1. Food Recalls in Canada Food Industry Perspective
Dr. Keith Mussar
Keith Mussar & Associates
Food Safety and Public Policy International Seminar
November 15-16, 2007
Shanghai, China

3. Food Recalls in Canada
Recall: A company’s removal from the market of an unsafe food, a potentially unsafe food or a food that violates the regulations enforced by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency

4. Food Recalls in Canada
Recall: The final food safety intervention that can protect Canadian consumers from the risk of food borne illness

5. Food Recalls in Canada Consumers Retailers Ingredient Restaurants
Canadian Food Traceability Data Standard
Consumers
Essential: Manufacturing Date Code: E215Q192603
Best Before Date: AL 23
Manufacturing
Date Code
Supplier
Ingredient
Date Code or
Product Code
Manufacturing
Date Code
Manufacturing
Date Code
Retailers
Restaurants
Distributors
Ingredient
Suppliers
Manufacturer

6. Food Recalls in Canada Industry’s Responsibility in a Recall
Advanced Preparation
Recall management team
Primary contact – “recall coordinator”
Internal company, supply chain & distribution contacts
Recall plan
Practiced recall plan-mock recall exercise minimum yearly
“Manufacturing Date Code” or “Best Before Date” on product labels

7. Food Recalls in Canada Industry’s Responsibility in a Recall
Notifies Canadian Food Inspection Agency-CFIA of health concern
Provides required product information to CFIA
Voluntary recall of the product
Provides distribution list to CFIA
Notifies customers about the recall
Notifies public along with CFIA
Collects and isolates recovered product
Verifies amount of product recovered
Recovery done by retailers, restaurant, third party companies
Follow up
Disposal of recalled product [could involve CFIA]
Corrects issue responsible for hazard leading to recall

8. Food Recalls in Canada Industry’s Responsibility in a Recall
Voluntary Recalls
>99.5 % of recalls done voluntarily
Protect brand equity
Maintain consumer confidence-avoid market share loss
Maintain or enhance investor confidence
Business insurance requirement

9. Food Recalls in Canada Government’s Function in a Recall
Health risk assessment
Decision to recall
Classification of recall
Implementation of the recall
Requests distribution lists
Reviews firm’s recall plan and recall notice
Verification of the recall
Verifies customers were notified, product removed and controlled
Follow up
Monitors company’s actions on recovery, control and disposition of product
Monitors company’s corrective actions
Monitors firm’s corrective actions: Bean sprout issue-Toronto based company no longer in business-could not resolve issue to satisfaction of CFIA

10. Food Recalls in Canada Government Enforcement
Mandatory Recalls
An order served upon company manufacturing, selling, marketing or distributing the product to recall the product
Health risk is high
Minister of Agriculture orders the company who is manufacturing, selling, marketing or distributing the product to recall
Can be used when firm is unwilling or unable to recall the product
Consequences of contravention of a recall order are fines and/or imprisonment

11. Food Recalls in Canada Government Enforcement
Mandatory Recalls
7 mandatory recalls [<0.5% of recalls]
1999 Tatamagouche donair sausage
2001 Kanjac containing Jelly Cups
2002 Janes brand Battered Mozzarella Sticks
2003 Kid3.com capsules
2003 Aylmer Meat Inc.
2003 Tandori Masala
2004 Labonte brand honey

12. Food Recalls in Canada Government Enforcement
Aylmer Meat Mandatory Recall-2003
Aylmer Meat Inc. sold slaughtered dead beef to companies that further processed into retail meat products
> 100 products recalled from 18 companies
110 food stores
Aylmer Meat unwilling to execute recall
Owner & 2 employees charged with:
Selling meat unfit for human consumption
False or misleading labelling of meat
Fraud
Penalty: $250,000 fine, 3 years in prison

13. Food Recalls in Canada
Information Provided to Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Product brand name
Product common name
Size of product package
Manufacturing date code
Universal Product Code-UPC
Distribution list [who product shipped to & amount]
Amount produced & when
Copy of product label
Product specifications, analytical test results
Information about injuries or illnesses
Company contact information

14. OTTAWA, August 17, The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is warning the public not to consume Los Angeles Salad Company Baby Carrots described below because the product may be contaminated with Shigella.
The affected product, Los Angeles Salad Company Genuine Sweet Baby Carrots, is labeled as product of Mexico and imported by Los Angeles Salad Company. It is sold in 672 g/1.5 lb plastic bags bearing ITM 50325, UPC and Sell By dates up to and including 8 /13 /07.
This product was sold in Costco stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland.
There have been four reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.
Food contaminated with Shigella may not look or smell spoiled. Shigella infection can cause diarrhea (which may be bloody), fever, nausea, and vomiting. Illness usually lasts from 4 to 14 days. In some persons, especially very young, and very old people and people with compromised immune systems, the diarrhea can be more severe. Infection can occur after eating and drinking food and water that is contaminated with Shigella and can be passed from person to person.
Costco Wholesale, Ottawa, Ontario, is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.
For more information, consumers and industry can call the CFIA at / TTY (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).
For information on Shigella, visit the Food Facts web page at
For information on receiving recalls by , or for other food safety facts, visit our web site at
- 30 -
Media enquiries:
Shashi Kulkarni (English)
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Food Recall and Emergency Response

15. Assemble Company Recall Management Team
Notify the CFIA [risk assessment, classification]
Company identifies all products to be recalled
Detain and Segregate all products to be recalled which are in your firm's control
Provide product “distribution list” to CFIA
Distribute “Notice of Recall” to all customers
Prepare consumer notice [press release, if required]
Recover & control recalled product
Decide what to do with the recalled product
Verify effectiveness of the recall
Fix the cause leading to product recall

16. Food Recalls in Canada Required Business Documentation
Raw material or ingredient receiving records [what was receive, supplier name, date received, amount, supplier’s product identity code]
Ingredient inventory records [what ingredients, supplier name, supplier’s date code, amount]
Production records [production date, product name, amount produced, production date code]
Finished product inventory records [product name, production date code, number of cases]
Shipping records [product name, date shipped, product date code, amount shipped, shipping destination]
Customer list [name, contact person, postal address, method of contact]

17. Food Recalls in Canada Recall Classification
Class I - situation in which the use of the product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death
A consumer alert is issued
Class II - situation in which the use of the product may cause temporary adverse health consequences
A consumer alert may be issued
Class III - situation in which the use of the product is not likely to cause any adverse health consequences
A consumer alert is not usually issued
Examples:
Class I E-coli, Salmonella, undeclared allergens
Class II Food spoilage organism
Class III Wrong colour of product, incorrect weight declaration

18. Food Recalls in Canada National Recall Statistics
April 1, March 31, 2007
Class (21%)
Class (50%)
Class (29%)
Total (100%)

19. Food Recalls in Canada National Recall Statistics
April 1, 2006-March 31, 2007
Allergen (36%)
Microbial (26%)
Chemical (18%)
Extraneous Matter (11%)
Other ( 9%)
Total %
Numbers represent total recalls regardless of class

20. Food Recalls in Canada National Recall Statistics

21. Food Recalls in Canada National Recall Statistics
April 1, March 31, 2006
CFIA inspection activities (33%)
Industry initiated (29%)
Consumer complaints (20%)
Other gov’t dept referrals (10%)
Food-borne Illness Outbreak ( 3%)
Other ( 5%)
Total (100%)

22. Food Recalls in Canada Industry Recall Training
Primarily Food Safety Specialists-Keith Mussar & Associates
Government-limited
“Best Practices” & “Recall Simulation Exercise”
More than 2,000 Canadian companies trained
Small < 5 employees & large >500 employees
Across Canada
“Food Science” graduate students
National & Regional Food Trade Associations
Manufacturers
Retailers
Restaurants
Distributors
Importers
Exporters
Meat, Poultry
Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Producers

23. Food Recalls in Canada Industry Recall Training
Industry established “Best Practice” - Supply Chain Food Product Recall Manual
Simulated product recall exercises - food sector specific
Based on government recommended procedures
Manufacturer
Retailer
Distributor
Importer

24. Food Recalls in Canada Priority Allergen List
Peanuts
Soya [protein, lecithin]
Wheat [flour, starch]
Milk [whey, milk protein-casein]
Eggs
Sesame
Tree Nuts [almonds, cashews, pine nuts]
Fish
Shellfish [crab, lobster, shrimp]
Mollusks [clams, mussels, scallops]
Sulfites

25. Food Recalls in Canada Dr. Keith Mussar Keith Mussar & Associates
Tel: