Why should I care about recalls?
Think about the hundreds of products you use, rely on, and consume every day. From airbags and tires, to cribs and baby formula, peanut butter, bottled water and packaged spinach - even pet food. These are just a few of the products that have been recalled in recent memory. Now think about the products in your home that could have been slated for recall that you aren’t even aware of or heard about. Any product has the potential to harm you or your family, and if you could avoid these hidden dangers, you would do it, right? Acsis products help protect your products.
We help companies track ingredients from the ground up. Acsis is there for you, from the coffee bean field to your coffee cup, we can help ensure your products are safe.
What’s wrong with the current recall system?
Although the industry and the government – like the FDA - have mechanisms in place to help monitor food safety, they are not foolproof. Technology has enabled companies to put their products on the shelves quicker than ever before; yet, in the event of a recall, pulling them off the shelves can take days and even weeks. The truth is that most manufacturers don't deal directly with retail stores. Instead, they rely on multi-tier distribution - wholesalers, distributors and, quite often, sub-distributors. Once a product has left the manufacturing plant, it could be literally anywhere. A manufacturer attempts to expedite a recall with the only information available to them: lot number, use-by item dates, and which wholesaler or distributer has the item.
So what happens next? Does the wholesaler know which lot went where? Most likely, the answer is no. It typically comes down to the retail store to handle a recall. This often means that the entire inventory of a recalled item must be visually inspected and manually pulled from the shelves - and that takes time. Now, imagine a recall of hundreds of thousands of products. Wouldn’t you want a system in place that can aid in a recall with the greatest precision and accuracy? The problem is that industries today don’t have strong quality management systems in place in order to prepare – and efficiently handle -- a recall.
How do Acsis products address flaws in the current recall system?
Currently when an item is recalled, such as an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine, the company is often unable to pinpoint exactly when and where the problem occurred. Was there contamination during the bottling process? Was one of the ingredients mishandled? Was the finished product stored at an improper temperature while in transit? By the selective use of serialization and other controls, Acsis products force a check and balance system that enables manufacturers to track the components of each item throughout the process. That way, if a recall is necessary, the company is able to identify the source and reduce the magnitude and scope of the recall. This could mean the difference between recalling 500,000 bottles of pain reliever or 5,000 bottles.
Will technology ever eliminate the need for recalls?
No. Recalls will never be eliminated completely, because there is the potential for human error at every step in the now-global manufacturing process, from raw materials to the packaged product. Acsis brings a new measure of control by allowing the manufacturer to track precisely what went into the product, when, what was going on the plant at the time, and where the product went on its way to the consumer. In the event of a recall, this means that the manufacturer, and every other operation in the supply chain, has all the potential data necessary to pinpoint and quarantine the affected items and deal more efficiently with their return or destruction. Economically speaking, this translates to fewer millions of dollars spent by companies to correct a problem. More importantly, let’s not forget this could also mean fewer thousands of illnesses or deaths caused by defective products.
I can trust the government and companies to watch over my favorite products, right?
To a large extent you can. A company's motivation to "do the right thing" is brand protection, image, and (sometimes) survival. All very powerful influences - the bigger the name, the bigger the brand, the more zealously it will guard its reputation. The government's motivation to keep an eye on product safety comes from the fact that it's paid to do it, and it employs professionals whose integrity is second to none. But the real answer is the combination of both of the above PLUS the savvy consumer's awareness of what's going on - by reading/listening to/watching media reports, and by checking sources such as our section regarding recent product recalls
As a concerned consumer, what can I do?
You’re already taking an important first step by educating yourself about the need for a change in the current recall process. Today’s global supply chains are more far-reaching than ever before and are being stretched to their limit. As the saying goes, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The longer the supply chain the greater the risk for a problem. Acsis’ products help companies keep a watchful eye on every link in every supply chain. In the event of a recall, Acsis’ systems provide complete product visibility from one end of the chain to the other. It is up to industries to prepare for potential breaks in their supply chain, which can spell the difference between consumer safety and continued brand loyalty, or a huge loss in profits and a shattered business reputation.
That being said, the best thing you can do is to become your own advocate. Help us to encourage companies to join in our Recall Management Initiative by registering.