Appalachian District Health Department

Policy and Procedure Policy Name Environmental Health Policy Topic Food Recall Procedure

Section 700

Approved Date: 11-01-10

Chapter 718

Revision Date: 1-15-13

PURPOSE: The Food and Lodging Branch of the Environmental Health Section of the Appalachian District Health Department frequently receives notice of food product recalls from the Food Protection Branch of the Division of Public Health. These recalls involve both foods for retail sale and food supplied to regulated facilities for preparation and sale which may have been adulterated, contaminated or tainted with biological, physical or chemical agents which could pose health risks to consumers. In order to protect the health and safety of the public we serve, it is necessary for the Environmental Health Section of the Appalachian District Health Department to respond to these recalls whenever food or food products associated with a recall may have been delivered to establishments, food service facilities and businesses located within our district. POLICY: It shall be the policy of the Food and Lodging Branch of the Appalachian District Health Department to contact any facilities which may have received food or food products that have been implicated in a food product recall at the direction of the Division of Public Health or Health Director. In the case of retail foods, this contact may be by telephone unless actual site visits are deemed necessary by the Division of Public Health or Health Director. In the case of permitted food service facilities, a site visit by a Food and Lodging Branch staff member will be made (at the direction of the Division of Public Health or the Health Director). In larger recall operations, all Environmental Health staff members may be called upon to visit facilities in association with the recall(s). PROCEDURE: (1) Food product recall notifications are normally received by the Appalachian District Health Department from the Food Protection Branch via e-mail on the Environmental Health List Serve network. In the instance of a large recall with immediate public health implications, notice may be by phone. Upon receiving a recall notice, the Health Director, Environmental Health Supervisor, Food and Lodging Branch Program Specialist and the Epi Team will be notified. (2) The Food and Lodging Branch Program Specialist will coordinate with the Environmental Health Supervisor to set up a mobilization plan for contacting the affected facilities. Environmental Health staff will be informed of the plan and told how to contact the affected establishments, facilities and businesses. In the case of retail food, this contact may be by telephone (unless otherwise directed by the Environmental Health Supervisor or Health Director). If permitted/inspected facilities and establishments are affected by the recall, a site visit shall be made (unless the scope and size of the recall makes site visits impractical and phone 1|Environmental Health – Food Recall Procedure

Appalachian District Health Department

Policy and Procedure Policy Name Environmental Health Policy Topic Food Recall Procedure

Section 700

Approved Date: 11-01-10

Chapter 718

Revision Date: 1-15-13

notification will then be used). Office staff will be given information that can be given out to the public that may contact the health department seeking information. Note: Any prepared statements to be disseminated to the public shall be approved by the Health Director, Environmental Health Supervisor, Food and Lodging Branch Program Specialist and the Public Information Officer before being released. Staff shall not speak with the press without direct approval from the Environmental Health Supervisor, Health Director and Public Information Officer. (3) Environmental Health staff will document any recalled products that are present in an establishment, facility or business they visit. The staff member shall inform the operator of the facility that the food has been recalled and cannot be served. The staff member must document each visit, whether or not any recalled product was found and what was discussed with the facility owner/manager during each visit. The Food and Lodging Branch will work with Regional Environmental Health Specialists as to how to handle returning recalled food to the production company or destroying the food. All food destroyed must be documented on an approved product disposition form. (4) If any recalled food is found at a retail food sales facility, the Food and Drug Branch or the Meat and Poultry Branch of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture shall be contacted.

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