Explanation
In a recall you first determine which products and batches are affected, stop deliveries, inform customers and, if consumers are affected, also the public, and remove the products from the market. You record what has been retrieved and what happens to it. Afterwards you investigate the cause and take measures.
A distinction is often made between a withdrawal from the chain, in which products are retrieved from trade partners before they reach the consumer, and a recall, in which consumers are also asked to return the product. What is expected of you and who you must notify depends on legislation and the nature of the problem.
Good preparation consists of a recall procedure with roles and contact details, a crisis team and a working traceability system. You practise it, for example by checking, for a chosen batch, whether you can identify all customers quickly and completely. That way you know it works in practice.
Example from practice
A producer notices that a batch may contain foreign objects. Through the batch numbers the customers are quickly found. They are informed, the products are retrieved and a root cause analysis follows.
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