Product recalls and the meat industry
Within the business arena, the term product recall refers to a manufacturer’s request to have a product returned due to defects or safety concerns. Although the conditions surrounding recalls differ from each other, they can be traced to two primary reasons. A recall is done in the event; it presents a health or related risks to the consumers. Additionally, recalls are initiated in cases where a product may put the manufacturer at risk of legal action. In the modern business arena, most product recalls are associated with the automobile industry. Traditionally, product recalls have been studied in light of how they affect manufacturing. However, growth in the supply chain has shifted the focus from the manufacturer to the elements shaping up the supply chain. Over the past decade, the number of product recalls in food and food-related industries has grown exponentially. Within the global food industry, a product recall is a term employed in referring to all the investments geared towards removing food from any stage of the supply chain or market, including the food products that have already been purchased by consumers (Edelstein, 2017). Conducting product recalls in a meat company is essential as it not only focuses on the health of the consumers but also because it enables the company to uphold its integrity and that of the entire supply chain.
A meat company faced with the decision to recall should ensure that all affected products and other productions within the production line are adequately covered. In a product recall, the focus should not only be geared towards addressing the affected products, but also the section of products that might have shared a production platform or process with the affected product. Here, the goals are to ensure the recall is as extensive as it can be. For instance, a meat company that discovers an undeclared allergen or misbranding in its ready-to-eat beef sticks may end up recalling milk and fully cooked meat products which were produced along with the ready-to-eat beef sticks (Chebolu-Subramanian & Gaukler, 2014). The recall aims to ensure that the affected product, and those that might share a production window and platform, are adequately covered. A company would instead recall products that it thinks might are part of risk only to find out they don’t than to assume it has covered the required range of products only to realize the scope was not broad enough.
One of the essential investments in the course of a recall is time. So crucial is this resource that it directly impacts the nature and level of success in a recall undertaking in both the short and the long terms. For instance, costs are directly affected by the time windows shaping up a recall event (the United States. Congress. House. Committee on Appropriations. Subcommittee on Agriculture; Rural Development; Food and Drug Administration; and Related Agencies, 2002). Whenever more time is required to recall a product, the costs attached to investigations, medical and quality checks, and reimbursements increase. For a company to maintain its brand reputation during a recall, consumers should be presented with effectiveness and efficiency at all stages, processes, and decision making instances. In light of this, it is vital to ensure that the time investment in a recall project positively impacts the brand value while addressing liability costs effectively.
Time investments in recall activities are researched under an umbrella topic known as the time to recall. There are three significant connotations attached to the concept of time to remember and how it applies in research. First, time to recall may refer to the time between the commencement of a product’s shelf life of the last product produced and the time when the recall announcement was made (Edelstein, 2018). Secondly, the concept may refer to the time when the recalled product made its first sale and the time when the recall announcement was made. Lastly, the idea of time to remember may be researched as the time between announcement or recall was made, and when all the recalled products were received. In maintaining brand image and addressing the various liability issues within a recalled product, time to remember should be approached as the difference presented between when a product is initially produced and when the company makes the recall announcement (Blecker, 2014). This outlook is crucial as it focuses on minimizing the time frame between the first instances of detection and bringing every member of the supply chain to speed in light of the main issue undergirding the recall. This approach is not only critical in ensuring efficiency in both the short and long terms, but also safeguards the brand image and provides ample grounds for investigations and rectifications.
Outlined in the Food and Agriculture Organization, the review of necessary food policies contains essential information for companies involved in meat processing. Apart from covering critical topics such as slaughtering and handling, the report includes information governing the production and the environment, quality and safety, and marketing. Quality and safety are further divided into good manufacturing practices, meat quality, traceability, HACCP, and public health issues (Pearson & Dutson, 2012). Foundationally, the quality and safety guidelines are designed to ensure that meat is safe and of high quality throughout the supply chain. In its functionality, the quality practice focus on the entire process from the farm where meat originates, to the various inspection centers governing slaughtering, to the storage and handling of meat until it gets to the consumer. The quality control measures are designed to focus on seven essential provisions. First, meat products are expected to maintain quality standards that prevent intoxication or infection in the event a consumer prepares the products accurately. Secondly, the rules are designed to ensure there are no residues over standardized or established limits. Thirdly, quality standards focus on providing meat, and meat products are free from diseases. Fourthly, the quality standards are designed to ensure visible contaminations do not get in any of the products.
Additionally, quality standards are designed to ensure that consumers are provided with meat and meat products that are free from defects generally recognized or classified as objectionable. The quality standards are designed to ensure meat and meat products are produced through observing adequate hygiene control at the different stages. Lastly, the quality controls are designed to provide meat, and meat products fulfill the expectations set by the consumers in light of composition.
Conclusively, it is evident to note that product recalls involving meat and meat products are essential not only because they focus on the health of the consumers, but also ensure that companies within the industry are upholding their integrity and that of the entire supply chain. Quality standards set for meat and meat products are essential as they ensure production is adequately regulated. Additionally, quality standards ensure consumers are provided with high levels of quality products in both the short and the long terms. In conducting product recalls, companies engaged in meat and meat production should ensure they not only act promptly but also involve as many products as is feasibly possible.
References
Blecker, T. (2014). Innovative methods in logistics and supply chain management: Current issues and emerging practices. epubli.
Chebolu-Subramanian, V., & Gaukler, G. M. (2014, August 1). (PDF) Product recalls in the meat and poultry industry: Key drivers of supply chain efficiency and effectiveness. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273575379
Edelstein, S. (2017). Nutrition in public health. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Edelstein, D. (2018). Food Science. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Pearson, A. M., & Dutson, T. R. (2012). HACCP in meat, poultry, and fish processing. Springer Science & Business Media.
The United States. Congress. House. Committee on Appropriations. Subcommittee on Agriculture; Rural Development; Food and Drug Administration; and Related Agencies. (2002). Agriculture, rural development, Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies appropriations for 2003: Hearings before a subcommittee of the committee on appropriations, House of Representatives, one hundred seventh congress, second session. U.S. Government Printing Office.