Food recalls and withdrawals

With the aim of protecting public health and preserving the reputation and credibility of our Companies, we do not hesitate in removing products that may pose a threat to consumers and society. Continuous monitoring, communication with the official health authorities, and the traceability of products and suppliers enable a fast and effective prevention of and/or reaction to any incidents.

There are two types of food product removal, which address specific risks to the health and safety of consumers: recall¹ (removal from sale of products with potential health risks) and withdrawal² (removal from sale of products that do not pose a health risk). In both cases, internal investigations are carried out and, if necessary, at suppliers, to identify the causes and implement the appropriate corrective measures for prevention.

The severity of the risks to consumer health and safety are classified as:

• Level I – critical (recall): aspects that may affect food safety and public health;
• Level II – food safety and quality (withdrawal): aspects that may affect the consumer experience and food safety of the product;
• Level III – labelling (withdrawal): aspects related to legal labelling requirements.

In 2023, 290 incidents that led to food products being withdrawn from sale were registered, 20.5% less than in 2022. The vast majority of these (97.9%) were Level II and Level III, with only 2.1% recalls (critical, Level I). In the latter case, there is a 53.8% decrease compared to 2022, a year in which there had already been a 55.2% decrease compared to 2021 (from 29 incidents in 2021 to 13 in 2022).

The control and monitoring of suppliers and products, including the implementation of action plans, maintenance and packaging changes, are measures we take to prevent non-conformities and thus the need for withdrawals/recalls. Corrective actions are monitored to minimise the risk to consumers’ health and to enable the marketing of products to be resumed.

¹ Recall: a mandatory action taken by the Group Companies in response to inspections carried out by local authorities, the results of laboratory analyses or internal audits, or complaints/reports (from producers, retailers, government agencies, or consumers). Notices are published using the appropriate medium for consumers to return or destroy the product concerned.

² Withdrawal: a voluntary or mandatory action that can be taken on two occasions based on the risk analysis of the Companies or inspection by a local authority: (a) when quality defects (e.g., colour or texture), weight defects or irregularities are detected in the labelling (which does not pose a potential risk to the health or safety of consumers); or (b) as a precaution pending investigation into a potential risk to health and safety. If a credible risk is identified, the product is removed from sale and it is categorised as a recall.