FDA's new policy to better inform consumers about retailers selling recalled foods

CHICAGO - Oct. 1, 2018 - PRLog -- Stop Foodborne Illness, the national advocacy organization that represents individuals and families in the fight against foodborne illness, issued a statement today applauding a new FDA policy announced by FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D.

The new FDA policy permits the FDA to inform consumers as to which retailers may carry foods that have been recalled due to contamination by pathogens causing foodborne illness. According to the FDA's announcement, the agency "has not traditionally released specific retailers where recalled foods may have been purchased. This is because certain supply chain information is confidential between the supplier and retailer."

With its new policy, the FDA can and will decide to publicize lists of retailers—known as retail consignee lists—identifying retailers potentially carrying a recalled product, when doing so better protects consumers from purchasing potentially harmful foods. These lists could include online retailers as well as "brick and mortar" stores.

"Detailed information about the identity of recalled products and where they are being sold can be a matter of life and death for consumers," said Lauren Bush, Board Co-Chair of Stop Foodborne Illness who was a survivor of an E. coli outbreak in 2006. "There is much more to be done by government and industry to improve recall communications and effectiveness, but we appreciate the step FDA is taking to disclose the identity of stores that received recalled product."

"Commissioner Gottlieb's announcement is an important step in the right direction," said Michael Taylor, Board Co-Chair of Stop Foodborne Illness and former FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine. "We look forward to better understanding the scope of the FDA's new policy and monitoring its implementation to be sure consumers get the information they can use to protect themselves from recalled foods."

The FDA acknowledged that while typically the information released to the public—labeling information, product descriptions, lot numbers, photographs, geographic distribution and information voluntarily provided by retailers—is adequate to allow consumers to identify and avoid the recalled product, there are situations where the names and locations of retailers carrying the product need to be publicized to better protect consumers from foodborne illness.

The FDA specifically mentioned situations where the recalled food—intended for either human or animal consumption—is not easily identified from its retail packaging, such as foods sold directly to consumers without a UPC or bar code. Examples include deli cheese, nuts, rawhide chews, or pet treats sold in bulk and fresh fruits and vegetables sold individually.

Stop Foodborne Illness Is Here to Help You
Stop Foodborne Illness is a national, nonprofit, public health organization dedicated to preventing illness and death from foodborne pathogens by promoting sound food safety policy and best practices, building public awareness and assisting those impacted by foodborne illness. For more food safety tips please visit www.stopfoodborneillness.org/awareness/. If you think you have been sickened from food, check this out (http://www.stopfoodborneillness.org/awareness/to-do-if-yo...) and contact your local health professional.

For questions and personal assistance, please contact Stop Foodborne Illness' Community Coordinator, Stanley Rutledge, at srutledge@stopfoodborneillness.org or 773-269-6555 x7. To donate to Stop, visit here (https://stopfoodborneillness.thankyou4caring.org/donate).

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