The modern food industry is a marvel of global coordination. Ingredients are grown on one continent, processed on another, packaged in a third, and sold everywhere. When something goes wrong, however, the cracks show quickly. The system that brought the product to market often isn’t equipped to take it off.
We’ve built a global food system, but we never built a global recall process to go with it.
It’s not just a technical problem. It’s a fundamental gap in how we think about food safety. Companies invest enormous resources into getting products onto shelves. They engineer global sourcing strategies, optimize logistics, and fine-tune forecasting models. Yet when it comes to building a process for getting that same product off the shelf in a crisis, the effort rarely matches the complexity of the challenge. In many cases, the recall plan gets less attention than the packaging.
Ask ten companies how they manage recalls, and you’ll get ten different answers. Each is working from its own playbook. Most assume their process is “good enough.” Meanwhile, recalls drag on. Critical data is hampered by disconnected systems. Action is stalled by unclear communication. Consumers are left vulnerable as delays compound and missteps stack up.
This isn’t hypothetical. Recalls frequently take weeks to resolve across borders. Alerts are sent to the wrong partners—or not sent at all. Companies struggle to retrieve accurate product data, coordinate across departments, or even agree internally on when to initiate the process. The more complex and international the supply chain, the more dangerous the confusion becomes.
The root problem is perspective. Everyone sees a recall through their own lens. A supplier thinks it’s about notifying a buyer. A retailer thinks it’s about shelf removal. A regulator thinks it’s about reporting compliance. In truth, a recall is all of those things—executed quickly, clearly, and in coordination. That doesn’t happen on its own.
Technology helps, but technology isn’t the solution if every company is using it differently. The solution lies in collaboration: shared data standards, aligned processes, and practice that builds trust before a crisis.
I’ve put a lot of time into developing the vision behind Recall Ready Communities because I truly believe this is the pathway to a global recall process that works. Recall Ready Communities are built on the idea that we can create a shared foundation—clear processes, consistent data, and regular practice—that helps everyone in the supply chain respond faster and more effectively, no matter where they operate.
If we want a safer and more resilient food system, we can’t keep treating recalls as isolated, one-off events or someone else’s responsibility. A global supply chain requires a global response mindset. Alignment around that idea will protect consumers, brands, and the integrity of the food system itself.
