It’s both ironic and tragic to begin an article on the benefits of cradle-to-grave traceability during one of the most extensive frozen food recalls in several years. But, as of this writing, fears of potential listeria contamination are fueling the recall of millions of frozen fruits and vegetables in more than 400 different products and 40 different brands sold throughout North America.
The unfortunate consequences—and, of course, costs—of such a massive recall are literally staggering. So are the traceability challenges. Some of the recalled products date as far back as 2014, and since these particular items are frozen, thousands of consumers (maybe even hundreds of thousands) are likely to have them in their freezers with no knowledge of their potential danger.