The Food Industry Recall Protocol provides information on recalling food in Australia and guidance for food businesses on developing a written food recall plan. A food recall is action taken to remove from distribution, sale and consumption, food which is unsafe. This means food that may cause illness or other physical harm to a person consuming the food.
The three primary objectives of a food recall are to:
- stop the distribution and sale of the product as soon as possible
- inform the government, the food businesses that have received the recalled food and the public (consumer level recalls only) of the problem
- effectively and efficiently remove unsafe product from the market place.
This Protocol helps food businesses plan for and respond to a need to recall potentially unsafe food by setting out:
- the roles and responsibilities of food businesses and government during a food recall
- the key steps in the food recall process
- the legal requirements for food businesses in relation to food recalls
- important elements of a food recall plan.
Attachments provided include:
- writing a food recall plan for your food business
- contact details for FSANZ and state/territory food enforcement agencies
- an explanation of how recalls are classified
- flow diagram to assist with deciding if food should be recalled or withdrawn
- examples of problems and suggested actions
- examples of recall notifications and press advertisements.
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