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APPENDIX I: OUTLINE OF PROCEDURE FOR A PRODUCT RECALL

1. Summary - Product Recall

Potential product recalls should be quickly reported and investigated by a responsible decision-maker who has the authority to assign the recall classification to the situation. When warranted, a Recall Committee should be appointed.

The Recall Committee and its chairman should be quickly convened when a Class I, II, or III situation exists.

All information received and communication released regarding the recall should be approved by the chairman of the Recall Committee.

Complete records and samples should be kept in the control of the production manager. Communication is so critical in a recall situation that the members of the Recall Committee may need to devote nearly full time to the emergency in its earliest stages. A telephone hotline may need to be installed for customer and other inquiries.

The recall policy and procedures should be reviewed each year.

2. Definitions

The following are possible government definitions for the product recall procedure.

Class I Recall - A serious emergency recall situation involving product which may have an immediate or long range effect on the life or health of aquatic animals or human consumers.

Class II Recall - A priority situation involving product which may be a potential hazard to human or animal life or health.

Class III Recall - A situation involving product which does not pose a health threat, but which may have serious or wide-spread customer or public relations implications.

External Recall - The removal of product from the market in which distribution has been made beyond the direct control of the feed miller’s organisation.

Internal Recall - The removal of product from the market, none of which has left the direct control of the manufacturer.

Retention - Holding product from the market or from further processing or shipment when there is evidence of a quality or labelling deviation in the formula for the target species.

3. Procedures

When the potential for a recall becomes evident, the production manager and quality control manager should be informed immediately.

The quality assurance manager may assume the responsibility to immediately investigate, using any resource within the company, to determine whether the situation is a Class I, II, or III recall or is of lesser priority. The quality assurance manger needs to make the classification decision as quickly as possible.

If the decision is that it is a Class I, II, or III recall, the quality control manager should immediately convene the Recall Committee. The chairman should then co-ordinate all recall activities, keeping the committee members informed. A lesser priority situation may be handled at the plant level without a committee being convened.

The Recall Committee should include persons with expertise in these areas:

The Recall Committee should decide the quickest and best overall procedure for handling the recall. Since each situation will be unique, the following are guidelines which may be useful:

4. Recall Committee

Name

Home Phone

Chairman:

___________________________

___________________________

Public Relations:

___________________________

___________________________

Production:

___________________________

___________________________

Sales (Retail):

___________________________

___________________________

Quality Control:

___________________________

___________________________

Purchasing:

___________________________

___________________________

Legal:

___________________________

___________________________

Regulatory:

___________________________

___________________________

Nutrition:

___________________________

___________________________

Additional Contacts in a Product Recall

Insurance Carrier: ______________________ phone #

Hotline:

Government Agriculture Department


Government agencies should only be contacted by the Chairman of the Recall Committee. When reporting a recall to a government agency, be sure to record the date and time of the call and the name of the government employee taking the call.

5. Optional Recall Check List


Yes

No

Comment

1. Has the Recall Committee been activated?

___

__________

______________

2. Has the suspect product been identified?

___

__________

______________

3. Has the identification code and date been determined?

___

__________

______________

4. Has it been determined where all the product is located at present?

___

__________

______________

5. Have all affected locations been notified?

___

__________

______________

6. Has product been shipped to consumers?
If so, has a consumer list been established?

___

__________

______________

7. Have consumers been notified?

___

__________

______________

8. If appropriate, have the media been contacted?

___

__________

______________

9. Has a government agency been notified?
If no, why?

___

__________

______________

10. Have the following documents been secured?





  • Batching records surrounding product

___

__________

______________


  • Shipping records

___

__________

______________


  • Ingredients records

___

__________

______________


  • Bulk records

___

__________

______________


  • Bagging records

___

__________

______________


  • Labelling records

___

__________

______________


  • Minutes of Recall Committee

___

__________

______________

11. Have samples been received and properly identified and preserved?

___

__________

______________

12. Are samples safeguarded?

___

__________

______________

13. Have samples been analysed for the suspected source and/or cause of incident?

___

__________

______________


In notifying a customer, consumer or a dealer/distributor remember to:


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