Milk Recall
What would happen if there was a recall on contaminated milk? What does the retailer do? What
decisions need to be made? What steps are needed to resolve this issue?
Milk Recall
There is increasing product recalls recently. Companies should establish measures to
manage and reduce the recall risks effectively. The process should be managed as efficiently and
quickly as possible. In case of contaminated milk, a producer should put recall process into
action immediately after assessing the possible contamination threat. The management should
conclusively establish the reasons for the recall, and the FDA must also receive all milk-related
details such as the producer name. The company should also provide details of the contamination
and how it affects the safety of the milk. The date of the recall issue should also be determined
and the volume of the milk that was produced. The producer must also submit additional
information to the FDA such as the distribution and quantity dates and the amount of milk that is
held due to the recall process (Eilert, Jayachandran, Kalaignanam & Swartz, 2017).
Retailer
The retailer must stop any distribution process of the milk and provide the direct accounts
to FDA in order to retrieve all milk from consumers and facilities. A retailer should strategically
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evaluate the complaints from consumers and test the milk circulating in the market. The retailer
should also prepare for recall in order to avoid legal actions and ensure consumer safety. The
retailer should report about potential contamination and fast track the milk if it warranties a
recall. The retailer should select the right social media to communicate the contamination threat
to consumers of the milk. The retailer should establish a recall management team and ensure the
trust of consumers is maintained during the recall process. The communication process
developed by the retailer should be transparent, consistent and responsive in order to enhance the
chances of developing and sustaining higher levels of consumer satisfaction. The retailer should
discover the problem, establish recall process and follow-up actions to ensure consumer safety is
enhanced and protect the company image. Proper communication channels should be established
such as letters, messages and closed-circuit media to warn consumers about possible milk
contamination threat (Eilert et al., 2017).
Steps of Recall Process
If the retailer does not have an established recall plan, it should be established at this
point. This is because a recall plan is an essential component of the efficient recall management
system. The retailer must map the recall process to direct the producer through all steps of the
recall process as well as describe the notifications to the consumers (Lougheed & Hird, 2017).
Besides, the retailer should submit a report stating precisely the information communicated to
consumers of the milk. The recall process should have the following steps:
Establishment of an efficient recall management system and team to determine the
seriousness of the possible milk contamination
Establishing the type and scale of recall that should be conducted
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Building a recall plan and developing commitment process.
Establishing communication media or channel for effective communication to customers
and producers of the milk
Mapping the recall process to producers and consumers
Evaluating the cause of contamination and adjusting milk offers such as replacement and
product reintroduction through different branding and packaging strategies
Rectifying production flows that led to milk contamination
Effectively and quickly communicating to stakeholders about the problem and its
possible impact on the company performance
Deciding message and selecting the right media for communicating the recall process
Reporting and announcing recall process to all stakeholders
Tracking and tracing milk
Developing a recall management information systems and logistics
In summary, the retailer should strategically plan and effectively execute the recall
process. This will protect the retailer’s image and reputation. Besides, consumers’ safety will be
enhanced through effective recall management system and logistics.
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References
Eilert, M., Jayachandran, S., Kalaignanam, K., & Swartz, T. A. (2017). Does it pay to recall your
product early? An empirical investigation in the automobile industry. Journal of
Marketing, 81(3), 111-129.
Lougheed, S. C., & Hird, M. J. (2017). Food security and secure food in the
Anthropocene. Crime, Law and Social Change, 68(5), 499-514.
