Food recalls are a public health challenge shared by industry and regulatory partners. Recalls are the most effective way to promptly remove contaminated or injurious products from the marketplace. Federal and state partners often work together with industry to ensure that recalls are prompt and effective. Some regulatory roles may overlap, including conducting recall audit checks to verify the effectiveness of the recall, drafting and issuing public warnings, and following up with additional inspections or investigations.
When regulatory stakeholders effectively collaborate at the local, state, and federal levels and understand one another’s roles, resources, and authorities, food recalls can be processed more efficiently. This results in a more agile recall response down to the consumer level, benefitting everyone in the farm-to-fork continuum and potentially reducing additional exposures and illnesses.