partner is a best practice approach. Also, it is very important that food manufacturers test recall plans by conducting periodic recall readiness assessments, or “mock recalls.”
“This helps individual stakeholders and departments prepare for a recall and enables organizations to make necessary updates and improvements to their recall plans prior to a crisis ever occurring.”
