5.9.4 IFS Food - Recall Hazard Assessment

Hello everyone.

I just want to know if any of you have an example on "Assessment of withdrawal danger".

I am trying to do this:

5.9.4 IFS Food

The feasibility, effectiveness and timeliness of implementation of the withdrawal procedure shall be subject to regular internal testing, based on a hazard analysis but carried out at least once a year. This shall be carried out in a manner to ensure the effective implementation and operation of the procedure.

Hi Selvin,

This requires an analysis of the risk of the withdrawal procedure failing and the potential severity based on possible hazards. In my risk assessment I would also consider how many product withdrawals there have been historically, how effective the withdrawal was and the results of any previous mock wothdrawals.

Here is guidance given by IFS:

 

5.9.4 IFS Food

 

The feasibility, effectiveness and timeliness of implementation of the withdrawal procedure shall be subject to regular internal testing, based on a hazard analysis but carried out at least once a year. This shall be carried out in a manner to ensure the effective implementation and operation of the procedure.

Dear Selvin Santos,

Not the hazard analyses should be conducted annually, but the test of the withdrawal procedure shall be conducted at least annually, unless risk analysis shows it is needed more often.

The test of withdrawal procedure (recall test) should be seen as a training of the recall team. So if you have recently changed the team, it might be needed to do an extra test.

Also extra tests might be needed if there are specific customer requirements related to recall/withdrawal and ofcourse if recall test or real recall failed or was not satisfactory.

If you do it annually you probable will be fine. As auditor I do not have the time to verify the risk analysis on this. When it is annually and I do not see problems related to recall or recall tests, I will accept this and do no further investigation. (there are other, more interesting things in the IFS standard)

 

Hi Selvin,

 

This requires an analysis of the risk of the withdrawal procedure failing and the potential severity based on possible hazards. In my risk assessment I would also consider how many product withdrawals there have been historically, how effective the withdrawal was and the results of any previous mock wothdrawals.

 

Here is guidance given by IFS:

 

IFS Food Version 6 Guideline - Typical auditor questions, examples for KO/Major and cross references for IFS requirements
 
IFS Requirements
5.9.4 The feasibility, effectiveness and timeliness of implementation of the withdrawal procedure shall be subject to regular internal testing, based on hazard analysis and assessment of associated risks but carried out at least once a year. This shall be carried out in a manner to ensure the effective implementation and operation of the procedure. 

 

What do you have to check? What must be asked?
How is effectiveness of withdrawal tested?
How often is effectiveness of withdrawal tested?
<withdrawal test results>

 

KO / Major
When withdrawal procedures are not tested or when test results have shown that the procedures are ineffective but no corrective actions were implemented.

 

Cross reference - IFS requirements, important european directives, other comments, US american legislation

Risk analysis

 

Kind regards,

 

Tony

 

Thank Tony. Very fully for this question.