United Fresh expands Recall Ready Program offerings

United Fresh is proud to announce the expansion of its Recall Ready Program services with the addition of new training and education opportunities that leverage the expertise of the food industry's leading professionals in food safety, legal and regulatory counsel and crisis communication. The Recall Ready Risk Management Webinar and Recall Ready Training Workshops launched today are in addition to the innovative services announced at the United Fresh 2013 convention, all of which are designed to help produce industry companies prepare for and respond to virtually any recall event.

Announced today, the Recall Ready Webinar, “Managing Risk for Contamination and Recall Events,” will provide a roadmap to safeguarding companies against catastrophic losses associated with recalls, contamination/adulteration, mislabeling and other scenarios. The July 10 session will feature expert speakers Dr. David Gombas, senior vice president of food safety and technology, United Fresh; Jonathan Cohen, Partner, Gilbert LLP; and Michael Lieberman, Capital Risk Concepts; discussing the intricacies of varying insurance policies and endorsement options for government recalls and third-party indemnity.

Also announced today, United will conduct two hands-on Recall Ready Training Workshops to cover the essential elements a business needs to manage a recall. The two-day sessions, offered September 18-19 in Monterey and November 6-7 in Philadelphia, will help attendees prepare for a recall situation by teaching the fundamentals of a recall, including the rights and responsibilities of the operation and how to work with the FDA, as well as strategies for limiting liability and managing customer expectations.

“For minimizing the impact of a recall on your business, there’s nothing more important than having a plan and making sure your team is prepared to execute that recall plan,” said Dr. David Gombas, senior vice president of food safety and technology.

The Recall Ready Program, which was launched at United Fresh 2013, is a partnership between United Fresh and the legal and communications experts at OFW Law and Watson Green, who are counted among the food industry’s leading crisis counseling firms. Companies can choose program service options that include a recall plan review, creation of a custom recall plan, and mock recall training. These program plans, with fees ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, help produce companies prepare for recalls and to learn how to deal with the surprises that can often arise during recalls.

United's Rapid Recall Response Team is available to companies who have completed a review or development of a recall plan, with on-call assistance from United and other experts from the first moments of a recall crisis. The plan offers a 24/7 recall hotline and 8 hours total consultation from United and Watson Green and includes discounts on legal and communications services, if needed, beyond the initial consultation period.

“This suite of services offers options for all different types and sizes of operations throughout the produce supply chain to prepare themselves for the possibility of a recall,” said Ray Gilmer, United Fresh vice president of issues management & communication. “The webinar and workshops announced today, as well as the other Recall Ready programs, ensure that a company’s entire staff can work together effectively and efficiently should a recall event occur.”

For more information:
Shelby Rajkovich
United Fresh
Tel: +1 202 303 3400 ext. 417
srajkovich@unitedfresh.org