Food recalls are on the rise. pollution Risks such as salmonella ListeriaMetal fragments and undeclared allergens. Recalls have always been a part of the food system, but severity It has been strengthened.
By 2024, the incidence of food poisoning associated with hospitalization and death has doubled. Recall rates have increased. It will increase by 15% between 2020 and 2024, sparking consumer vigilance and calls for greater transparency. Not only is it harmful to human health, but also economically. food poisoning costs In the United States, this is estimated at $75 billion per year in 2023 dollars. These figures include medical costs, lost productivity and premature death, with deaths accounting for 56% of total costs.
“Having more recalls is not necessarily bad news,” said Liz Sertl, senior director of community engagement. GS1 USA. “This means the industry can catch problems before affected food reaches consumers.
Even a single recall can damage brand credibility. 93% of consumers express concern about the frequency of recalls and 59% are hesitant to purchase food or brands that have experienced a recall. Implementing traceability standards therefore becomes a strategic necessity rather than just a compliance exercise.
Food manufacturers that actively adopt GS1 standards are better positioned to gain a competitive advantage in food safety and compliance by responding quickly to recalls, strengthening consumer trust, and adding resilience to their supply chains. It also puts you in a better position for the FDA Food Traceability Final Rule (also known as FSMA 204 Rule Compliance), which is scheduled to be enacted in July 2028. The rule requires companies to maintain certain records of designated foods to strengthen their food safety systems.
traceability gap
For the most part, American consumers believe their food is safe. 85% of adults believe The food recall protects their health and safety. However, 60% also say they stop purchasing an entire food category after a recall, and more than half think twice about purchasing the same brand or food product after a recall, especially if information is limited or unavailable.
“Consumers are interested in more transparency and more information,” Sertl said. “Having manufacturers or brands provide more detailed information about specific foods will help avoid ‘category killers,’ as we have seen with spinach and romaine lettuce in the past.”
Despite rising expectations for consumer transparency, many businesses struggle with traceability issues due to outdated, siled, manual processes. In large organizations, sensitive data is often spread across multiple systems. Supply chain, procurement, food safety, and supply chain teams each maintain separate records. Smaller companies face an even bigger gap, relying on paper documents, spreadsheets, and even crayon notes scribbled on boxes.
“If you don’t ‘shake’ the information in a way that everyone can understand, it takes more time to gather that information, whether it’s consumer information or food safety recalls,” she said.
React faster and minimize exposure.
Speed is of the essence when a food recall is announced. The sooner brands identify impactful products, the sooner they can get them off shelves and alert customers. Companies that have adopted GS1 standards are now in a better position to communicate and act with their customers.
“We had a problem with the FDA recently. Using all the FSMA 204 components, we were able to track information in less than two weeks because we had a company ahead of us that was putting everything into sortable spreadsheets,” Sertl said. “In the past, it would take CDC and FDA months to gather that information.”
The GS1 standard contains key information to expedite recall response.
These standards help companies build more resilient supply chains to not only meet regulatory requirements but also improve operational efficiency overall.
“Everyone wants their food to be safe. The more data granularity we can have in real time, the safer our food system will be and the faster we can get products off the shelves when we need them,” Sertl added. “Data segmentation also provides other benefits, such as waste improvement and inventory management, both of which are critical to the bottom line.”
A wake-up call about regulation
Rather than waiting for FMSA 204 to go into effect and rushing to clean up and clean up their data, companies that have adopted GS1 standards are now preparing for a smooth transition even if their product categories fall outside of the regulations.
“There will be retailers asking brands for all product categories for additional record keeping,” Sertl said. “Data quality is important from a brand perspective, and addressing this by implementing GS1 standards, including GTIN, GLN, RFID, and EPICS, ahead of FSMA compliance will help prepare your data for rapid transition.
Traceability is not just about compliance. This is to protect your brand and your customers. Acting now can help you achieve faster recalls, stronger consumer trust, and a competitive advantage in a market where transparency is more important than ever.
