Anatomy of a recall

Pet foods on the market that are contaminated or otherwise present a health risk to humans or animals may be subject to a recall under US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations. Legally, all recalls are "voluntary," but there is little incentive for companies to refuse a request by FDA to conduct a recall. While the firm does the bulk of the work, FDA oversees all aspects of a recall to help ensure that violative product is swiftly removed from the market. A recent new federal law will require FDA to improve its abilities to detect outbreaks of pet food-borne illness, respond to a contamination incident, and communicate with industry and the public on the matter of recalls. Veterinarians play a key role in detecting and reporting pet food-borne illness.