At the recent Food Safety Summit in Chicago, I attended an important session, “Recall Modernization Initiatives with the Consumer in Mind.” The message from the stage was that the industry knows consumer communication around recalls needs work. Recalls are meant to protect the public, but communication to consumers is often confusing, delayed, or inaccessible. After all, communication efforts aren’t effective if consumers are unaware of recalls, confused about which products are being recalled, or unsure what to do if they’ve purchased or consumed recalled products.Panelists from FDA, consumer advocates, and communication experts all agreed: The way we alert consumers about recalls isn’t working.

What’s Not Working from a Consumer Perspective
“Fundamentally, the current recall system does not work,” said panelist Bill Hallman of Rutgers University, specifically addressing flaws in consumer notification and messaging. He explained that, from a consumer perspective, what’s not working includes:

• Monitoring recalls — It can be difficult to filter through unnecessary information and find what is applicable.
• Recall classification — This process is often confusing for consumers.
• Hedging. In many cases, the lack of transparency around recalls is leading to consumer distrust of the system, the recalling companies, and the food industry overall.
• Not updating illnesses — When companies, regulators, and the food industry don’t provide updates on recall-related illnesses – including the number of people sickened by recalled products and their geographies – it can increase speculation and the spread of misinformation, further eroding consumer trust.
• Identifying impacted products — When companies don’t accurately identify exactly which products were potentially contaminated – down to lot and batch number, etc. – consumers, retailers, and other key audiences aren’t clear on which item (or items) were actually recalled. This confusion can hinder recall efforts, delay the removal of recalled items from store shelves and families’ homes, and prolong public health risks.
• Limited accessibility — When announcements are written and distributed only in English, consumers that speak other languages remain unaware of the recall, associated risks, and recommended actions.
• Failing to reach a broad enough audience — Current recall communications aren’t effectively reaching broad audiences – including at-risk populations – and the industry must find ways to broaden their reach to ensure all demographics receive – and understand – important recall messages.

These gaps highlight the need to create and enforce recall communication templates. To date, the USDA has done this, but the FDA hasn’t. 

The food industry must elevate communications and share responsibility

PR professional Amy Philpott reminded the audience not to “shoot the messenger.” In most recalls, the company communicating with consumers – typically the retailer – isn’t the one responsible for the food safety issue. That role often falls to manufacturers or suppliers. Yet, those same manufacturers are rarely prepared to provide clear, complete messaging when a recall occurs. This gap leaves retailers to issue consumer messages without the full details, clarity, or tools to do it well, and then they get blamed when messaging falls short. 

Manufacturers and suppliers must take more responsibility for crafting recall communications that are complete, clear, and consumer-ready. When food businesses aren’t transparent about what happened and what happens next, misinformation and rumors often spread, which can hinder recall efforts and cause widespread confusion.

On the regulatory side, FDA expert Don Prater said that the FDA website announcements can be used to inform the public and validate against fraud. However, consumers regularly find that FDA announcements are delayed from the original company’s recall announcement. The industry urgently needs more effective ways for consumers to get reliable recall information while the FDA modernizes its recall processes.

It’s heartening to hear this conversation happening and reassures me that consumer concerns are being discussed on the biggest stages in food safety, with the goal of improving recall communication so it actually protects the public. Food safety leaders are urging the food industry to develop better communication tools and systems – and to consider recall communications to be a shared responsibility. Food companies shouldn’t have to stand alone and carry the full weight of recall communications, but neither should regulators. Since timely, accurate recall communication is critical to reduce risks and protect public health, the food industry must come together to elevate recall communication, maximizing the reach and impact of these important messages. 

about the author: Roger Hancock, CEO of Recall Infolink, is an expert on recalls, with experience that spans the retail, technology, data, regulatory, and supply chain. Recall Infolink, makes recalls faster, easier, and more accurate across the supply chain to protect consumers and brands.