Page 10 - Food&Drink magazine April 2022

FOOD RECALL
Total recall
For many food and beverage manufacturers, a product recall or withdrawal is the nightmare that wakes them in the early hours of the morning. While certainly not something any company wants to experience, GS1 Australia has experts, tools, and resources to make a stressful situation more manageable. This is an abridged version of GS1 Australia’s Recall Year in Review report.
When to get your insurer involved is also discussed as recall insurers have panels of experts you will be able to call upon.
The fundamental 4 Stage methodology is also covered: what you know; what you don’t know; what you’re doing about it; what customers need to know.
ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS
A post incident review, also called a root cause analysis (RCA), when completed thoroughly, is an invaluable resource. Companies need to ask themselves the 5 Whys, essentially, ask why as many times as needed to uncover the root cause.
There are a range of RCA tools that are covered in the bootcamp, including Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA), fishbone charts, mind-maps, brainstorming, and Man, Machine, Material, Method (4M).
An RCA can help a company identify one or potentially more factors as well as preventing future problems. It can also help create an environment where people at the coalface feel empowered to raise potential hazards.
LESS WASTE, MORE GOOD
Mislabelling is one of the most common reasons for product recalls, with re-labelling a simple solution for the product to be safely re-purposed. GS1 Australia says often simple allergen or ingredient relabelling is all that is required.
Products from along the supply chain, such as individual ingredients can also be re-purposed, with companies encouraged to work with food support agencies like Foodbank.
Within the GS1 Australia Recall system, companies have the option to donate suitable products to Foodbank with the tick of a box.
GS1 Australia’s Recall Year in Review report goes into greater detail about the bootcamps, contains thorough case studies, and provides an overview of the GS1 Australia Recall system. Visitgs1au.org/recall. ✷
WHEN things do go wrong with a product or brand, they can quickly snowball, with economic and reputational impacts. The goal of GS1 Australia’s recall materials is to show how to be better prepared, should your company experience an unforeseen event.
GS1 Australia service engagement manager Mark Blitenthall says they have seen plenty of good practice over the years as well as some that could do with improvement.
During the year, GS1 Australia runs a series of bootcamps, hosted by product recall experts from different sectors, covering crisis communications, root cause analysis, reducing product waste, and asking what went wrong.
“We created a space where a conversation about better recall practice can occur and be accessible to everyone.
“It’s too late to scratch around for an expert to help or find materials about what to do, once you have a product safety
horizon scanning to proactively identify developing challenges offshore; and seeking state and territory regulators’ advice.
CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
The bootcamp starts with the first steps of crisis communication and mitigating the impact through understanding what a recall is and the high-pressure situation it creates.
It looks at how to be prepared before a crisis even exists, with
“ We created a space where a conversation about better recall practice can occur and be accessible to everyone. It’s too late to scratch around for an expert to help or find materials about what to do, once you have a product safety incident.”
“One area that consistently appears is the reluctance of companies and individuals to talk about their experiences with product recalls. Our Recall Year in Review report is designed to inform and share best practice for better recalls,” Blitenthallsays.
incident,” Blitenthall says. A product recall situation
results from unexpected events. The ‘What went wrong’
bootcamp looks at what can be done to minimise risk, including not relying solely on test certificates from suppliers; thevalueofinternational
an internal team that can swing into action.
A severity matrix is explained, so you know when to act and what the course of action will be – a vital tool saving you thinking and planning time when something hasalreadygonewrong.
10 | Food&Drink business | April 2022 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au