Food recalls: An unnecessary and preventable factor in food waste
First paragraphs: Food recalls are initiated by food manufacturers or mandated by regulatory agencies when a problem that can harm the public is identified. Recalls take place after the products have left the processing facility and are no longer under the processor’s control, and their primary...
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Lyson Center for Civic Agriculture and Food Systems
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development |
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| Online Access: | https://foodsystemsjournal.org/index.php/fsj/article/view/1318 |
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| author | Rubén Morawicki |
| author_facet | Rubén Morawicki |
| author_sort | Rubén Morawicki |
| collection | DOAJ |
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First paragraphs:
Food recalls are initiated by food manufacturers or mandated by regulatory agencies when a problem that can harm the public is identified. Recalls take place after the products have left the processing facility and are no longer under the processor’s control, and their primary goal is to minimize harm by retrieving as much product as possible from the market. Not all recalls have the same gravity. In the U.S., food recalls are classified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) into three classes based on the severity of health risks, with Class I being the most severe; a Class I recall is for defective products that can cause severe health effects or death (FDA, 2024, p. 7-1; UDSA Food Safety and Inspection Service [USDA FSIS], 2024-b).
Recalls can be partial or total, depending on how efficient a processor is in codifying and tracing different lots of products. Depending on the issue, if the lot sizes are relatively small, recalls can be contained to just the affected lots. However, if there is no clear separation between lots or their size is significantly large, more expansive recalls are required. When lots are not clearly identified, a total recall of all products in the market may be necessary. An example of this was the multistate recall by the Peanut Corporation of America in 2009 due to its peanut butter being contaminated with Salmonella typhimurium (CDC, 2009). In this recall, more than 3,900 different types of products were retrieved from the market from 46 U.S. states (Flynn, 2009).
Once the recalled product is in the processor’s hands, the next step is determining what to do with it. This may involve rework, utilization for other uses, or disposal, the latter being, in most cases, the safer and most cost-effective choice. When disposal is chosen, landfilling and incineration are options for solid products, while liquids are generally dumped into a drain. Regardless of the discarding method, the once-edible product becomes food waste. . . .
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1406491536a249abb8c5a9529b427867 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2152-0801 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Lyson Center for Civic Agriculture and Food Systems |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development |
| spelling | doaj-art-1406491536a249abb8c5a9529b4278672025-01-22T21:48:14ZengLyson Center for Civic Agriculture and Food SystemsJournal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development2152-08012025-01-0114110.5304/jafscd.2025.141.026Food recalls: An unnecessary and preventable factor in food wasteRubén Morawicki 0Johnson and Wales University First paragraphs: Food recalls are initiated by food manufacturers or mandated by regulatory agencies when a problem that can harm the public is identified. Recalls take place after the products have left the processing facility and are no longer under the processor’s control, and their primary goal is to minimize harm by retrieving as much product as possible from the market. Not all recalls have the same gravity. In the U.S., food recalls are classified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) into three classes based on the severity of health risks, with Class I being the most severe; a Class I recall is for defective products that can cause severe health effects or death (FDA, 2024, p. 7-1; UDSA Food Safety and Inspection Service [USDA FSIS], 2024-b). Recalls can be partial or total, depending on how efficient a processor is in codifying and tracing different lots of products. Depending on the issue, if the lot sizes are relatively small, recalls can be contained to just the affected lots. However, if there is no clear separation between lots or their size is significantly large, more expansive recalls are required. When lots are not clearly identified, a total recall of all products in the market may be necessary. An example of this was the multistate recall by the Peanut Corporation of America in 2009 due to its peanut butter being contaminated with Salmonella typhimurium (CDC, 2009). In this recall, more than 3,900 different types of products were retrieved from the market from 46 U.S. states (Flynn, 2009). Once the recalled product is in the processor’s hands, the next step is determining what to do with it. This may involve rework, utilization for other uses, or disposal, the latter being, in most cases, the safer and most cost-effective choice. When disposal is chosen, landfilling and incineration are options for solid products, while liquids are generally dumped into a drain. Regardless of the discarding method, the once-edible product becomes food waste. . . . https://foodsystemsjournal.org/index.php/fsj/article/view/1318recallsfood wastefood safetyfood processing |
| spellingShingle | Rubén Morawicki Food recalls: An unnecessary and preventable factor in food waste Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development recalls food waste food safety food processing |
| title | Food recalls: An unnecessary and preventable factor in food waste |
| title_full | Food recalls: An unnecessary and preventable factor in food waste |
| title_fullStr | Food recalls: An unnecessary and preventable factor in food waste |
| title_full_unstemmed | Food recalls: An unnecessary and preventable factor in food waste |
| title_short | Food recalls: An unnecessary and preventable factor in food waste |
| title_sort | food recalls an unnecessary and preventable factor in food waste |
| topic | recalls food waste food safety food processing |
| url | https://foodsystemsjournal.org/index.php/fsj/article/view/1318 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rubenmorawicki foodrecallsanunnecessaryandpreventablefactorinfoodwaste |