The food safety agency Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) this month issued a Food Industry Recall Protocol, which provides information on recalling food in Australia and guidance for food businesses on developing a written food recall plan.

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• flow diagram to assist with deciding if food should be recalled or withdrawn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.

Download the full, 48-page Food Industry Recall Protocol here (pdf, 1.9 MB) | (Word document, 3.3 MB).