Produce companies plan and prepare for a plethora of events: supply shortages, fires, theft, input cost increases, regulatory changes, marketing events and recalls. Yes, recalls. Produce companies have recognized that regardless of the actual chance of a recall, it is better to plan, prepare and protect.Amy Philpott

A written recall plan is a must. Aside from the near-certainty that it will be required by law in the not-too-distant future, it makes good business sense.

Companies have written plans to cover many of their activities, such as business, marketing and production, so that there is a documented internal agreement on the actions that should be taken. The content of those plans can be easily communicated to others who need to know and the various plan elements can be tracked. A written recall plan serves the same purposes.

Not every scenario can be planned for, but the plan will develop a response structure that can be used to handle any incident. It isn’t good enough to “have it all in your head.” First, there are simply too many things that need to be done simultaneously during a recall to expect that you can remember everything, especially when under immense pressure. Second, it takes more than one person to handle a recall effectively and efficiently, so the exact same mental plan would need to be in the heads of at least half a dozen people; and that is highly improbable. Don’t risk it. Write it down.

The written plan should include who will do what, when and why. The most common mistake is assigning too many tasks to one person.

Recalls, by their nature, focus in the areas of quality assurance, food safety and communications. So employees with responsibilities in those areas are often casually tasked with the vast majority of the critical activities, and that just isn’t reasonable.

It is easy to say that one person will be the FDA liaison, submit the Reportable Food Registry report, lead the traceability investigation and answer customers’ food-safety questions.

It isn’t until each task is written down in detail that it becomes clear: One person simply won’t be able to do it all simultaneously and on short notice.

The written recall plan should also include details about how key tasks will be completed. This is one area that can trip up even the best of companies.

It isn’t enough to include “set up consumer call center” or “inform customers” in your plan. Determine exactly how phone calls from customers, consumers, media and others will be routed. Many times this requires that the phone company or an IT department reroute phone lines.

How will the information needed by insurance companies be collected, compiled and submitted? Be specific about how customers will be notified — by phone, e-mail or a combination thereof? How exactly will the recalled product be handled? Will social media responses have to be cleared by management or legal counsel? The more details that are addressed in the plan, the fewer surprises.

If the recall plan has been developed internally, it is worth having a professional outside the company provide an objective review. For relatively little money, you’ll sleep better knowing your plan is thorough and complies with current regulations.

Planning alone makes up only 60 percent of the goal of protecting the company, its products and its future. The more time that passes since the plan was written, the less relevant it will be, unless it is pressure-tested annually.

At least once every 12-16 months, a company should conduct a recall simulation. A simulation tests actual operational and communication processes laid out in the plan. Company employees from the receptionist to upper management should be involved.

And while the intensity of an actual recall cannot be mimicked, the sense of urgency can, and a company’s ability to respond quickly, accurately and thoroughly should be tested. A simulation will take the better part of a day, but this is very little compared to the amount of time and money that you will save if the plan is ever actually needed.

Planning and preparing improve a company’s risk-management capabilities and therefore its ability to protect its future. Write a plan, be prepared to use it, and protect the company’s name, brand, reputation and future. And don’t delay. Plan, prepare and protect. Get started today.

(Amy Philpott is an accredited public relations professional and the senior director at Watson Green LLC, a public communications firm in Washington, DC, specializing in issue management and risk communications in the life sciences realm. She assists companies and organizations in the fresh produce, nut and processed foods industries with crisis and recall communications. She develops and evaluates crisis management plans, recall plans and media relations strategies. She will be speaking May 15 and moderating a panel May 16 at the United Fresh convention in San Diego.)