When a recall hits, there’s no time to guess. That’s why mock recalls are a business-critical practice that prepares your team to respond with clarity, speed, and control when it matters most.

But here’s the challenge: many mock recalls don’t reflect what a real recall actually looks like. They focus on product lookup and paperwork, not coordination, communication, or decision-making under pressure. If your team isn’t practicing the right way, you’re not really getting ready.

This guide walks you through how to do a mock recall that prepares your business—not just your binder—for a real-world event.

What Is a Mock Recall?

A mock recall is a test of your product recall process. Done right, it simulates what an actual recall looks like, and evaluates your ability to trace affected product, execute decisions, communicate with stakeholders, and document actions.

Manufacturers run mock recalls to:

• Practice decision-making processes based on available information
• Clarify roles and responsibilities
• Validate data systems and traceability
• Identify gaps in communication or execution
• Ensure fulfillment of regulatory and customer requirements
• Reduce risk and exposure by improving response time and accuracy

If your mock recall stops after finding a lot number, quantity and location, you’re missing the point.

How to Do a Mock Recall: A Step-by-Step Approach

1. Set a Realistic Scenario
Start by selecting a product and creating a plausible reason for the recall. It might be a labeling error, allergen contamination, temperature abuse, a recent supply chain risk or a supplier quality issue. The scenario should be specific enough to test your traceability and communication, but not too complex to become unmanageable, at least at first.

Example: “A consumer reports an undeclared allergen in Product X, produced on March 7 with Lot code #301. QA suspects a label mix-up during second shift.”

2. Notify the Team Like It’s Real
No email with “Mock Recall” in the subject line. Simulate how your team would find out. That might mean a phone call from QA, a flagged report from customer service, or a compliance alert from a retailer. Treat this like a real-time event.

Once the issue is raised, prompt the recall team to make the same decisions they would in a real scenario: Does this trigger our threshold to assemble the full team? Should we begin drafting notifications? The goal isn’t just to see how fast people respond—it’s to evaluate how they think under pressure.

3. Identify the Scope and Draft the Communication
Based on the data, define the boundaries of the recall. What lots are affected? Are additional SKUs at risk?  What process step/records/documentation defines the scope

Then, create your internal messaging and external notifications. Tailor them for different audiences:

• Trading partners: what product to pull, from where, and how to confirm action
• Consumers: what to do if they’ve purchased the product
• Regulators: what happened, what action you’re taking, and when
• Internal teams: clear updates so everyone stays aligned on progress and next actions

Use your templates, but test whether they actually match the situation and have the desired outcome.

4. Trace the Product Through Your System
Use your actual data systems—SAP, ERP or static spreadsheets, whatever is currently in place, to indicate where product is located. Locate the affected product by lot, batch, or production run. Identify where it went: which customers, distributors, retailers, off-site storage, etc.. Pull the shipping logs, lot codes, and customer contact information. If this takes more than 60 minutes, you’ve found your first improvement area.

5. Notify Select Internal and External Customers
A recall simulation has to include at least some external trading partners to give you visibility to how an actual recall would play out.  Is your contact information current and correct?  Does your message result in action or confusion?  Does manual sending of notifications or tabulating responses slow down the process, generate errors, and reduce overall effectiveness? 

6. Track the Recall Process
Simulate product recovery and verification. How many units were located? How did you confirm they were pulled? How do you know the message was received?

Use your tracking system or dashboard to log actions. If you don’t have one, this is a good time to evaluate recall software.

7. Review Roles and Team Response
Did your recall team know what to do? Who made the decision to recall? Who gathered the product data? Who notified partners? Who is communicating with legal, media, and regulators?

If you had to stop and ask those questions, the plan needs more clarity. Include a responsibility checklist and test every person’s role.

8. Document the Mock Recall
Record what happened: timeline, decisions made, who did what, and what was recovered. This isn’t just for compliance—it’s how you evaluate and improve.

Include:

• Recall scenario and scope
• Time to locate product
• Communication materials
• Contact logs
• Stakeholder response 
• System or process gaps

8. Conduct a Post-Mortem
Hold a debrief with your recall team. What worked? What slowed you down? Were there miscommunications? Did you need information that wasn’t easily accessible?

Be honest. This is the moment to fix the cracks in the system before they become liabilities.

9. Update the Plan
The final step is the most important. Use what you learned to revise your recall plan. Update team roles, communication templates, escalation steps, and data procedures. Then schedule the next mock recall—because readiness isn’t a one-time event.

Pro Tips for Manufacturers Running Mock Recalls

• Involve Trading Partners: Your recall doesn’t stop at your dock. Test partner communication and response.
  
  
• Rotate Scenarios: Don’t always choose easy ones. Use different causes and products.
  
  
• Measure Time and Outcomes: Know how long each step takes. Time to trace. Time to notify. Time to document.
  
  
• Test Communication: Don’t assume contact info is current. Practice delivering actual notifications.

A Real Recall Is No Time for a Rehearsal

You don’t want your first real recall to be the first time your team tests the process. Mock recalls expose blind spots and build confidence—so when the real thing happens, your team doesn’t hesitate.

But a good mock recall is only as strong as the plan it’s testing. Download the Recall InfoLink 9-Step Recall Action Plan to get started—or schedule a consultation with our experts to walk through your current plan and build a smarter one.

‍