Warning Labels on Hot Dogs?
03-15-2010
By Brian Giannini
It seems that every day some special interest group is pointing to a product that has been around for years and suddenly claiming that it is dangerous. Some are even calling for new regulations to govern ordinary and obvious hazards that all of us have been familiar with since childhood.
And more regulations will surely generate more recalls. You may get hit, even if your products have been around for decades and have never been involved in any kind of recall.
Take, for example, the All American hot dog – a classic food enjoyed for more than a century by children of all ages.
Some may argue that the possibility that a child, or anyone for that matter, might choke on a hot dog unless it is cut up into small pieces is a matter of common sense. But, farfetched as it may seem, the American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) is now calling for warning labels on all hot dog packages. And the baby doctors don’t stop there. They would like to see the old fashioned hot dog “redesigned” for 21st Century safety.
The AAP recommendations don’t just affect hot dogs. The Academy would also like to see similar warning labels on any food that might pose a choking risk and a commitment from food manufacturers to redesign existing foods to minimize that risk.
Can you imagine changing the All American hot dog into a different shape? What would the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile look like? If the AAP gets its way, we may soon find out. And overnight your company may not only have to manage a recall, it might be forced to redesign, rebrand and remarket itself to consumers – a very complicated and costly business proposition.
The FDA plans to review the AAP’s new policy statement. As a food manufacturer you must start looking at your entire product line to see which products might land on that potential choking risk list. In addition to hot dogs, popcorn, grapes and nuts are just a few of the familiar food items that may be targeted for tighter regulation. If someone chokes on a grape, would you be ready to manage the recall?
With increased regulation on the horizon across a variety of industries, it’s now more important than ever for manufacturers of all types to prepare for recall situations that may result from an unpredictable regulation – such as warning labels on hot dogs.
Stericycle ExpertRECALL™ is the industry leader in recall logistics and regulatory compliance for consumer product, pharmaceutical, medical device, juvenile product, and food and beverage recalls. ExpertRECALL’s professionals are experts in recall management who can help you streamline the entire product recall process.
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