Food Recalls Hit 2-Year High in Fourth Quarter of 2012
Food recalls reached a 2-year quarterly high in 2012, according to the ExpertRECALL Index documented by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This activity represents an average rate of approximately six food recalls being documented every day in the fourth quarter, affecting some 18.4 million products, more than double the units affected in the previous quarter.
"Right before FDA's announcement of two major requirements proposed under the Food Safety Modernization Act, the agency documented 552 food recalls, representing a 33% increase over the previous quarter and reaching the highest level of recall activity in more than two years," says Mike Rozembajgier, vice president of recalls at Stericycle ExpertRECALL. "As the agency continues to shift its focus toward prevention rather than simply reacting to foodborne illness outbreaks, we can expect the FDA to pay more attention to what companies are doing to ensure our food is safe and prevent recalls from occurring. Companies with a recall plan that is ready are likely to best weather the impending storm of increased regulatory scrutiny."