How long do I have to keep records in regards to recall purposes?

Im fairly new to this so please bare with me. I recently started working for a fruit dehydrating plant and they haven't been updating their safety plan and now its my task to start anew. my question for now is, as the fiscal year is coming to a close how long do I have to keep records in regards to recall purposes? Im based in the US and looked at the fda site but couldn't find anything.

Thanks

Im fairly new to this so please bare with me. I recently started working for a fruit dehydrating plant and they haven't been updating their safety plan and now its my task to start anew. my question for now is, as the fiscal year is coming to a close how long do I have to keep records in regards to recall purposes? Im based in the US and looked at the fda site but couldn't find anything.

Thanks

First of all, you must try your best to find the local or regional regulations for same. If could not, the general practice is to retain the records at least for a period of time equivalant to the product life cycle or shelf life of your product.

Regards:
Muhammad Zeeshan Zaki.

Im fairly new to this so please bare with me. I recently started working for a fruit dehydrating plant and they haven't been updating their safety plan and now its my task to start anew. my question for now is, as the fiscal year is coming to a close how long do I have to keep records in regards to recall purposes? Im based in the US and looked at the fda site but couldn't find anything.

Thanks

Hi king.incar,

Depending upon your industry sector, the FDA might have specific requirements for record retention within a relevant Code of Federal Regulation (CFR). For instance, an LACF facility can find their specific record retention requirements in 21CFR113.100:

(g) Copies of all records provided for in this part....shall be retained at the processing plant for a period of not less than 1 year from the date of manufacture, and at the processing plant or other reasonably accessible location for an additional 2 years.

http://www.accessdat...21:2.0.1.1.12.6

If your company is seeking certification against a specific standard, there may also be requirements spelled out in the code. The BRC code states (in 3.2.3):

"Records shall be retained for a defined period with consideration given to any legal or customer requirements and to the shelf life of the product. This shall take into account, where it is specified on the label, the possibility that the shelf life may be extended by the consumer (e.g. by freezing). As a minimum, records shall be retained for the shelf life of the product plus 12 months."

You might have other specific requirements that apply to you, so providing a little more information regarding the type of food, processing, and certification(s) would help other members to provide you with better information.

Wish you the best,

Chris