Recalls

A food recall is action taken by a food business to remove unsafe (or potentially unsafe) food from distribution, sale and consumption. 

Every food business that is a food wholesaler, manufacturer or importer is required to have a recall plan in place. This plan is a written system that ensures the recall of unsafe food.

Common reasons for food recalls are:

• undeclared allergens (for example the product is labelled incorrectly and does not list allergens present in the food)
• microbial contamination (for example, Salmonella, Listeria)
• foreign object contamination (for example, glass, plastic, metal fragments)
• chemical contamination (for example, cleaning agents).

A food recall will include advice to consumers about, for example, why the food is being recalled and how to dispose of the recalled food.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) coordinates food recalls in Australia in collaboration with state and territory food enforcement agencies. The Food Authority is the food enforcement agency for NSW.

Food recalls are normally initiated by the food business that supplies the food.

When a food needs to be recalled, the Food Authority’s Recall Coordinator works with the business, FSANZ and other state and local authorities to prevent the food being distributed and sold.

The Food Authority has the power to order a NSW business to recall a food if the order is necessary to prevent or reduce the possibility of a serious danger to public health or to mitigate the adverse consequences of a serious danger to public health.

It depends. 

We publish food recalls that affect NSW on our website, Facebook page and through email alerts. FSANZ publishes all food recalls in Australia on its website.

Every food business that is a wholesaler, manufacturer or importer is also required to develop their own communication plan for the recall. Some companies may contact you directly if they have your details.

You might see a poster at the local supermarket. Some recalls make the news, others don’t. To stay in the loop, subscribe to food alert email updates.

Recall notices always include the reason for the recall to help you understand the risk. For example, a product contaminated with peanut poses a very high risk to someone with an anaphylactic peanut allergy but may be safe for someone without a peanut allergy.

Either way, it’s recommended you follow the recall instructions to throw away the affected product/s or return them to the place of purchase.

For more information, you can contact the food business using the details provided in the recall.

Food recalls provide as much information as possible to help consumers identify affected product. Carefully check whether the details match your product, such as: 

• brand name
• product name, variety and weight
• date and/or batch markings
• where it was sold.

If unsure, contact the food business using the details in the retail notice.

If you’ve discarded the packaging and can’t verify whether it is the same product, it is safest to assume the product is affected and handle the food as directed in the recall notice.

It is important to follow the recall instructions about whether to seek medical advice.

It is recommended you seek medical advice if you feel unwell or have any health concerns after eating a food product that has been recalled. You should tell the doctor about the recalled product.

Most recalls are issued without any reported illnesses, not because people are already sick. 

Yes – it is a good idea to let them know. If you’re unhappy with the store’s response, you can report it to the Food Authority using the food safety complaint form. 

Food recalls are an important way that food businesses and food regulators manage food safety risks.

Foods recalled annually represent a very small proportion of total products available in the Australian food supply. Most recalls are a precautionary measure by food businesses to ensure potentially unsafe food is removed from distribution and sale. Only a small number are linked to reported cases of illness or injury. 

Food businesses that have recalled products are required to report the corrective actions they took to address the issue/s. This might include staff training, changing handling procedures or product labels, or improved communication or manufacturing processes.

There are 3 types of food recalls:

• A trade recall is when the food has not been available to the public to buy, for example, it has only been sold to other businesses, such as caterers or wholesalers. These are communicated directly to businesses and not the general public.
• A consumer recall is when the food has been available to the public for retail sale.
• An emergency order or mandatory recall is recall action taken by government.

Some products fall into both consumer and trade categories.

A withdrawal is action taken by a business to remove a food product from sale even if there is no public health and safety issue. It is usually because the product has a quality defect or labelling irregularity that is not a public health risk.

Food may also be withdrawn as a precaution, pending further investigation of a potential public health risk. If a public health risk is established, then the food must be recalled. 

Withdrawals do not need to be notified to authorities.

An overseas recall doesn't always mean the Australian version is unsafe. Products sold here may be manufactured in different facilities. To determine if a local product is affected by an overseas recall, check the list of current recalls.

You can also ask the food business using their contact details on the packaging.

All food manufacturers, importers and wholesale suppliers must have a written food recall plan in place to ensure unsafe food can be quickly removed from the food supply chain. This is a requirement under Standard 3.2.2 - Food Safety Practices and General Requirements. The plan should specify the procedures, staff responsibilities and records needed as part of the business's recall system.

FSANZ's simple Food Recall Plan Template can help develop one. This template should be used alongside the Food Industry Recall Protocol, which provides more detailed guidance. 

For more information on business obligations, see the FSANZ website:

• How to recall food
• Food recall FAQs for food businesses

If you are considering a possible recall of food produced or distributed by your business, you should contact the Food Authority’s Investigation and Recall Coordinator on 1300 552 406.

For details of recent consumer level food recalls, see:

• NSW food recalls
• Australia-wide food recalls.