Americans love to eat food, a lot. In a perfect world, all the food we consume is made perfectly, to the right food and safety standards, and free of any problems such as diseases or spoiling. Unfortunately, this isn’t a perfect world, and there are many different variables at play when it comes to keeping your food safe from the farm or manufacturing plant to your plate.
As the food supply chain becomes more global and continues to grow and become more complex, so does the number of food product recalls.
In 2018, there were a total of 125 recorded FDA food recalls in the United States, equating to over 20 million pounds of various food and consumption products that were taken off the shelves. Of those 125 recalls, 97 were listed as a Class I recall, which involves a health hazard situation in which there is a reasonable probability that eating the food will cause health problems or death.
There is a slew of negative consequences that come from food recalls. The average direct cost a company will face after a food-related recall is $10 million, and that number skyrockets if the company is at fault for injuries or deaths related to the product. You then have to deal with lost sales as well as a damaged reputation and loss in consumer confidence.
Food recalls happen often and for various causes. At Adams Cold Storage, we must remain ever-vigilant of the reasons that could prompt recalls on products we handle, including: temperature abuse; non-conforming receiving issues; or evidence that product has been refrozen after having been allowed to thaw. We are the eyes, ears, and mouthpieces of our customers in the event we find deviations or discrepancies.
Our recall procedures are “high & tight” and tested several times per year in cooperation with our customers and third-party auditors. We pride ourselves on 100% traceability, and must be able to account for every case, package, pallet, drum, or bin on a 24/7/365 basis.