A culture change is needed if the food industry is to deliver effective recall and traceability systems to guard against health risks, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has said.
Publishing a guidance report for the industry yesterday, Dr Wayne Anderson, the authority's chief specialist in food science, called on businesses to develop such safety systems before being compelled to do so under EU legislation.
"It's going to require a culture change. But it's change that's in the best interests of consumers and businesses. Research shows that those companies which are proactive about recall recover their market share better than those who are not."
The report details best practice for companies in the establishment and operation of traceability systems so that they can deal effectively with health scares. Emphasising the importance of getting information to the public as quickly as possible, it tells companies to avoid downplaying incidents and urges them to be "specific and truthful".
Dr Patrick Wall, chief executive of the FSAI, said that some recall notices appeared to be issued to protect companies and prevent litigation rather than to inform the public. However, he said, standards were improving and the industry in general was becoming less tolerant of shoddy practices.
Mr Ciaran Fitzgerald, director of IBEC's Food and Drink Federation, concurred with this view, saying that businesses were anxious to protect their brand images. "The more businesses which get into branding, the more the culture will change."
The report was drawn up by a 12-person working group, comprising eight representatives of the food industry and four from the regulatory authorities.
Dr Anderson noted that current legislation was a "bit loose", as it failed to compel businesses to implement recall systems or to inform the FSAI of health scares. However, this would change under an EU law which would come into force in 2005.
The report coincides with a six-week FSAI advertising campaign under which businesses are encouraged to know the history and reputation of their suppliers.
The report can be downloaded from: www.fsai.ie
