How Technology Could Change The Way Food Recalls Are Done
An April 2019 statement issued by the FDA announcing a "new era of smarter food safety" discussed technological advances to safeguard food and keep the public better informed of food recalls. One tool is the GenomeTrakr Network, which assists in foodborne outbreak investigations. The FDA also examined the idea of using digital technologies to more quickly trace an outbreak to its source, employing sensors and artificial intelligence to improve food safety at each link in the supply chain. Traceability is key because it can indicate the "scope and scale of the recall effort required," according to Forbes, and the average product recall delivers a major financial hit to the company involved.
The FDA is also exploring how to more effectively communicate with consumers about recalled products, whether through social media, email, text alerts, or the aforementioned QR codes, per MSN. Some grocery stores like Costco use information gathered from membership or loyalty programs to immediately call or text shoppers about a food recall.
The FDA has said that bolstering food safety and mitigating the risk of contamination will require a combination of technological innovation and collaborative effort among federal, state, and local partners throughout the food supply chain to share tracking information more efficiently.
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