Food Handling Controls (Show all)

A food business engaged in the wholesale supply, manufacture or importation of food must:

• have in place a system to ensure the recall of unsafe food;
• set out this system in a written document and provide this document to an authorised officer upon request; and
• comply with this system when recalling unsafe food [see Standard 3.2.2 cl 12 of the Code].

This requirement applies to wholesale suppliers, manufacturers and importers. The requirement has been limited to these sectors of the food industry because recalls can only be effective if the product is stored by the customer (either a retailer or a consumer), i.e. it is not for immediate consumption. Food intended for immediate consumption is likely to have been consumed before it can be recalled.

A retail food business (restaurant, takeaway or supermarket) is not required to have a recall system unless it is also a food manufacturer, importer or wholesaler. For example, a café that makes its own jam for use on the premises is not required to have a recall system for the jam. However, if the café decides to sell this jam to the public, it will need a recall system.

The key features of a recall system are:

• a list of authorities that should be notified of the recall;
• records of where the product has been distributed;
• advice to be given to customers to ensure that food is returned;
• arrangements for retrieving food that is returned by customers to supermarkets or other outlets: and
• arrangements for assessing how much food has been returned and how much remains in the market place.