Baking & Snack - May 2009 - 59

61
just tracking all the cookies made
during first shift on a particular day.
Cliff Coles of California Microbiological Consulting said he asks more of
the companies he audits. He will ask
that the company not only track the
product in question but to also provide him with all production, quality,
sanitation and HACCP records from
the period in which the recall is being done. This is what would happen
if there was a real recall. The work to
figure out what happened must start
as soon as the actual tracking begins.
Ideally, a full-scale practice exercise
should be conducted at least once a
year and preferably more often. An
actual crisis is not the time to "test
drive" the system.
Failure to train backups. All too
often processors fail to train backups.
Key personnel take vacations, attend
off-site meetings and can get sick. As
noted above, "What if Joe is out?"
Failure to involve the workforce.
Plant workers must also be trained as
to how they are to act in the event of a
recall. If there is a recall, management
should call workers together and explain the situation. They may be nervous about their jobs, and given that
recalls attract the news media, people
may be looking for their 15 minutes
of fame. Workers must receive training on their role in a recall, which is
fairly simple - "Keep quiet, and we
will keep you informed."
Lack of communication. Don't let
poor communication disrupt your
plans in the event of a recall. Members
of the recall action team must communicate well with one another, and
designated members of the team need
to be responsible for talking with regulators and the media, if necessary.
For additional information on building your programs, check out FDA
guidance found at www.fda.gov/ora/
compliance_ref/recalls/recallpg.html.
Recalls are a fact of life in today's
food industry. Even manufacturers
of products that appear safe such as
breakfast cereals and potato chips have
had recalls as a result of food-borne

illness. Snack food manufacturers and
bakers must take the time and make
the effort to develop recall programs
that include complete documentation
of all activities that may be involved
in such a crisis and train all persons
who may be involved, especially the

Grea t

recall action team. Finally, they need
to make sure that these people understand their roles through training and
practice, and proper communication
within the company and with other
stakeholders such as your customers
and the regulators.
Ⅲ

Western

www.gwmfg.com
913-682-2291

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May 2009 / BAKING & SNACK

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Baking & Snack - May 2009

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