Food Industry Recall Protocol

The Food Industry Recall Protocol provides information on recalling food in Australia and guidance for food businesses on developing a written food recall plan. A food recall is action taken to remove from distribution, sale and consumption, food which is unsafe. This means food that may cause illness or other physical harm to a person consuming the food.

The three primary objectives of a food recall are to:

• stop the distribution and sale of the product as soon as possible
• inform the government, the food businesses that have received the recalled food and the public (consumer level recalls only) of the problem
• effectively and efficiently remove unsafe product from the market place.

This Protocol helps food businesses plan for and respond to a need to recall potentially unsafe food by setting out:

• the roles and responsibilities of food businesses and government during a food recall
• the key steps in the food recall process
• the legal requirements for food businesses in relation to food recalls
• important elements of a food recall plan.

Attachments provided include:

• writing a food recall plan for your food business
• contact details for FSANZ and state/territory food enforcement agencies
• an explanation of how recalls are classified
• flow diagram to assist with deciding if food should be recalled or withdrawn
• examples of problems and suggested actions
• examples of recall notifications and press advertisements.