Managing a recall effectively is challenging due to the lack of standardized procedures. Companies must create individual recall plans to protect public health and their brand reputation. Food retailers often refine their processes through frequent recalls, while manufacturers might face recalls only every few years, leaving their plans untested until a crisis hits.

We interviewed five food manufacturing industry experts to gather insights on creating, practicing, and executing an effective recall plan. Their key advice includes:

• Prepare before a recall occurs.
• Practice and adjust your plan regularly.
• Invest in an effective recall plan to protect consumers and your brand.

Key Components of an Effective Recall

An effective recall plan doesn't need to be overly complex. It can be simplified into three main categories: Who, What, and How.

Who: The Team 

The recall team is crucial and should include members from various departments like quality assurance, sales, customer relations, and legal. "Start with the team who is part of the process,” recommends David Acheson, President and CEO of The Acheson Group. Each member should have clear roles and responsibilities. To build an effective recall team, companies should identify team members from all relevant departments, assign specific responsibilities, provide regular training on recall procedures, and establish clear communication channels within the team.

What: The Product 

Accurate information about the compromised product is essential. This includes identifying the product through lot codes or batch numbers and understanding the scope of the issue. A comprehensive product recall plan should cover traceability methods, data management for quick access to accurate product information, defining the scope of the issue, and developing a detailed execution plan for removing the affected product from the market.

How: The Execution 

Amy Philpott, a consultant with Philpott PR Solutions, underscores the importance of defining how you will execute your plan: "How are you going to triage? How are you going to know they get your message?"

Effective execution hinges on clear communication. Recall plans should include methods for gathering contact information of affected parties, protocols for developing and disseminating messages, designated spokespersons, and communication templates for various platforms. To ensure successful execution, companies should develop detailed communication plans, create clear and concise messages for different audiences, utilize all available communication channels, and designate trained individuals to handle public communications.

Improving Your Recall Plan & Measuring Recall Effectiveness

Companies often face challenges such as obtaining timely information from suppliers, ensuring accurate product information, effective communication, and prompt response times. But Roger Hancock, President and CEO of Recall InfoLink, says most problems stem from whether or not a company practices their recall plan, pointing out that "the most fundamental problem is a lack of preparation." Regularly practicing the recall plan helps identify gaps and improve the process. Gillian Kelleher, a consultant with Kelleher Consultants, suggests also getting external input: "Seek out what else is available beyond your department and your company." Engaging third parties for an external perspective and benchmarking with other companies can provide valuable insights.

Key metrics for evaluating recall effectiveness include identification speed, notification reach, information flow, compliance, and customer feedback. However, measuring the overall effectiveness of a recall process can be challenging. Philpott notes, "The whole reason to do a recall is to protect public health, but you can do everything right and still have a problem. There’s not a lot of reward for being ‘good’ at recalls." It’s important to have identifiable objectives in many different areas to help determine whether the recall was successful, including:

• Identifying product distribution within two hours.
• Ensuring affected parties receive notifications and can act.
• Avoiding bottlenecks in information dissemination.
• Maintaining easy access to documentation and regulatory compliance.

Experts suggest monitoring progress in real-time to make necessary adjustments. Following the event, companies should evaluate the time taken to identify and initiate the recall, calculate the percentage of affected products successfully retrieved, assess the reach and impact of consumer notifications, and review the thoroughness and accuracy of recall documentation and regulatory compliance. Rather than seeking pass/fail results, look for a percentage or degree of effectiveness in each area.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Wait

The experts agree that it’s vital to invest in your recall plan now, and emphasize the importance of preparation. They’ve seen first hand the pain caused by under-preparing, and know the positive impact of any work done ahead of time to create and practice your recall plan.

Darin Detwiler, the founder and president of Detwiler Consulting, advises investing in resources and working with trading partners to create standardized data sets, communication systems, and practice regimens to establish Recall Ready Communities that are able to execute effective recalls at every point in the supply chain. Acheson adds, "Make sure you have the resources to manage the complexities of a recall." Waiting to discover gaps in the midst of running a recall is already too late. 

Here is where the importance of a prepared supply chain comes into focus. Even if individual companies have a recall plan that works, there will still be issues if their trading partners up and down their supply chain haven’t done their due diligence to prepare, as a company and as a supply chain. “Standardization is the biggest unrealized potential to make recalls more effective,” says Hancock. Having standard data sets, communication systems, practice regimens, and execution protocols ensure that everyone is on the same page. Working with your trading partners to identify points of collaboration, communicate expectations, and practice the shared plan is the single best way to ensure a smooth process during a recall. 

This is what Kelleher calls “Recall Ready Communities” – unified supply chains that have worked together to become truly recall ready, with recall processes that have been built to work for everyone and vetted through collective practice.

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