Recall/Crisis Management

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The theme of the sixth annual World Food Safety Day (WFSD), taking place June 7, 2024, is “Prepare for the Unexpected.” This article provides a history of FAO/WHO’s involvement in global food safety emergency preparedness and its historical intersections with WFSD, and shares resources to help build resiliency against incidents.

A total of 313 food product recall announcements were issued in 2023 by FDA and USDA, which the U.S. Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG) Education Fund analyzed in its Food for Thought 2024 report to identify recall trends. 

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we are joined by Robert Manning, recall management expert, author, and CEO of Liquid, about how to prevent, prepare for, and recover from food product recalls.

After hundreds of children across the U.S. contracted lead poisoning after eating fruit puree pouches containing contaminated cinnamon, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has identified six additional ground cinnamon products that were found to contain elevated levels of lead. The agency has issued a recall.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has published data on recalls and public health advisories issued in the case of a food safety incident in 2023.

The primary role of FDA's Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation (CORE) Network is to conduct outbreak surveillance, manage the response efforts, and initiate post-outbreak activities for incidents involving FDA-regulated products. This article explores the evolution, work, and perpetual improvement of the CORE Network.

A 2021 multinational foodborne illness outbreak investigation involving imported melons contaminated by Salmonella Braenderup exemplifies effective collaboration across countries, rapid information sharing, and harmonized data collection, and the lessons learned could form the basis of standard practices in multinational outbreak investigations.

For those leading the food and beverage industry, there is tremendous opportunity for growth—but with growth comes risks that can negatively impact operations, profitability, and reputation.

As of November 24, 2023, a fatal foodborne outbreak of salmonellosis linked to cantaloupes has caused 99 illnesses across 32 states in the U.S., and 63 illnesses across five provinces in Canada. A total of three patients have died. A recall has been issued.

As of November 16, 2023, there are 34 known cases of acute lead toxicity linked to recalled fruit puree pouches in the U.S. FDA has alluded to an unconfirmed theory that the common source of contamination may be an imported ingredient used in the products.