• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, December 5, 2008

During the past two years, the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued nearly 500 food safety alerts.

Furthermore, a recent consumer survey conducted for Deloitte LLP, "Food and Product Safety and Its Effects on Consumer Buying Habits," found that 58% of respondents who had heard about product safety and/or quality problems changed their buying habits. Consumers turn away from such products for more than nine months, on average, increasing the likelihood that they will discontinue the use of the product or brand entirely.

"Consumers are becoming less tolerant of recalls, with more than 50% changing their product choices," said Deloitte vice chairman and consumer products practice leader Pat Conroy. "As these consumers continue to buy different products, product manufacturers can expect lower sales and run the risk of damage to their brands."

So how well-prepared are consumer product goods companies when it comes to product recall response time? Better than many consumers might assume, it turns out.

According to new research conducted by Consumer Goods Technology magazine with TraceGains, a product traceability system supplier, 24% of CPGs can currently trace and track a product and issue a 100%-correct recall alert within six to 24 hours, 20% can respond within one and six hours, 12% within one to two days, and 8% within a single hour.

However, for another 20%, the response time is between two and five days. Four percent would take five to 10 days, and 12% would take longer than 10 days.

CPGs reported having specific goals for further recall response improvement: a quarter cited getting more information about raw materials from upstream suppliers, and another 25% cited automating the collection of such data.

More than 50% of companies surveyed have an executive with a vice president or higher title in charge of product traceability.

Meanwhile, a new Web site developed by food marketing veteran Susan Reef, CEO of US Food Safety Corp., claims to be the first to provide consumers with the latest food safety alerts and recalls.

Consumers can get food product alerts delivered by email by signing up for free membership in USFoodSafety.com. The service also says it will deliver unbiased articles on food safety issues and advice on safe food handling from academics who are experts in the field.

"Consumers have to become their own food safety advocates by actively searching for recalls and alerts," said Reef.