Recalling a food that you or your pets enjoy (or recently consumed) can be a little unsettling. Sure, not every recall has the potential to run you to the bathroom – the severity of a recall will vary depending on the product and cause of concern. Sometimes it’s just a Food supplements who haven’t declared it contains soy lecithin – but sometimes it will frozen shrimp contaminated with salmonella.
Food and product recalls happen more frequently than you probably realize, and the first time you hear about a recall that could potentially affect you, you don’t have to be on the evening news – or if you are already feeling an annoying discomfort about yourself . Instead, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a detailed list of recalled products that it regulates – with a convenient search facility – that you can look through at your leisure and for your own safety.
How to use the FDA product recall website to your advantage.
What does it mean when food is recalled?
According to State food safety, a food recall is “a voluntary response from a supplier or manufacturer who removes products that are mislabelled or have a potential or apparent hazard”. These are regulated by the FDA to enforce business accountability and consumer safety. Corporations and warehouses undergo regular inspections to reveal misconduct or hazardous environments and ingredients. This does not mean that every recall is life or death, but it is good to know what could possibly harm you.
How to use the FDA’s food recall website
The FDA’s food recall website is currently home to 162 pages of food recalls that can seem overwhelming if you just want to hit the highlights. Of course, you can scroll down the list and click your way through to search all of the pages, but search functions are available if you know how to narrow down the results. The recall list is categorized by date of recall, food type, brand and company name. Each item has a product description and a detailed recall statement. The search toolbar at the top of the website can also help you personalize your search. If you want to search for specific types of products, you can use the drop-down menu to find Food & Beverage, Veterinary & Veterinary Medicine, Nutritional Supplements, and more.
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There is also a drop down option for finished callbacks. The FDA will approve a recall when it has determined that “all reasonable efforts have been made to remove or correct the infringing product in accordance with the recall strategy and properly disposed of according to the level of hazard,” as stated on their website specified. The last column indicates whether the displayed callback has ended or is still active.
What to do if a food is recalled?
Just because a food has been recalled doesn’t necessarily mean it would harm you. For example, a hand sanitizer was recalled because it resembled water bottles and was asked to change its packaging. it won’t harm you if you don’t drink it.
To learn more about a custom callback, click on the brand name to expand details. The description explains the exact nature of the recall and what the company is doing to correct the problem. A food recall could be related to a specific allergen, with the FDA warning people with that particular allergy to the product. Read the details carefully and follow all directions to either discard the item or take the necessary precautions.
