GS1 Australia and AFGC launch National Recall Portal
MEDIA RELEASE
11 August 2011
Sydney, Australia –GS1 Australia, AFGC and ECRA today launched a national product recall service to remove potentially harmful grocery, food, liquor and other products from the supply chain.
The service, GS1 Recallnet, was launched in Sydney by Catherine King, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health, with Maria Palazzolo, CEO of GS1 Australia and Kate Carnell, CEO of the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC). Coles, Woolworths, Metcash and Costco as well as Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) have registered with the service and are ready to receive notifications.
Ms Palazzolo said by extending existing GS1 Australia services to offer industry additional functionality to manage product recalls and withdrawals, the organisation was building consumer safety into the supply chain.
AFGC Chief Executive Kate Carnell welcomed the initiative today, saying innovations such as Recallnet would enable Australian food and grocery manufacturers to stay on the forefront of global best practice.
“Product recalls pose a significant challenge to Australian manufacturers and this portal will enable them to manage recall notifications easily, ensuring the food safety of all Australians.”
“Australia's food and grocery industry has an excellent food safety record and Recallnet provides a world class tool for manufacturers to ensure we maintain this record,” said Ms Carnell.
GS1 Australia has worked with the AFGC, ECRA, the Liquor Merchants' Association (LMAA) and Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), the Food Service Association of Australia (FSAA) and leading Australian retailers and manufacturers to establish GS1 Recallnet, initially to be used by the Australian grocery and liquor sector.
With GS1 Recallnet, companies are able to:
- Manage recall and withdrawal notifications online, safely and securely
- Follow an easy and intuitive workflow that makes the process of issuing notifications simpler
- Reach customers across Australia instantly and without duplication of effort
- Communicate with FSANZ
- Receive immediate feedback from customers on the progress of the recall or withdrawal
- Easily capture the data needed to complete progress reports to regulators
- Significantly reduce risk in the event of a recall
- Lower their risk profile with insurers and lower insurance costs
- Contribute to the improved wellbeing of all Australians
Food and consumer products organisations can use the service to reduce errors, decrease the amount of time it takes to respond to a recall and mitigate the costs associated with managing the recall process.
“Global supply chain standards are foundational to effective product recall. GS1 global standards are used by millions of companies around the world to enhance the safety, security and efficiency of their supply chains. Tracking of products through the supply chain into the hands of consumers has been identified by the ACCC as fundamental to improving recall effectiveness and the use of GS1 Recallnet and GS1 Standards provides industry with this ability,” Ms Palazzolo said.
Background
About GS1 and GS1 Australia
GS1 is a leading global not-for-profit organisation dedicated to global standards and solutions that improve the efficiency and visibility of supply and demand chains. The GS1 System is the most widely used supply chain standards system in the world. GS1 Australia is the Australian member of the global GS1 organisation, enabling its more than 16,000 members – businesses of all sizes from 22 sectors across Australia – to enhance their efficiency and cost effectiveness by adopting electronic supply chain best practices.
About AFGC
The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) is Australia’s peak national industry association, representing the $102 billion food, beverage and grocery manufacturing industry. As Australia’s largest manufacturing sector – four times larger than the automotive parts sector – the food and grocery manufacturing industry is a vital contributor to the wealth and health of our nation. The industry’s products are in more than 24 million meals, consumed by 22 million Australians every day, every week and every year. AFGC’s aim is for the Australian food, beverage and grocery manufacturing industry to be world-class, sustainable, socially-responsible and competing profitably domestically and overseas. AFGC represents one of the few manufacturing sectors that continues to grow and has significant potential for even further growth into the future.
For more information, visit www.afgc.org.au
For further information and interviews, please contact Tina Manolitsas at GS1 Australia on 1300 BARCODE (1300 2227 263) and Brad Watts at the AFGC on (02) 6270 9021 or 0437 379 818
