6 replies to this topic

[stsqf]

Just wondering if this is a common problem or just happens to our company...

In order to do business with the "big guys" you must have detailed food safety systems and perform mock recall/traceability exercises. Yet when it comes down to these companies verifying the receipt of product, they never get back to you with a confirmation.



Don't get me wrong - mock recalls are worth performing as you can always learn something about your system that could improve. It was just be nice to hear back from ALL customers instead of just the smaller companies that take the time to do this for us.

[Simon]

Hmmm it sounds like a typical case of do as I say and not as I do. A common complaint from food manufacturers in the UK is that the supermarkets do not exercise the same diligence for food safety systems in their stores as they do with their suppliers. For example on food service they do not wear hairnets, which is standard practice throughout the food industry, even companies that produce packaging.

All I can say is ask again (in a nice way) stressing the reason why you need the information and don’t be afraid to complain. Sometime it’s better to telephone rather than email. It’s very annoying, but don’t give up.

[sskubisnac]

You obviously cannot trace your product to a store level as the Customer is unlikely to invest this amount of time in assisting you with your recall test.

I choose a product which has left the site approx 12 previously. I then contact the relevant depot and ask their goods in department to confirm that they have received the product on to their site. I then contact the relevant Customer Technical Manager and inform them that I have tested our system and am simply confirming the contact details held on our contact lists are accurate and up to date.

This is about as much as you can do. Actively prove that your contact lists are able to put you through to the people you need to in a recall situation.

This can be simply documented and recorded noting what product / code you 'recalled', who you called on what number and that all numbers and contacts were correct.

I have not had any issues with this procedure in any audit situations.

Ss

[Foodworker]

This is exactly what I do as well.

Some customers are very co-operative but most are not.

It would be incorrect for any auditor to criticise you for not getting a reply back from a customer as it is out of your control. Proving that you have the capability to identify and contact the customer is about as far as you can go and the "updating my emergency contact list" conversation is a good way of doing it. Always record people spoken to, times etc for evidence during an audit.

If the customer can't trace within his system that's his problem.

Another problem that this technique gets round is the risk of misunderstanding by the customer. If the recipient of a test notification doesn't read it properly and shuts his production line down or clears the supermarket shelves there will a substantial penalty demanded.

[Charles.C]

Dear All,

approx 12

Days / Months?? land / sea / air ?

If you do a little searching in other threads, you will see that some interpretations hv distinctly high expectations, minimum time factors for example.

i appreciate that there are case-by-case, operational difficulties but, after all, we are talking about a potentially immediate safety issue here

Rgds / Charles.C

[Foodworker]

Perhaps there may have been a bit of misunderstanding on some of the posts on his thread. I am sure we all appreciate that failing to recall could in some cases cause real harm, including death, and we have high expectations of how it should work.

I don't think anybody is suggesting that the mock recall is limited to merely contacting the customer. All of the elements of recall must be challenged

ie

The ability to recognise a serious problem
Investigation
The availabilty of key managers their understanding of their roles and the quality of their decision making
The backwards and forwards traceability of materials from goods receiving to customer identification
Customer contact
Review

etc.

The initial query, as I understood, it was restricted to the method of communication with the customers, particularly if they do not respond readily. In a test, there has to be a limit as to how many times you attempt to contact the customer. In a real recall you should incorporate follow up contacts by phone, e mail, post or pigeon if necessary at an appropriate frequency until you get a response.

In a test you have to satisfy yourself that you have the ability to contact the customer(s) and the methods described in the thread can achieve this.

The test should be as challenging as possible, eg out of hours, removal of key players,choosing the less obvious materials.

Setting KPIs such as tme limits for the different stages is a good technique for initiating improvements in many areas of the operation.

[Simon]

Perhaps there may have been a bit of misunderstanding on some of the posts on his thread. I am sure we all appreciate that failing to recall could in some cases cause real harm, including death, and we have high expectations of how it should work.

I don't think anybody is suggesting that the mock recall is limited to merely contacting the customer. All of the elements of recall must be challenged

ie

The ability to recognise a serious problem
Investigation
The availabilty of key managers their understanding of their roles and the quality of their decision making
The backwards and forwards traceability of materials from goods receiving to customer identification
Customer contact
Review

etc.

The initial query, as I understood, it was restricted to the method of communication with the customers, particularly if they do not respond readily. In a test, there has to be a limit as to how many times you attempt to contact the customer. In a real recall you should incorporate follow up contacts by phone, e mail, post or pigeon if necessary at an appropriate frequency until you get a response.

In a test you have to satisfy yourself that you have the ability to contact the customer(s) and the methods described in the thread can achieve this.

The test should be as challenging as possible, eg out of hours, removal of key players,choosing the less obvious materials.

Setting KPIs such as tme limits for the different stages is a good technique for initiating improvements in many areas of the operation.

Great post Foodworker thanks.