Arlington, VA – May 12, 2009 – The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) today welcomed the Grocery Manufacturers Association’s (GMA) support for the FMI Product Recall Portal and accredited third-party certification audits such as those conducted by FMI’s Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI). FMI also announced the policies it supports to help improve food safety.

“We have seen how critical clear and rapid communication about product recalls and withdrawals will be to protecting America’s consumers,” said Leslie G. Sarasin, president and chief executive officer, FMI. “We welcome GMA’s support of the FMI Product Recall Portal as it is now more important than ever that the food industry collaborate on providing accurate, reliable and standardized recall information.”

“We are also pleased to receive GMA’s support for certification programs performed by objective third parties accredited by external, internationally recognized organizations,” said Sarasin.

“Most important, our nation’s retailers and wholesalers believe consumers have the right to expect that the food they purchase is safe, affordable and meets the highest quality standards. The fact is all of us in the industry hold the same expectation as every customer – that the food we bring home to our families is safe,” she said.

FMI Product Recall Portal

FMI recently announced broad retailer and supplier registration in the recently launched FMI Product Recall Portal supported by GS1 US – the food industry's new, comprehensive product recall and withdrawal communication tool.   

Large internationally held companies and small, independent operators are registered to participate in the portal. Retailer participation already includes 48 companies, representing 124 banners, 10,040 stores (28 percent of all supermarkets), and 43 percent of total supermarket sales. This includes Associated Food Stores, Delhaize Group, Harris Teeter, The Kroger Co., Wakefern Food Corp. and Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. Suppliers participating represent 33 companies, ranging from Apple Wedge Packers and Cabot Creamery Cooperative to Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods, Del Monte Foods Company, Kellogg Company, Kraft Foods, Inc., and The J.M. Smucker Company.

“We are thrilled to learn today that GMA will encourage more suppliers to participate in this essential recall process,” said Sarasin.

The portal addresses accuracy in product removal through reliable, standardized communications between trading partners. This online tool features user authentication, a standardized form and process, and the ability to include targeted, specific information including images and product data. In addition, the portal prioritizes key information, captures who received notification and includes complete product recall contact information and handling instructions.

Safe Quality Food Institute

FMI established the SQF (Safe Quality Food) program, a leading, global food safety and quality certification and management system. The Program provides independent certification that a supplier's food safety and quality management system complies with international and domestic food safety regulations. Compliance to the SQF standard enables suppliers to assure their customers that food has been produced, processed, prepared and handled according to the highest possible standards at all levels of the supply chain. More than 3,000 businesses worldwide are SQF-certified. SQF is the only U.S.-based certification program recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative.

Sarasin said, “We seek for suppliers to participate in prevention systems to provide safe food from the source, and applaud GMA’s endorsement of certification programs like SQF.”

FMI Supports Government Policies for Food Safety

In addition, FMI supports policies and appropriate government engagement to help resolve critical food safety issues, including:

Adopting Risk-Based Systems – Congress should provide for increased food safety inspection and focused domestic and foreign inspections on facilities that pose the greatest risk of contamination that could result in food-borne illness.

• Expanding the Use of Accredited Third-Party Certification Programs – Food safety is a shared partnership between government and industry. The results of voluntary certification programs performed by objective third parties accredited by an external, internationally recognized organization can help government direct resources to the products and sources that pose the greatest risk.
• Requiring Mandatory Recall Authority and Immediate Notification of Recall – Congress should give FDA and USDA the authority to mandate a recall in cases where a company responsible for adulterating food does not act promptly to recall a food that presents a reasonable probability of causing serious health problems or death.
• Requiring Foreign Supplier Safety Plans and Building Foreign Capacity – Congress should provide for the building of capacity by foreign governments to regulate food safety and to require all food importers to police their foreign suppliers.
• Enhancing Traceability – Systems are needed to improve the capability of the supply chain to trace commodities forward and backward. These systems must be effective and interoperable for seamless communications.
• Require Food Safety Plans – Congress should require that every company manufacturing food for the U.S. market conduct an evaluation of food safety risks that identifies potential sources of contamination and appropriate food safety controls, and document those controls in a written food safety plan available for governmental review.