When should a recall NEVER happen?
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Short answer: When the ONLY so-called proof is found in an opened/contaminated bag of food.
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“Proof” can only really be proof, when an UNopened UNcontaminated bag of food verifies the initial finding, and ONLY when that bag of food is handled according to proper chain of custody.
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What does it mean when a recall happens that never should have happened?
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It means the pet food manufacturer either doesn’t know their rights or the law, which is often the goal of regulators – to push so hard that a company doesn’t feel like they have time to protect themselves. Translation: The FIRST thing it means is that they are not a member of our trade association.
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Trust me. I get it! I understand first-hand how hard and heavy handed the pressure is from regulators for manufacturers to make a decision based on incomplete information. They don’t give you time to do research. They don’t give you time to breathe. They tell you this is life and death. They want compliance NOW. They tell you there is no choice.
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But there IS choice. Always. If you put your name on a recall, and you say that it is “voluntary” then you had a choice.
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Always.
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When you are member of NextGen, you are not alone. We are here, the first phone call our members make when they get that dreaded call, letter or — worst — visit. Without this power of association, targeted manufactures don’t have the benefit of getting help from fellow fresh pet food manufacturers who have been railroaded before.
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What Is our Trade Association’s Goal?
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Never, ever, do we want an animal sick, and have it be our manufacturer’s fault. But from a food that was contaminated in the household by the owner, food that was manufactured seven months previously, from a USDA facility, that has been pasteurized, it was exactly the wrong reason to make a recall.
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There’s no way to retract the headlines.
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Everybody has to live with the fallout now. Our entire industry is now suspect.
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The news won’t make big headlines to retract this. Nope. All the news outlets got their big headlines. Next story, please.
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Even more sad: the co-packer is very savvy about all of this. Surprisingly, it does not appear they suggest waiting before issuing this recall based on a contaminated sample. Certainly, if you had reached out to us at the trade association, or any one of our members, they would’ve given you more guidance, and told you the information you needed to request before issuing this recall.
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Taking an example from our colleagues in the conventional pet food industry: never admit fault when there’s any question about their “proof.”
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Bottom line: Our members don’t just have a phone number to call when facing a recall (INVALUABLE!) and a body of peers that can support them through these situations. We also provide:
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- step-by-step guides for when to do a recall and when it’s appropriate,
- Questions to ask regulators to protect yourself from an inappropriate recall,
- Clear and actionable advice add to your rights when facing (or are in the midst) of a recall which allows you to make business-centric, informed decisions.
- This advice is based on hard-won experience and advice from our legal advisors
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Next Generation Pet Food Manufacturers Association is THE fresh food trade association – it is our goal to help you succeed and stay in business providing the best products for the luckiest pets.
