Thought Leadership

In October, the FDA released new draft guidance for the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) on how to meet its seven key rules for ensuring the safety of our food supply. A month later, the nation was hit with yet another major food-borne outbreak – E. coli-contaminated romaine lettuce that killed five and sickened hundreds of consumers across 36 states.

Our Q2 2018 Recall Index found that recall activity in the food space increased in Q2, especially when it came to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) food units, which rose more than 20 times over the previous quarter to nearly 213 million, mostly due to one large recall of salmonella-contaminated eggs. But other measurements also saw increases. It may come as a surprise, but those increases did not include the widely-publicized romaine lettuce issue.

Food companies have many challenges to deal with on a regular basis: cost controls, the frequently changing health concerns of consumers, the need to stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace, and more. In the midst of all those factors, the potential for a product recall may not be top-of-mind, especially for smaller companies and those who haven’t experienced a recall before. The top causes of food recalls, such as the discovery of potential bacterial contamination or undeclared allergens, happen fast.

For many companies, social media is both a blessing and curse. It is a relatively inexpensive way to promote new products and increase brand awareness. It helps businesses learn more about their customers. On the other hand, complaints and poor reviews can be potentially damaging if they aren’t navigated correctly. That’s especially true during a crisis such as a product recall. In our recent

At a recent Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) event, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) representative spoke about the agency’s push for pathogen testing in food products. A combination of more sophisticated testing and more aggressive regulatory enforcement has helped drive up contamination recall activity in the food sector in recent quarters.