The undersigned consumer and food safety groups appreciate the opportunity to comment on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s draft guidance titled Public Availability of Lists of Retail Consignees to Effectuate Certain Human and Animal Food Recalls. The draft guidance is an important step forward, ushering in a policy change that will provide consumers with key information needed to protect themselves and their families from serious health risks.
However, the draft guidance falls short by focusing on too narrow a range of foods and failing to clearly identify the sets of circumstances under which retail consignee lists will be made available during recalls, particularly for packaged foods and foods sold in restaurants. We urge the FDA to commit to publishing a list of retail consignees for any recall that triggers a public warning, and to advise that such a list be included in all public warnings drafted by industry. The final version of the guidance should also establish criteria for publishing the names of restaurants covered in recalls.
For the full comments, click here.