Modernizing the Recall Process

The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) appreciates the opportunity to provide input to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding Modernizing Recalls of FDA-Regulated Commodities. From manufacturers to distributors to suppliers to packagers, AFFI is proud to represent publicly traded and family-owned companies who help produce frozen foods and beverages for today's food service and retail marketplace and serve as economic pillars within their communities throughout the U.S. The frozen food industry contributes approximately $72 billion to U.S. GDP and accounts for 670,000 U.S. jobs. In addition to our members' strong role in economic growth, AFFI members share a commitment to food safety and transparently communicating information about the foods they produce and sell. Our members are committed to implementing strong food safety programs that take a preventive focus. We want to ensure that frozen foods are safe and properly labeled when they enter commerce every day. But, when necessary, AFFI members are willing to effectively and efficiently perform a recall to remove product from the marketplace. We believe that food recalls today are, in fact, generally executed quite well. Communications can be disseminated rapidly, and product blocked from sale and retrieved. Nonetheless, we have thought about how best to modernize the recall process to better protect public health and offer the following comments on way to enhance the administration of recalls and optimize consumer communications. Please refer to the attached document for AFFI's detailed comments.