By Roger Hancock, CEO of Recall InfoLink
Suppose your company received ground beef from your regular supplier right before news broke about a widespread ground beef recall. Would you know what to do? Could you accurately determine whether you received tainted meat, facilitate data-sharing with your trading partners, pull impacted products from your restaurants, and communicate about the incident to employees, customers, and other key stakeholders?
Since food recalls can happen at any time, your team must be prepared to manage them properly. If you handle a recall well, you’ll minimize damages, help protect public health, and maintain your brand reputation. The converse is also true: ineffective recall efforts increase public safety risks and result in significant financial, legal, and reputational damages for your restaurant.
Prepare for a Recall in Advance
The old adage “Fail to prepare, prepare to fail” is true in a recall. To properly prepare:
Create a recall plan. Develop a recall plan before you need it. Outline the proper steps to follow, including data-sharing with your trading partners, pulling contaminated products, communicating with customers, etc. Develop basic templates. Determine who will lead key functions (e.g., communication, compliance, etc.) During a stressful recall, this plan will be a lifeline for your team.
Collaborate with your trading partners. Use integrated tech tools to facilitate seamless communication with your trading partners. Determine how you’ll track the products across the supply chain to know unequivocally whether you received contaminated items. Set up integrated systems and processes in advance to improve visibility, traceability, and collaboration.
Join mock simulations. Train your staff regularly and ask to participate in your suppliers’ mock simulations so that everyone understands roles and expectations. Collaborative, hands-on practice ensures alignment with trading partners on decision-making, communication, stakeholder notification, and documentation.
Know What To Do When a Recall Occurs
Identify product information. Be sure you receive accurate information about the affected products, including product names, SKUs, lot numbers, production dates, and shipping logs. It’s not enough to know that ground beef was recalled – you must know exactly which batches were impacted and whether you received or served any contaminated products.
Define the problem. You’ll need to communicate accurate messages, so clearly define the problem before issuing any statements. Sharing incomplete, inaccurate, or vague details could hinder recall efforts, spread fear and confusion, and prolong public health risks. Before communicating anything, determine what happened, how it happened, the extent of the problem, and what happens next.
Rely on tech tools. Antiquated manual systems – like paper files and Excel spreadsheets – are ineffective during a recall. Instead, leverage modern tech solutions to streamline collaboration, boost transparency, and facilitate faster communication with trading partners, customers, regulators, and other key stakeholders. There are many options for automating traceability, notifications, reporting, and more.
Communicate effectively. If you received contaminated items, communicate clear, actionable messages to your employees, customers, regulators, media, etc. Stick to the facts, explaining what happened, and what to do if guests consumed contaminated products (e.g., seek medical attention if you’re ill). Be transparent about what happened. Reiterate your restaurant’s commitment to food safety. Use social media posts, press releases, and onsite signage to notify and update your customers, as appropriate.
Follow proper recall protocols. Follow proper protocols to account for and dispose of contaminated products. Keep careful records about product quantities, disposal methods, etc. Make sure you have systems in place to pull recalled products from walk-ins, freezers, dry storage, prep areas, etc.
Adjust your menu as necessary. If you received contaminated ground beef, temporarily adjust your menu – removing hamburgers and other ground beef-based items – or source safe ground beef from another supplier. Tell guests that you’re proceeding out of an abundance of caution.
Provide exceptional customer support. Answer customers’ questions and address their concerns compassionately. Monitor and respond to customers’ calls, emails, and social media comments. Be honest, transparent, and empathetic to maintain customer relationships, trust, loyalty, and respect.
Keep detailed records. Maintain detailed records, including the reason for the recall, number of recalled products recovered, method of disposal, and communication with suppliers and regulators. Digital reporting tools elevate the reporting process, increase efficiency and accuracy, simplify documentation, and help you remain compliant.
Learn From Every Recall
Debrief. Even though everyone is eager to move on, debrief with your team and trading partners about what went well and what could be improved. Share key learnings, then update your plan and processes accordingly. Continue training and preparation so you’re well prepared for future recalls.
The importance of proper recall preparedness cannot be overstated. Prepare in advance, creating a recall plan, training your staff, and participating in collaborative mock recalls with your training partners. Set up integrated tech tools in advance, so you’re not struggling to install, implement, and onboard in the midst of a recall. Communicate honestly, sharing clear, accurate, and actionable messages. Be supportive and empathetic, proactively responding to consumers’ questions and concerns. These key actions will help your restaurant protect public health, reduce risks, boost consumer trust, and maintain your brand reputation.
Roger Hancock, CEO of Recall InfoLink is one of the world’s foremost experts on recalls, with experience that spans the retail, tech, data, regulatory, and supply chain.
Recall InfoLink, makes recalls faster, easier, and more accurate across the supply chain to protect consumers and brands. As the only company focused entirely on recalls, Recall InfoLink’s solutions drive immediate action, streamline the recall process, and simplify compliance. Recall InfoLink helps brands become Recall Ready by standardizing data, collaborating with their supply chains, and practicing recall simulations.
The post Is Your Restaurant Well Prepared to Manage a Food Recall? first appeared on RestaurantNews.com.