Aside from the ongoing Takata recalls for airbags, major recalls in the past two years included the following:
2020A significant trend has been the increase in software defects, an important area for manufacturers and suppliers to focus on as the technology for advanced driver assistance systems and automated vehicles continues to evolve.
[Source: Congressional Research Services, Motor Vehicle Safety: Issues for Congress Updated January 26, 2021]
2021 FDA/USDA Food & Bev Recalls by Category (through April)
In the first four months of 2021, fruits and vegetables, confectionary and dairy were the top three categories for number of recalls. This was closely followed by nuts and snacks, ready-to-eat products and sauces and dips.
Fruits and vegetables and dairy products were recalled primarily for Listeria monocytogenes while confectionary recalls mainly were for undeclared tree nuts.
The majority of the recalls concerning nuts and snack foods were for undeclared milk allergens. Sauces and dips were recalled for undeclared milk and fish allergens and ready-to-eat products for Listeria monocytogenes.
The trend of recalls by category have measured in par with the same categories for 2020; however, there were fewer overall recalls in 2021 for the same time period last year. Thus far in 2021, fruits and vegetables lead the category in number of recalls and has remained a top category for food and beverage recalls overall.
2021 FDA/USDA Food & Bev Recalls by Reason (through April)
For the first four months of 2021, there were a total of 74 FDA and 15 USDA regulated food and beverage recalls, most products nationally distributed. A little more than 76% of all these recalls were attributable to foods misbranded due to undeclared allergens (46%) and adulterated with pathogens (30%). This continues the trend as the top reasons for recalls in this sector over the past couple of years.It is of particular note that the number of recalls declined substantially from the same time period in 2020 (415). In 2021 food and beverage recalls are trending steadily whereas in the same time period in 2020 there was a distinguishable increase in the number of recalls in March and April across most food categories. This lines up with the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown period. In the pathogen category, Salmonella (8) and Listeria monocytogenes (17) were the leading factors for recalls. Milk , tree nuts and products with multi undeclared allergens topped the list in the undeclared allergens category. For USDA recalls, a little over half of the total 15 recalls in the first four months of 2021 were due to lack of proper inspection or import violations. It is still expected that we will see a tightening of regulations and increased food safety measures as the year progresses with the new Biden administration and the continuing decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases.
US president Joe Biden's policy initiatives suggest significant shifts in the automotive industry and operating environment that will be critical for product risk managers to monitor, analyze, and prepare for.
The global rollout of several COVID-19 vaccines is welcome news for individuals and business. The rollout comes amid a dramatic increase in infection rates across North America and the return of lockdowns and stay-at-home orders.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the critical nature of the global food manufacturing industry into clear focus and highlighted the essential role that food and beverage producers play in the maintenance of public health.
Presidential transitions are often catalysts for expansive policy change and, so far, the Biden Administration has demonstrated that it will not be an exception.
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