Food recalls: An unnecessary and preventable factor in food waste

Abstract

First paragraphs:

Food recalls are initiated by food manufacturers or mandated by regulatory agencies when a problem that can harm the public is identified. Recalls take place after the products have left the processing facility and are no longer under the processor’s control, and their primary goal is to minimize harm by retrieving as much product as possible from the market. Not all recalls have the same gravity. In the U.S., food recalls are classified by the U.S. Depart­ment of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) into three classes based on the severity of health risks, with Class I being the most severe; a Class I recall is for defec­tive products that can cause severe health effects or death (FDA, 2024, p. 7-1; UDSA Food Safety and Inspection Service [USDA FSIS], 2024-b).

Recalls can be partial or total, depending on how efficient a processor is in codifying and trac­ing different lots of products. Depending on the issue, if the lot sizes are relatively small, recalls can be contained to just the affected lots. However, if there is no clear separation between lots or their size is significantly large, more expansive recalls are required. When lots are not clearly identified, a total recall of all products in the market may be necessary. An example of this was the multistate recall by the Peanut Corporation of America in 2009 due to its peanut butter being contaminated with Salmonella typhimurium (CDC, 2009). In this recall, more than 3,900 different types of products were retrieved from the market from 46 U.S. states (Flynn, 2009).

Once the recalled product is in the processor’s hands, the next step is determining what to do with it. This may involve rework, utilization for other uses, or disposal, the latter being, in most cases, the safer and most cost-effective choice. When dis­posal is chosen, landfilling and incineration are options for solid products, while liquids are gener­ally dumped into a drain. Regardless of the discard­ing method, the once-edible product becomes food waste. . . .