How to Handle Food Recalls in Your Restaurant

A recall is by far one of the most devastating things that can happen to any brand in the food industry. On top of the negative image that could haunt the business, restaurants may also face steep sanctions and penalties from the government. 

Fortunately, they can take several proactive measures, such as implementing food safety initiatives to maintain quality and safety in the production process and adopting a technology-based solution such as a quality management system (QMS). 

Whether you’re making a food safety plan for the first time or are trying to improve on what you already have, this blog shares important steps that will help you better handle food recalls. 

What Is a Food Recall? 

Food recalls in a restaurant refer to instances where food items served or sold in a restaurant need to be removed from circulation and possibly returned to the supplier or manufacturer due to safety concerns. These concerns could include contamination with harmful bacteria, the presence of foreign objects, undeclared allergens, or other issues that could pose a risk to consumers' health.

When a food recall occurs in a restaurant, the establishment must take immediate action to ensure the safety of its customers. This typically involves identifying the affected food items, removing them from service or sale, communicating with customers who may have been exposed to the recalled products, and working with suppliers or authorities to address the root cause of the issue. 

Proper handling of food recalls is essential for maintaining trust with customers and avoiding potential legal or reputational consequences. Restaurants should have protocols in place to respond quickly and effectively to recalls and minimize any potential harm to consumers.

How to Respond to Food Recalls in Your Restaurant 

Here are some strategies you should be practicing when dealing with a food recall: 

1. ESTABLISH A PLAN

Restaurants with multiple locations can use software and apps to communicate relevant recall information in real-time and provide detailed information within the supply chain. 

Once you’ve been informed about the recall, understand the reasoning for the issuance. Recalls are classified into three groups, and USDA lists them as such:

• Class I: A health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that eating the food will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.  Examples include E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef, salmonella in peanut butter, or food with an undeclared allergen.
• Class II: A health hazard situation where there is a remote probability of adverse health consequences from eating the food. Examples include products containing a foreign material.
• Class III: A situation where eating the food will not cause adverse health consequences. Examples include minor labeling problems, such as improper format or undeclared ingredients that are not allergens.

It’s on the restaurant to ensure that the staff have all been trained to handle a recall. They may need different levels of training depending on their responsibilities, so it’s important to double-check on that beforehand or to give your local regulator a call to verify. 

Restaurant Staff Responsibilities 

In some cases, the staff may be asked to communicate with the customers, which is why they need to know the key details about the recall as well as the action plan that they must execute per that incident. In general, the restaurant staff must know how to: 

• Identify all recalled products.
• Remove the items from inventory and place them in a secure and appropriate location.
• Store the items separately from food, utensils, equipment, linens, and single-use items.
• Label the items in a way that will prevent them from being placed back in inventory.
• Inform staff not to use those products.
• Refer to the vendor's notification or recall notice to isolate or dispose of these products. 

2. SANITIZE THE KITCHEN

Part of the standard operation procedure for restaurants affected by a recall is sanitizing. While sanitizing itself is part of the routine, doing it after recall will require a more calculated and thorough approach from the staff. You must also prepare to extend sanitation outside the kitchen, especially when authorities or distributors fail to communicate the recall right away. 

More importantly, the staff must also exercise the safety measures that they learned from training to protect themselves from contamination.

3. STORE FOOD SAFELY

Following a recall, remove the affected items from your inventory and place them in a secure and proper location, away from any food, utensils, equipment, linens, or single-use items you are planning to use. 

In addition, make sure to wash and sanitize cutting boards, surfaces, and utensils used to prepare, serve, or store potentially contaminated products. The staff must follow the basic procedures of washing their hands with soap and hot water, followed by the cleaning and sanitation process.

4. DISCARD EXPIRED ITEMS

First and foremost, inform staff members not to use expired products. Establish a communication plan that employees can use to explain to customers how the restaurant responded to the outbreak and is addressing the problem. 

This adds credibility to your place and makes it evident that you know what you’re doing as a business. When isolating or disposing of the products, refer to the vendor’s notification or recall notice. This is critical because product reimbursement often only occurs if you take the required actions provided by the vendor.

5. STAY INFORMED

While distributors are expected to notify restaurants and resellers about recalls right away, communication may be delayed for reasons that are out of your control. 

When this happens, things can quickly go from bad to worse. As such, Foodsafety.gov provides the latest information and updates on any food recalls in the US for those who have signed up. In addition, they also send out content with invaluable information from the FDA, the Food and Safety Inspection Services (FSIS) arm of the USDA, the CDC, and the HHS.  

Get Your Food Manager Certification From Learn2Serve by 360training 

If you’re looking to train the members of your team, you have the option to enroll them in an accredited online training provider. On top of the flexibility online training allows, it’s also proven to be more cost-efficient for restaurants that need to enroll several employees in the program. 

Fortunately, Learn2Serve by 360training offers food manager training to get you certified. Once you pass your exam, you can print your food manager certificate to display at your establishment. This shows health inspectors that you have the knowledge required to keep your customers and employees safe. Sign up today!