Speed of Recall a Challenge in Product Withdrawal

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Speed of recall when withdrawing products from the market is cited as the top challenge confronting US-based food processors, with 39 percent of executives saying the biggest communication gap occurs at the store-level.

Recent high-profile recalls for beef and peanut butter have raised public fears about the safety of the food supply chain. Issuing speedy recalls is important in reducing costs, brand damage and the risk of costly lawsuits if consumers fall sick — or die —  from a contaminated product.

The survey by software provider RedPrairie indicates food and beverage companies still have some work to do in making the recall process faster and more efficient, RedPrairie said.

About 44 percent of those who responded said that their products can be pulled off the shelf in a few days, while five percent said it would take weeks.

About 7 percent could pull products off the shelves within "minutes," while 32 percent could do it in a matter of hours.

Another 12 percent didn't have a sense of how long it would take to pull their items from the store shelf, indicating a lack of visibility and control across the extended supply chain, RedPrairie stated.

Read the full FoodProductionDaily.com story here.