Rapid Recall Exchange a Vital Tool in Recall Management for the Food Industry

“We presented the program to the FDA, and they are very pleased with it,” said Dr. Thesmar. “They were impressed that industry took the initiative to go above and beyond what the regulatory standards are, to solve a problem, to exceed regulatory expectations, and to do so in a way that is even faster than even the FDA was expecting.”

The comprehensive nature of the message received is again facilitated by RRE’s design. “There are a lot of drop-down menus in the portal. It reminds you of all the information that you need to enter,” said Dr. Thesmar. Great care went into accounting for the appropriate data fields that the FDA and USDA require, including production dates, lot numbers, pictures, stores the product went to—the entire distribution pattern.

Instructions for reimbursement are also prompted by the system. “Once you‘re familiar with the portal and how to enter information,” said Dr. Thesmar, “it is a very consistent and very easy-to-use tool.”

There are redundancies with existing protocols, of course—recalls are not new. “Rapid Recall Exchange is the gold standard, but not everyone uses it,” Dr. Thesmar conceded. “But I can tell you that the retailers who use it … like it because the information is presented in a consistent format, and they’re getting everything they need to initiate a recall. Suppliers that use it like it because it gives them a consistent way to enter all this information.”

The system is also dynamic. “It’s not an all-or-nothing process,” explained Dr. Thesmar. “They can enter some information, and then as the situation evolves, go back and enter more information later. Let’s face it, a recall is a crisis situation. By nature, it’s chaotic. You don’t always have everything you need right away.”

Adoption = Efficacy with RRE

The utility of the RRE relies on casting the widest possible net, and the efforts to expand that net are ongoing. “We continue to focus on increasing the usage among the retailers that are not yet using it, as well as some of the suppliers,” said Dr. Thesmar.

With the enthusiasm expressed by current users, universal adoption of the program shouldn’t be too far off: Shortly after the rollout of RRE, Mike Ambrosio of Wakefern Food Corporation issued an edict requiring all Wakefern vendors to sign up for the RRE.

Neil Canavan is a freelance writer based in Brooklyn, N.Y. Reach him at [email protected].