Scary Foodborne Illness Facts (Infographic)

 Food-borne illness: Prelude to a recall

Even after working 14 years in the Product Liability Insurance industry, I was shocked at by the facts in “Product Recall and Traceability.”  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 48 million cases of food-borne illnesses result in 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths every year.

[sc:InfoGraphic imagealt=”Foodborne illness” imageurl=”https://products-liability-insurance.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Food-Borne-Illness.jpeg” imagewidth=”400″ imageheight=”1210″ permalink=”https://products-liability-insurance.com/scary-foodborne-illness-facts/” infographictitle=”Food poisoning” ]

The cost to those in the food industry

We found the facts below interesting and think members of the food industry will, too.

• Investigations on the state level resolved causes of only 30% of the food-borne illnesses.
• Excluding brand damage and lost sales, recall costs average $10 million.
• Only 42% of the businesses surveyed can execute a recall in hours.  The other 52% require days or even weeks to institute a proper recall.
• The cost of food poisoning in the U.S. comes to about $14 billion each year.
• Statistics from a study by the Journal of Food Protection state that the U.S. population is becoming more susceptible to food-borne illnesses.

Minimizing the risks

I realize that it is unrealistic to expect all start-up and small food companies to carry product recall insurance. However, it’s imperative that food companies have a product recall program in place. And it must be quickly implemented when it becomes apparent there is a problem.

Maybe developing your own product recall program sounds overwhelming. If so, check out Chapter 7: Recall Procedures in the FDA’s Regulatory Procedures Manual.

Of course, you can always give us a call at 800-622-7370 if you have questions or would like a quote.