Product-centric thinking doesn’t work in a recall
Recalls are hard, no question. A lot of factors contribute to that, but in all my years working in recalls, first in retail and now in software, I’ve rarely seen a recall fail because of a lack of data. The data is usually there. The challenge is whether it’s accurate, structured, shareable, and ready for action. That’s what turns a hard recall into a much harder one.
There are many factors that contribute to a well-run recall: a trained team, clear responsibilities, a sense of urgency – and good data sharing with trading partners. When food businesses manage recalls well, they’ve typically invested in good data practices. They’ve built a recall process driven by traceability, accurately structured information, and integrated tech systems that share data quickly. In short, they don’t just focus on what needs to be recalled – they’ve mastered how to run the recall.
What vs. how is an important distinction. Companies that struggle with recalls often focus heavily on the what – what products, what time frame, what distribution pattern, what instructions – without enough attention on the how. Those details are essential, but they don’t get the job done on their own. A successful recall depends on how you use the data: How do you notify partners? How do you confirm action? How do you track product removal across the supply chain?
In a well-run recall, the food business has effective systems in place to easily access and share data with their trading partners. Picture this: a food recall is triggered, and accurate product data flows immediately to every stakeholder through integrated tech tools. The supplier identifies impacted inventory and immediately contacts trading partners with detailed information. Retailers receive a data package that ties directly to their POS system. Consumers who purchased the affected item get a notification with clear, actionable messaging outlining what they should do. The recall is contained, risks are minimised, the public is informed, and the food brand maintains consumer trust as well as their reputation.
In this example, the recall was successful because of how the company managed the data: the supply chain was well-prepared, people were enabled to take the right actions, and information could flow in both directions. These steps require accurate, structured, and shareable data, using a system designed to support fast, documented action at scale.
Product-centric thinking ignores the how of recalls
Although knowing what is being recalled is vitally important, data itself won’t drive action without the right systems to support how the recall is executed. When recalls are done poorly, it’s often because organisations don’t have the right tools or processes in place to effectively capture, store, and share critical data. Product-centric thinking, without supporting data systems, can’t keep pace with the complexity and speed required in today’s supply chains.
Perhaps the supplier issues a recall notice in a PDF attachment or lengthy email, making it hard to find specific information. Or the warehouse doesn’t track lot codes and has no easy way to determine whether the items they received were part of the recall. As a result, teams are forced to interpret unclear recall notices, make uninformed decisions, and scramble to take any action at all.
Employees often remove all similar products from the shelf, even if it’s unaffected, because they don’t know what’s potentially contaminated. Some store locations delay action while they try to verify the murky details from the supplier. Meanwhile, customers are left confused and still at risk. This process is slow, inefficient, and damaging, prolonging the recall and associated risks.
Therefore, food businesses must shift from a product-driven recall mindset (what is being recalled) to a data-driven one (how it’s recalled).
Data that drives action
At its core, a recall is not just about identifying products. It’s about enabling action. When action is required – whether it’s pulling product from store shelves, notifying trading partners, or alerting customers – success comes down to the ability to access and share accurate information quickly. If the data is clear, consistent, and connected to the systems your teams and partners already use, the response is fast and targeted. If it isn’t, confusion ensues, and risk escalates.
That’s what defines a data-driven recall: the ability to move with accuracy, confidence, and speed because the data allows it.
In a data-driven recall, every stakeholder is able to send and receive accurate, usable information that can be acted on quickly. Everyone knows exactly what to do because the data flows seamlessly through the integrated systems. Instead of digging through paper records or email attachments, the information is already where it needs to be, in a format that systems can read and teams can use. Affected products are identified, located, and removed. Customers are notified with clear instructions. And the entire supply chain operates as a coordinated unit, not a collection of disconnected parts.
This requires more than just having the right fields in a spreadsheet. To be truly useful in a recall, data must be structured in a way that systems can interpret automatically, without manual intervention or reformatting. And just as important, it must be shareable.
Standardised data is shareable data
Even good recall data isn’t useful if it can’t be shared. Yet, the industry still lacks a standardised way to capture, store, and distribute recall data. This leads to:
- Mismatched formats from suppliers
- Manual interpretation of critical product data
- Inconsistent action at retail or wholesale levels
- Confusion for operational teams and consumers
- Unnecessary labour in reconciling data sets
Some companies send recall notices that require manual formatting, while others use proprietary systems that don’t integrate well with partners’ systems. Either way, these practices slow down and complicate recalls.
For more successful, collaborative recalls, data sharing needs to be standardised, with trading partners aligned on what fields are required, what format they’re in, and how that information is transmitted. This standardisation allows trading partners to respond quickly instead of reformatting and reinterpreting the recall data before they can act.
This is especially important in an omni-channel, distributed supply chain, where the speed of a recall often depends on the clarity of the initial data. When data is consistent and timely, it allows everyone to do their job effectively for faster, more complete resolution.
Beyond removing the defective products to protect consumers, better data sharing:
- Decreases food waste through better identification of impacted products.
- Decreases product credit from more targeted recalls.
- Reduces out-of-stocks, lowering brand damage and re-supply orders.
- Decreases overall business costs (labour, logistics, reputational damage).
Good data practices are important no matter where your business is in the supply chain. In the context of traceability and recalls, data must be shared externally to inform companies across the supply chain.
Encouragingly, progress is being made. The data workgroup of the Alliance for Recall Ready Communities is currently partnering with GS1 to develop a standardised recall data set that can be shared seamlessly across systems and organisations.
What you can do today
Even without an industry-wide standard for recall data, your food business can still make changes today that will dramatically impact your recall effectiveness. Start by evaluating how your recall data is structured. Is it standardised? Is it integrated with your traceability system? Are you aligned with supply chain partners? In a recall, could you pull and share accurate, real-time data in minutes?
If you’re still relying on manual emails, disjointed spreadsheets, or systems that require individual interpretation, it’s time to modernise. That doesn’t necessarily mean overhauling everything at once. Even small changes, like aligning formats with your partners or automating how recall data is generated, can make a big difference during a stressful recall situation.
Also, conduct mock recalls with your trading partners, simulating the entire recall process, including how data moves across the supply chain. This exercise can uncover gaps in teams’ systems and knowledge, allowing you to resolve issues before a recall happens.
It’s time to think data-driven recalls
I ran recalls at Albertsons for 15 years and they all were chaotic. Since I started working in software, I’ve realised that the chaos wasn’t due to the people, the workflows, or even the technology we had at the time. The root of the issue was the data – it wasn’t structured, accessible, or sharable.
We’ve come a long way in technology since then, but many of the issues still persist. Data still tends to be incomplete, hard to find, and difficult to use. To run recalls well, we don’t need more data. We need the right data, and we need to be able to use it quickly.
The companies that manage recalls well are the ones that understand that recall readiness is about more than a plan. It’s about having data that can be used to drive action. Executing the how can’t rely on outdated tools like paper files, spreadsheets, or faxes. A successful recall depends on structured, shareable data: product attributes like lot or batch codes must be machine-readable across the supply chain, and contact info must be formatted for rapid, automated notifications.
As food recalls continue to occur regularly, the industry must stop asking only what product needs to be recalled, and start asking how that recall will actually happen. Normalise and prioritise this data-driven approach. Standardised, sharable data helps pinpoint the right products, reach the right partners, and guide the right actions – ultimately improving recall performance, reducing public health risk, and protecting brands’ reputations.
Roger Hancock, CEO of Recall InfoLink is one of the world’s foremost experts on recalls, with experience that spans the retail, tech, data, regulatory, and supply chain. Recall InfoLink makes recalls faster, easier, and more accurate across the supply chain to protect consumers and brands. As the only company focused entirely on recalls, Recall InfoLink’s solutions drive immediate action, streamline the recall process, and simplify compliance. Recall InfoLink helps brands become Recall Ready by standardising data, collaborating with their supply chains, and practicing recall simulations.
