Record and manage your product recall
Hot topic
Safety recalls and product withdrawals affect all sorts of businesses, including those who supply food, chemicals, equipment and materials. In 2019 we’ve seen the issue come to the top of the agenda particularly within the food industry and in fire safety.
Note. “Withdrawal” of a product is the term used when a product has not yet reached consumers, while a “recall” occurs if the product has already reached them.
The Food Standards Agency announced in February 2019 that it would be publishing new guidance to resolve major weaknesses it had discovered in the process of recalling food products.
Meanwhile, there’s the ongoing saga of washing machines, tumble dryers and fridge freezers causing domestic fires.
What to do?
If you identify that a product you distributed is not safe for consumers, you must instigate a recall or withdrawal process to remove it from circulation.
Our product recall/withdrawal form will help (see The next step ). By completing it you’ll have a list of the clients you contacted about the problem and a record in date order of all the communications which were sent out.
How to use it
At the start of the form we’ve asked for general details of both the business and the manager completing the document. It then asks for details of the specific product affected and whether they are to be returned or disposed of by the client.
Tip 1. To complete this part you’ll need the name of the product, along with a description, its batch number(s) and the quantity involved. If the headings don’t match up with those you already use in your production and distribution databases, amend the form so that it’s easy to cross reference with your existing information systems.
Tip 2. The “Further information” section explains the reasons behind the recall or withdrawal and confirms details of any interaction with enforcement agencies.
Keeping clients informed
In the next part you are asked to write each client’s contact details and confirm that they have been notified with all relevant information. You should include details of how many products they received, whether they reached consumers and if a point of sale recall notification has been issued. There’s extra space for any further information, e.g. a record of each conversation or correspondence.
Note. We’ve allowed space for five separate clients, but you can easily add rows in the table.
Once you’ve done everything you can to resolve the situation it’s a good time to reflect on what caused the problem and whether your resolution process was successful.
For a sample product recall/withdrawal form, visit http://tipsandadvice-healthandsafety.co.uk/download (HS 17.21.05).
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