New ISO Standard on Product Recall

Work has begun in developing an ISO standard on Product Recall. The stated goal of ISO/PC 240, Product recall is to develop a market-oriented international standard to help organizations plan and execute timely and cost effective product recalls, minimizing legal risks, and contributing to customer satisfaction and loyalty.

The work of the ISO Technical Committee TC240 will apply to consumer products, including electrical and gas household appliances. The projected standard will be useful for manufacturers, retailers, importers, testing organizations, providers of third party recall services, legal firms, government regulators and consumers/safety organizations. Click here for more details.

RASFF Publishes 2008 Report

This report provides a detailed breakdown of all the alerts reported through the European RASFF system in 2008. It includes statistical analysis and comparison by food category and contamination type as well as detail surrounding "important incidents" such as the mineral oil in sunflower oil contamination and melamine in food products from China. Click here for more details.

New RASFF Search Portal

If you are wondering what food alerts have affected similar companies to your own, then you can now search using the on line RASFF Search Portal. This easy to use search function also enables exporting reports to excel. Click here for more details

Having a recall plan will be a legal requirement in the US

This Amendment to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act known as the US Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 (H. R. 2749) was passed by the House on 30 July 2009 which would impose a host of new requirements on the food industry including a requirement to have a product recall plan. Click here for more details.

RQA Out and About

As always, RQA Europe consultants are on assignments throughout Europe this month working on all aspects of consumer product safety from product safety and recall prevention activities to recall preparation and then recall incident management. RQA works with all elements of the consumer products sector from automotive components to toys and from electrical goods to food and beverage and many more. For more details of how RQA can help you or your suppliers prepare for a product recall incident, please contact RQA.

Case Studies

Product Recall Solutions
food industry

Product Spaghetti Bolognese Incident Risk of choking Country United Kingdom Date 22/07/2009	A spaghetti Bolognese, baby food for children over 7 years old, has been recalled from consumers as the product poses a risk of choking. Foreign bodies such as plastic fragments were found inside the food. The substances could cause a choking hazard.
Product Salami Incident Unauthorised use of food additives Country Czech Republic Date 15/07/2009	Following the official control on the market, Spanish salami is being withdrawn from Czech Republic. The reason for the product withdrawal is the possible unauthorised usage of colour E 124 - Ponceau 4R and cochineal red A. Consumers who purchased the product were recommended to return it for a full refund.

Product Spaghetti Bolognese
Incident Risk of choking
Country United Kingdom
Date 22/07/2009

A spaghetti Bolognese, baby food for children over 7 years old, has been recalled from consumers as the product poses a risk of choking. Foreign bodies such as plastic fragments were found inside the food. The substances could cause a choking hazard.

Product Salami
Incident Unauthorised use of food additives
Country Czech Republic
Date 15/07/2009

Following the official control on the market, Spanish salami is being withdrawn from Czech Republic. The reason for the product withdrawal is the possible unauthorised usage of colour E 124 - Ponceau 4R and cochineal red A. Consumers who purchased the product were recommended to return it for a full refund.

Product Recall Solutions
consumer products

Product Children’s shoes Incident Choking hazard Country United States Date 21/07/2009	Children's shoes, manufactured in China have been withdrawn from the market in the US due to a risk of choking because a decorative wheel detaches from the shoe. No injuries have been reported yet, but the retailers have received two customer complaints. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued an alert on its website and has advised to take this product away from children immediately.
Product Electric steam iron Incident Electric shock Country Germany Date 17/07/2009	The product has been voluntarily recalled by the importing company from China due to a risk of electric shock. The electric steam iron does not comply with the European standard EN 60335. The danger is caused by the fault in connection between cord and steam generator which could cause the possibility of electric shock. There have been three incidents reported by customers in Germany.

Product Children’s shoes
Incident Choking hazard
Country United States
Date 21/07/2009

Children's shoes, manufactured in China have been withdrawn from the market in the US due to a risk of choking because a decorative wheel detaches from the shoe. No injuries have been reported yet, but the retailers have received two customer complaints. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued an alert on its website and has advised to take this product away from children immediately.

Product Electric steam iron
Incident Electric shock
Country Germany
Date 17/07/2009

The product has been voluntarily recalled by the importing company from China due to a risk of electric shock. The electric steam iron does not comply with the European standard EN 60335. The danger is caused by the fault in connection between cord and steam generator which could cause the possibility of electric shock. There have been three incidents reported by customers in Germany.

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