The Software as a Service (SaaS) provider of traceability, food safety and supply chain transparency, polled more than 2,000 people.
It found 12% said an acceptable amount of time to address the situation was one week, 14% said a month and 19% said three to five days.
Participants who identified as “generally eating just about anything” placed similar value in the importance of speed with regard to recalls as respondents who care about food quality with 45% still expecting the response rate to be one to two days.
Return of the consumer?
If a brand/restaurant that consumers like experiences a recall leading to illness, nearly 25% of respondents said they would never use the brand or visit the restaurant again.
A total of 35% of respondents said they would avoid the company for a few months and only maybe return after the issue has been fully resolved.
However, 27% replied they would return as soon as the issue was resolved and 15% said they would switch to a competitor.
Of the respondents who identified themselves as “caring deeply about the quality of food that I eat,” 44% said if a brand or restaurant they liked experienced a recall or contamination leading to consumer sickness – they would avoid it for a few months and only maybe return once the problem is resolved, while nearly 20% said that they would never use the brand/or visit the restaurant again.
Dean Wiltse, CEO of FoodLogiQ, said consumers are demanding more transparency and stronger traceability from industry.
“As a result, we’re seeing increased regulation and compliance standards – with the expectation being that food companies should be held accountable for any potential recall or foodborne illness – and that the consuming public are made aware of these issues as quickly as possible,” he said.
“It is only with strong end-to-end traceability within the supply chain that allows companies to provide this level of transparency, ensuring that their customers and brand image remain intact.”
The survey also found 54% of respondents want as much information as possible on the label, and nearly 40% want country of origin, allergens and GMOs identified.
Recall management tool
The firm has also launched a real-time, SaaS tool for recall and stock withdrawal management called Recall + Response.
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Gina Kramer, executive director at Savour Food Safety International and president at Savor Safe Food, said companies are under pressure to address recalls quicker and more efficiently.
“FoodLogiQ’s new product Recall + Response is going to revolutionize the way food companies handle recalls. There really is nothing like it on the market today.”
The system launches automated communications including phone, email and text notifications developed using pre-built templates in the platform.
FoodLogiQ said by preparing and documenting the recall plan in advance, companies can ensure speed of delivery and consistency of notifications to supply chain partners when a recall happens.
Once the recall or stock withdrawal is launched, companies monitor the platform’s dashboard to track the responses gathered and actions taken.
Wiltse said: "With our traceability and recall technology, food companies can confidently make decisions, protect their brand while documenting and recording every step of the process to demonstrate to regulators - and their Board of Directors - their precise and timely handling of the issue.”
Recall + Response enables users to launch a mock recall to test the supply chain’s readiness, build in automatic escalation if no action is taken by a particular location or contact within a customized timeframe and track the status and progress of a recall or stock withdrawal to know the issue has been resolved.