Will 2011 be the year that defines Global Standards for Product Recall?

Product Recall has become increasingly important for the global business community. There is a critical need for both improved collaboration and a standardized methodology across industry to address the growing incidence and impact of product recalls.

High-profile recalls of meats, tomatoes, peanuts, pet food and children’s toys point to the challenges associated with the lack of standardized traceability and recall processes, including:

* Creeping Discovery:  scope of recall is increasingly broadened over time
* Sub-optimal notification processes
* Inaccurate and incomplete announcements
* Inability to identify changes & extensions to recalls
* Failure to validate product removal from the supply chain or store shelf
* Lack of an audit trail

The impact of product recalls and the challenges being faced include:

* Loss of life
* Weakening industry trust
* Corporate and brand reputation
* Competitiveness
* Consumer confidence

There is a way forward using global standards. Significant progress has been made by industry since 2008 in the development of the first process standard for product recall. Leveraging from the GS1 Global Traceability Standard (GTS), the product recall business requirements document and supporting data attribute model will be released for public review in March 2011. After comments are received, GS1 will define the technical aspects of the new standard plus linkages and interoperability with existing GS1 standards to ensure completeness. Full ratification is expected in 2011.

When GS1 engaged with industry back in 2008, there was a strong requirement to work in parallel on expediting the development and deployment of a product recall messaging platform. Industry defined that this recall platform should be based on GS1 standards, have all relevant GS1 product identification keys such as the GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) integrated and aid in the effective communication of the recall message between trading parties. This online messaging platform, which is hosted by GS1, went live in the USA and Canada in 2009 and has proven its value many times over. Industry is using the platforms today to reduce the time to complete a recall while improving the accuracy and overall effectiveness.

Around the globe, GS1 Australia is working with industry and government and will implement a similar GS1 standards based recall messaging platform in the summer of 2011.  More than 20 GS1 country organizations are at various stages in evaluating their local requirements within the industry.

2011 will be an exciting year for global standards and should be noted as the year when industry defined and agreed on global standards for product recall.