The New Zealand Food Safety division of the Ministry for Primary Industries recently released its “Step-By-Step Food Recall Guidance for Food Businesses.” The document outlines what a food recall is, which entities should be involved in a recall, the timeline of recalls, and recommended recall steps. The guidance differentiates between two types of food recall: consumer level and trade level. A recall’s type affects what steps need to be taken to resolve the incident. It also states that senior decision-makers, operations, marketing and communication, and sales and distribution should all be involved in a recall.
The guidance identifies six recall steps and associates each step with a recommended timeframe and relevant regulatory requirements. The guidance allows for more time leniency with low-risk recalls than high- risk recalls. The level of risk involved with a recall depends on the seriousness of the contaminant, the reach of the affected product, and the nature of the affected product.