Communicate product recalls quickly with GS1 Australia Recall

Managing a food product recall in the digital age means businesses need to have the right systems and procedures in place to respond quickly and effectively.

Recalls, especially of contaminated meat and seafood products, play out publicly and issues can break in real time on social media, often well before the related company is aware of the event.

In this scenario time is your enemy, as consumers expect defective products to be swiftly removed from the marketplace and to be kept fully informed about all aspects of the recall, including any associated health risks.

This requires suppliers, brokers, wholesalers and retailers to have in place a common communication tool that simplifies the recall or withdrawal process for all stakeholders to ensure there is visibility of product data, timely reporting and an audit trail.

Developed in consultation with industry and government agencies, the GS1 Australia Recall online portal is designed for food, grocery and general merchandise businesses to minimise the impact and cost of product recalls and withdrawals.

Key functions of the portal include bulk product uploads, mobile alerts for your trading partners, and reports for regulators and stakeholders. The service is used by hundreds of Australian companies and supported by major retailers such as Coles and Woolworths.

Leading risk practitioners and associations Victual, Liberty Underwriters and the Recall Institute recommend companies use the portal as it simplifies the communication process.

“When it comes time to push the button, GS1 Australia’s Recall portal ensures trading partners are notified quickly, but importantly, in one notification and with the ability to confirm receipt of that notification. It frees up our clients to focus on what’s really important — maintaining relationships with customers and consumers and getting back to business as soon as possible,” said Recall Institute Director Steve Hather.

“Subscription to GS1 Australia Recall is a key element of effective product recall preparation and management,” Hather said.

A whole-of-industry solution, GS1 Australia Recall meets the full reporting requirements of, and is integrated with regulators including the ACCC and Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ). It is also certified by the leading food safety methodology body, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Australia.

For more information about GS1 Australia Recall, visit https://www.gs1au.org/our-services/recall/.