Are Recalls Good or Bad? A Regulatory Perspective on What They Reveal

I once went grocery shopping and one of the items scanned as “Do Not Sell”. The cashier had no idea what it meant and called the manager over, he had no idea what it meant either. I did. I looked at both of them and said it means the product is recalled and should be pulled off the shelf. I looked it up on my phone and there it was, tortilla chips recalled due to undeclared allergen.

I’m thinking about that event though it was a year ago because of all the recent recalls and food safety alerts going on in the industry and it got me to thinking about one very important thing—are recalls a good thing or a bad thing?

On one hand they show that industry professionals are actively removing products that do not meet standards, on the other hand the question becomes why aren’t we doing more to ensure those products never make it to the shelf in the first place.

The country is still reeling from the whole lettuce situation, stores are still having to throw away products because people won’t purchase them, and I recently grabbed an item off the shelf that was expired. The real question is what are we doing as an industry to ensure the entire ecosystem works cohesively in a proactive manner and not reactive.

In a perfect world, we’ll answer this one day.

Today I’m going to show you how to spot if a recall could be coming, how to execute one, and most importantly how to close one out. This will help you if you’re ever in a position to manage a recall or if you’re a consumer who wants a little behind‑the‑scenes industry insight. The first thing I’ll tell you is it’s not fun.

In my regulatory work, I managed several recalls across OTC products, food, clothing, hair products, household chemicals, electrical items, Styrofoam products, and much more, including pull‑and‑hold programs, withdrawals, and product disposition activities. There are certain steps that must be followed in order for a recall to be successfully executed.

How to Spot if a Recall Could Be Coming

• Stay aware of industry news and media alerts — Review updates on ingredients, commodities, and flagged materials. If a product contains a recalled ingredient, the finished item will be recalled.

• Verify supplier preventive controls — Ensure suppliers are documenting and executing their hazard analyses properly. Recalls often occur when chemical, physical, or biological hazards are not identified.

• Confirm allergen declarations — Review labels to ensure allergens match the formulation. If a product is dairy‑based, the allergen panel must reflect that.

How to Execute One

• Identify the Issue — Determine the hazard, affected lot codes, production dates, and distribution scope. Confirm the source of the problem.

• Notify and Confirm with Suppliers — Request verification, distribution details, and corrective action status. Capture written confirmation for traceability.

• Determine Recall Classification — Establish whether the situation meets Class I, II, or III criteria based on the likelihood and severity of harm.

• Prepare Consumer Notices — Provide clear instructions for disposal, refunds, or returns. Include product identifiers and hazard details.

• Issue Media Notifications — Ensure consistent public communication across all platforms to maximize awareness.

• Respond to Regulatory Agencies — Submit required documentation within the specified timeframe. FDA and USDA often expect rapid responses, sometimes within 24 hours for critical issues.

• Execute Retail Actions — Pull the product from shelves immediately. Stop it at the register so no additional units are sold. Document removal and quantities recovered.

How to Close One Out

• Complete follow‑up actions — Verify that all affected product has been removed, returned, destroyed, or otherwise accounted for.

• Reset the SKU internally — Work with internal teams to turn the SKU back on at the register if the item is returning to commerce. Confirm whether the recall was tied to the UPC or a specific lot.

• Send closure notifications — Issue internal and external communication confirming that the recall has been properly closed.

• Record keep and analyze trends — Document the entire process. This is how you build trend analysis, identify recurring issues, and tier suppliers as high‑risk or reliable business partners.

A recall is more than a notice. It is a coordinated operation that relies on precision, transparency, and collaboration across manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and suppliers, creating a chain of actions that only works when everyone understands their role and responds quickly.

The industry benefits from viewing recalls through a balanced lens, seeing them as signals that show where systems are strong, where gaps still exist, and where improvements are needed. They ultimately point us back to the purpose of every food safety and product safety program, which is protecting consumers and strengthening the processes that keep them safe.

This is the reason I created a Recall Readiness Packet in the GPRC On‑Demand Document Library. I’ve seen too many teams scramble trying to execute a recall or sit through three‑hour meetings trying to fix the process, only to repeat the same mistakes the next time an issue comes up.

What will your organization do today to stay ready before the next recall arrives?

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out or add your thoughts on LinkedIn so we can keep the conversation going. I think it’s a topic worthy of discussion!

Thanks for visiting and have a great week!