Food Recall and FoodShield

With all the news generated by food recalls and foodborne illnesses in the last couple of years, it is a positive sign that serious action is being taken by government, organizations and corporations to improve food safety. Here are two recent articles from FoodBusinessNews.net demonstrating the serious steps being taken to protect the public and improve reporting and processes.


1) Food Recall:

A report intended to improve the recall process and provide recommendations for better recall execution was jointly released by the Grocery Manufacturers Association, Food Marketing Institute and GS1, a group working with the two trade associations to develop consistent standards.

The report, “Recall Execution Effectiveness: Collaborative Approaches to Improving Consumer Safety and Confidence,” is an effort to establish best practices for product recalls. The need to identify challenges associated with recalls and make recommendations on how best to meet them was inspired by many issues affecting the food industry, according to the report.

Read the full article here

2) FoodShield:

Officials with the Food and Drug Administration are developing a pilot program to coordinate food recalls. FoodSHIELD is an on-line platform for federal, state and local public health officials, state laboratory personnel and regulatory authorities to use during food safety emergencies and to collaborate on preparedness and response plans. The platform is sponsored by the National Center for Food Protection and Defense (N.C.F.P.D.), a part of the Department of Homeland Security.

F.D.A. officials put FoodSHIELD through its paces in May 2009 during a simulation of a recall audit check using the platform to coordinate the effort, said Jacqueline Little, team leader in the Office of Enforcement within the F.D.A. Office of Regulatory Affairs. Using data from a recent recall, officials from seven states uploaded audit check information into FoodSHIELD. Then, F.D.A. field officials reviewed the information and either approved it or asked for additional information. According to F.D.A., the pilot successfully demonstrated the use of FoodSHIELD as a data sharing and communications tool in food recalls.

Read the full article here