When a food product is recalled, it can be a serious concern for consumers. The following information will help you better understand who is responsible for food recalls and what is involved in the recall process. A food recall is a voluntary action by a manufacturer or distributor to protect the public from products that may cause health problems or possible death. FSIS is responsible for ensuring that these products are safe, wholesome, and accurately labeled. Even when the food has been previously inspected and passed by FSIS, a recall is necessary when new information becomes available indicating a possible public health issue.
All recalls are voluntary.
To date, no company has ever refused a request from FSIS to recall a potentially unsafe food. Sometimes the discovery is made through test results of samples taken by FSIS as part of its sampling program. FSIS field inspectors and compliance officers, in the course of their routine duties, gather information and make observations that may lead to the discovery of unsafe or improperly labeled foods. FSIS may learn of unsafe food from consumer complaints, epidemiological data submitted by state and local public health departments, other USDA agencies, and other Federal agencies such as FDA and the Department of Defense. As soon as FSIS learns that a possibly unsafe or mislabeled food is in commerce, it conducts a preliminary investigation to determine whether a recall of the meat or poultry is necessary.