The Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) has released the latest edition of its guide designed to educate the food industry on the procedures to be followed in the event of a food recall.
Ian Lindenmayer, the MD of ANZFA, commented that the new Food Industry Recall Protocol sets out steps for two levels of product recall, consumer and trade. This simplifies the procedures involved in stopping the distribution and sale of food products that are deemed unsafe, for notifying the relevant authorities and for making sure that the products are removed from retailers’ shelves.
“Australia has one of the most transparent and rigorous systems for ensuring food safety in the world,” Lindenmayer said: “This has been achieved as much by co-operation as by regulation [and] the excellent working relationships between food companies, state and territory health departments and ANZFA.”
So far this year, there have been 34 food recalls, many of which were precautionary measures initiated by the companies involved.
“Whole sectors of the food industry can be adversely affected by an episode of food poisoning or other health hazard from a food product, and so it’s in everyone’s interests to identify potentially unsafe food and to take action,” Lindenmayer added.
