Order Code RL34167
The FDA’s Authority to Recall Products
September 11, 2007
Vanessa K. Burrows
Legislative Attorney
American Law Division

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The FDA’s Authority to Recall Products
Summary
Over the past few months, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has fielded
increasing numbers of questions regarding recalls of unsafe food imports, including
pet food and toothpaste. Additionally, several domestic food products, from peanut
butter contaminated with Salmonella to spinach linked to E. coli 0157:H7 to canned
meat products such as chili sauce spoiled by Clostridium botulinum (botulism), have
been voluntarily recalled by businesses in the last year. Recalls may decrease
consumer confidence in the recalling company, food imports, or food safety agencies
such as the FDA; products later subject to a recall may have sickened or killed people
or pets. While the FDA only has the authority to order recalls of infant formula,
medical devices, and human tissue products, the agency may request that a company
recall other products, such as food, drugs, and cosmetics. This report provides an
overview of the FDA’s statutory authority with regard to the three types of products
that it can recall, as well as FDA regulations for designating the particular class of
recall, publicizing and monitoring the effectiveness of recalls, and carrying out
recalls. Additionally, this report reviews the recall provisions in legislation proposed
in the 110th Congress, which would give the FDA authority to require recalls of
additional products.
The 110th Congress has shown significant interest in the issue of food safety
and several bills would grant the FDA the ability to order recalls of food products.
The Senate approved, by a vote of 94-0, Senator Durbin’s amendment to the FDA
Revitalization Act (S. 1082), which would provide the FDA with greater recall and
notification authority. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act,
S. 625/H.R. 1108, would provide the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS)
with the authority to require recalls of tobacco products, while Representative
Dingell’s draft bill — posted for comment on the House Energy and Commerce
Committee website — would grant the Secretary the authority to require food recalls.
Other bills that would provide the FDA with recall authority include the Human and
Pet Food Safety Act of 2007, S. 1274/H.R. 2108; the Safe Food Act of 2007, S.
654/H.R. 1148; and the Protect Consumers Act of 2007, H.R. 2099.

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Contents
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Mandatory Recall Authority: Supporting and Opposing Views . . . . . . . . . . 2
Current Statutory Authority for Mandatory Recalls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Infant Formula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Medical Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Biological Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Current FDA Regulations Regarding Voluntary Recalls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Industry-Initiated Recalls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
FDA-Requested Recalls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Classification of Recalls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Communication Regarding a Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Monitoring and Termination of a Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The FDA’s Pilot Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Legislative Proposals to Grant the FDA Recall Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Human and Pet Food Safety Act of 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Food and Drug Administration Revitalization Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Safe Food Act of 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Protect Consumers Act of 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Draft of the Food and Drug Import Safety Act of 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

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The FDA’s Authority
to Recall Products
Background
Over the past few months, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has fielded
increasing numbers of questions regarding recalls of unsafe food imports, including
pet food and toothpaste. Additionally, several domestic food products, from peanut
butter contaminated with Salmonella to spinach linked to E. coli 0157:H7 to canned
meat products such as chili sauce spoiled by Clostridium botulinum (botulism), have
been recalled in the last year. A recall is “a firm’s removal or correction of a
marketed product that the [FDA] considers to be in violation of the laws is
administers and against which the agency would initiate legal action, e.g., seizure.”1
Recalls may decrease consumer confidence in the recalling company, food
imports, or food safety agencies such as the FDA; products later subject to a recall
may have sickened or killed people or pets. Recalls of tainted or defective products
can be costly to the recalling company in terms of the costs of the recall, injury to
reputation, and exposure to liability via class action lawsuits and punitive damages.2
For example, pet owners have filed suit against Menu Foods seeking “compensation
for veterinary care, medical monitoring and other expenses, damages for negligence
and breach of express and implied warranty and attorney fees and costs.”3 The
company allegedly first noticed a problem with dogs that consumed its pet food
becoming sick in February 2007, however, the company did not contact the FDA or
begin a recall of over 60 million containers of pet food until March 2007.4
1 21 C.F.R. § 7.3(g). The definition of a recall “does not include a market withdrawal or a
stock recovery.” Id. A market withdrawal is “a firm’s removal or correction of a distributed
product which involves a minor violation that would not be subject to legal action by the
[FDA] or which involves no violation, e.g., normal stock rotation practices, routine
equipment adjustments and repairs.” 21 C.F.R. § 7.3(j). A stock recovery is “a firm’s
removal or correction of a product that has not been marketed or that has not left the direct
control of the firm, i.e., the product is located on premises owned by, or under the control
of, the firm and no portion of the lot has been released for sale or use.” 21 C.F.R. § 7.3(k).
2 Michael T. Roberts, Mandatory Recall Authority: A Sensible and Minimalist Approach to
Improving Food Safety, 59:4 FOOD & DRUG L. J. 563, 568 (2004).
3 Lisa Brennan, Judge Seethes Over Direct Contact of Represented Parties in Pet Food
Case, N.J. Law Journal, June 4, 2007.
4 Chuck Neubauer, FDA Officials Will Face Senate Inquiry on Pet Food, LA TIMES, April
8, 2007, at A18; Hearing on Pet Food Safety Before the Senate Subcommittee on
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies,
110th Cong. 6 (April 12, 2007) (statement of Duane Ekedahl, President, Pet Food Institute),
(continued...)

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While the FDA only has the authority to order recalls of infant formula, medical
devices, and human tissue products, the agency may request that a company
voluntarily recall other products, such as food, drugs, and cosmetics. Companies
typically recall tainted products voluntarily but this may not always be the case.5 For
this reason and others discussed below, supporters of stronger food safety laws have
argued that the FDA should be given statutory authority to mandate recalls of food
and other products.
This report provides an overview of the FDA’s statutory authority with regard
to the three types of products for which the agency can require recalls, as well as
FDA regulations for designating the particular class of recall, publicizing and
monitoring the effectiveness of recalls, and carrying out recalls. Additionally, this
report reviews the recall provisions in legislation proposed in the 110th Congress,
which would give the FDA authority to require recalls of additional products.
Mandatory Recall Authority: Supporting and Opposing Views
Representative Rosa DeLauro and others have asserted that the current food
safety system, which “relies on voluntary recalls[,] implicitly protects industry before
it protects public health.”6 As a result, she argues, the discovery of the source of
contaminated products may not immediately be identified.7 The FDA has also been
accused of failing to aggressively pursue investigations of products that were later
recalled.8 For example, lawsuits have been brought against ConAgra Foods, Inc. by
individuals who allegedly became sick, sometimes more than once, because they ate
peanut butter tainted with Salmonella. According to the plaintiffs, ConAgra did not
recall contaminated peanut butter from one plant until February 2007, though the
4 (...continued)
[http://appropriations.senate.gov/hearings.cfm].
5 Center for Science in the Public Interest, Support H.R. 1612 and S. 908 — The Consumer
Food Safety Act of 1999, [http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/hr1612.html]. According to
this advocacy organization, “[i]n August 1997, FDA tried to recall Royal Line smoked
salmon contaminated with Listeria, a bacteria that causes serious illnesses and deaths. The
salmon, sold in plastic packages, was imported from Denmark. However, the salmon’s U.S.
distributor refused to cooperate in the recall, leaving American consumers at risk of food
poisoning from the product.” Id.
6 Veggie Booty Recall Grows, Prompting Criticism of Weak FDA, Inside Health Policy, July
6, 2007.
7 See id.
8 “A similar lack of aggressiveness on the part of FDA may have contributed to the peanut
butter contamination deaths and illnesses.” Diminished Capacity: Can the FDA Assure the
Safety and Security of the Nation’s Food Supply — Part 2: Hearing Before the H. Comm.
on Energy and Commerce, Subcomm. on Oversight and Investigations, 110th Cong. (July
17, 2007) (Staff Statement at p. 16), [http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/
110-oi-hrg.071707.Staff-testimony.pdf], (hereinafter “Subcommittee Staff Statement”).

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FDA “suspected that peanut butter manufactured by ConAgra Foods under different
brand names might have been contaminated with salmonella” as early as 2005.9
Consumer rights groups seek new statutory authority that would allow the FDA
to mandate recalls of food and other products.10 However, the FDA’s Center for
Food Safety and Applied Nutrition has argued that “cooperation between FDA and
its regulated industries has proven over the years to be the quickest and most reliable
method to remove potentially dangerous products from the market.”11 According to
the agency, both the FDA and industry share an interest in removing unsafe and/or
defective products from the marketplace.12 An industry representative involved in
the pet food recall has also argued against additional regulation, saying that industry
“could have been a more valuable partner” in the recall process if it received access
to the same information as the FDA.13 According to the head of the Pet Food
Institute, which represents U.S. pet food manufacturers, the communication of such
information would have allowed the organization to “cross-reference . . . lot numbers,
shipping information, and other data.”14
Some have argued that in situations where the manufacturer of a product cannot
be determined — such as the case of tainted toothpaste found in discount stores and
elsewhere — granting the FDA the ability to recall such products would expedite the
process of removing adulterated articles from store shelves.15 Such authority would
enable the agency to take actions beyond issuing a warning about a particular
product.16 A 2004 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that:
FDA do[es] not know how promptly and completely the recalling companies and
their distributors and other customers are carrying out recalls, and neither [the
FDA or the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)] is using its data systems
9 Marian Burros, Who’s Watching What We Eat?, N.Y. Times, May 16, 2007, at D1; R.
Robin McDonald, ConAgra Faces 39 Suits Over Bad Peanut Butter, Fulton County Daily
Report, August 13, 2007. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention network that
monitors food-borne diseases observed a “slowly rising increase” in cases of a certain type
of Salmonella that were connected to one peanut butter plant. Id.
10 See Caroline Smith DeWall, Director of Food Safety, Center for Science in the Public
Interest, Statement at the National Food Policy Conference (May 9, 2003),
[http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/new_bioact.html].
11 FDA, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Industry Affairs Staff Brochure, FDA
Recall Policies (June 2002), [http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/recall2.html]. The FDA’s recall
polices are described in detail in this document.
12 Id.
13 Ekedahl, supra note 4, at 8-9.
14 Id. at 9.
15 Press Release, Senator Charles Schumer, Schumer Reveals: Chinese Product Dangers Go
Far Beyond Tires, Seafood and Toothpaste (July 1, 2007), [http://schumer.senate.gov/
SchumerWebsite/pressroom/record.cfm?id=278328]; see also FDA, Imported Toothpaste,
[http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/toothpaste.html].
16 See Veggie Booty, supra note 6.

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to effectively track and manage its recall programs. For these and other reasons,
most recalled food is not recovered and therefore may be consumed.17
According to GAO, the FDA may not be using the regulations on voluntary recalls
that the agency currently has in place to their maximum effectiveness.18 The staff of
the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigations has also remarked that the “FDA’s current regulatory approach, which
relies upon voluntary guidelines for most domestic and imported foods, appears
inadequate in responding to the changing food industry.”19
In addition, advocates for a single food safety agency believe that a single
contact point could save time and lives in the event of a food recall.20 As
demonstrated by the chili products recall due to the potential for botulism, more than
one agency may have jurisdiction over adulterated or contaminated food.21 In that
situation, the FDA website listed all the recalled product numbers but only included
photos of the labels for chili products that did not contain meat and pet food products
involved in the same recall. (The FDA has jurisdiction over pet food.) Consumers
were directed to the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline website for products
containing meat, over which the USDA has jurisdiction.22 The linked USDA
webpage provides general information, but does not provide information about the
meat products recalled due to being potentially contaminated with botulism.23 Some
have argued that the lack of complete information regarding the recall, as well as
links to webpages not specifically associated with the chili product recall, could
result in consumers overlooking relevant information and potentially consuming
17 GAO, Food Safety: USDA and FDA Need to Better Ensure Prompt and Complete Recalls
of Potentially Unsafe Food (October 2004), [http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0551.pdf].
18 See id. at 13-16, 21-22.
19 Subcommittee Staff Statement, supra note 8, at 2.
20 The U.S. Government does have a single website dedicated to product recalls,
[http://www.recalls.gov]. However, this website apparently does not address the concerns
of supporters of a single food safety agency, such as two agencies — FDA and USDA —
maintaining jurisdiction over eggs in shell, processed, and liquid forms.
21 In 2004, the FDA found contaminated animal feed but did not report the contamination
to the USDA, which inspects livestock that consume such feed, or the state involved, which
has authority to prevent such meat from entering the market. The state seized and destroyed
the animals before the FDA even sent a warning letter to the feed mill. Government
Accountability Office (GAO), Mad Cow Disease: FDA’s Management of the Feed Ban Has
Improved, but Oversight Weaknesses Continue to Limit Program Effectiveness, 24
(February 2005), [http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05101.pdf].
22 FDA, Chili Products (Botulism) Recall (Includes Canned Chili, Stew, Hash, BBQ, Gravy,
and Pet Food Products), [http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/castleberry.html#meat].
23 USDA, Food Safety Education, USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline, [http://www.fsis.usda.
gov/Food_Safety_Education/USDA_Meat_&_Poultry_Hotline/index.asp]. A press release
found after clicking on several links in the USDA website details the chili products with
meat that were recalled. Press Release, USDA, Georgia Firm Expands Recall of Canned
Meat Products that may Contain Clostridium botulinum, [http://www.fsis.usda.gov/
News_&_Events/Recall_033_2007_expanded/index.asp].

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tainted products. The Food Marketing Institute — a nonprofit association of retailers
and wholesalers that account for the majority of U.S. grocery store sales — and
others have contended that the creation of a single food safety agency would help in
a food crisis, because the “public is faced with a lengthy delay while overlapping
bureaucracies creak into some attempt at a coordinated response. While the search
for who knew what and when goes on, the crisis worsens and public confidence
erodes.”24
Those opposed to the idea of combining FDA and USDA into a single food
safety agency assert that such a measure would distract the agencies involved from
their mission while the reorganization process occurs.25 They argue that “food
security would be compromised” and that overlap between agencies “is not as
significant [an issue] as many assume.”26 Furthermore, critics of a single food safety
agency point out that coordination between federal, state, and local government
agencies would still be required to address threats to the food supply.27
Current Statutory Authority for Mandatory Recalls
The FDA only possesses mandatory recall authority with regard to three
products: infant formula,28 medical devices,29 and biologic products.30 This section
provides an overview of the statutory authorities that currently exist for recalling
these three products. The FDA is one of several agencies that comprise HHS.
Therefore, the FFDCA provisions refer to the Secretary of HHS, who, in turn,
delegates authority to the FDA.
Infant Formula. The HHS Secretary has prescribed regulations for recalls of
infant formula “begun by a manufacturer,”31 which address the mandatory scope and
extent of infant formula recalls “necessary and appropriate for the degree of risks to
human health presented by the formula subject to the recall.”32 The regulations for
24 Timothy M. Hammonds, It is Time to Designate a Single Food Safety Agency, 59:3 FOOD
& DRUG L. J. 427, 428 (2004); see, e.g., Richard J. Durbin, Food Safety Oversight for the
21st Century: The Creation of a Single, Independent Federal Food Safety Agency, 59:3
FOOD & DRUG L. J. 383 (2004); Sandra B. Eskin, Putting All Your Eggs in One Basket: Egg
Safety and the Case for a Single Food-Safety Agency, 59:3 FOOD & DRUG L. J. 441 (2004).
25 Stuart M. Pape, Paul D. Rubin, & Heili Kim, Food Security Would be Compromised by
Combining the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Into
a Single Food Agency, 59:3 FOOD & DRUG L. J. 405, 406 (2004).
26 Id. at 405-06.
27 Id. at 406.
28 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) § 412(f).
29 FFDCA § 518(e).
30 Public Health Service Act § 351; 42 U.S.C. § 262.
31 FFDCA § 412(f)(1).
32 FFDCA § 412(f)(2).

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infant formula recalls are available at 21 C.F.R. Part 107, Subpart E, Infant Formula
Recalls, and state, in part, the following:
When the Food and Drug Administration determines that an adulterated or
misbranded infant formula presents a risk to human health, a manufacturer shall
immediately take all actions necessary to recall that formula, extending to and
including the retail level, consistent with the requirements of [21 C.F.R. Part 107,
Subpart E].33
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) states that the regulations must
require manufacturers that begin an infant formula recall “because of a risk to human
health to request each retail establishment at which such formula is sold or available
for sale to post at the point of purchase . . . a notice of such recall at such
establishment for such time that the Secretary determines necessary to inform the
public of such recall.”34 The FFDCA also requires manufacturers of infant formula
to create and keep “records respecting the distribution of infant formula through any
establishment owned or operated by such manufacturer as may be necessary to effect
and monitor recalls.”35 The manufacturer must retain such records for “at least one
year after the expiration of the shelf life of the infant formula,”36 and the Secretary
may promulgate regulations regarding recordkeeping if the Secretary determines that
the required records “are not being made or maintained.”37
Medical Devices. The FFDCA’s medical device recall authority provisions
place requirements on device manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers, and
other “appropriate persons.” If the HHS Secretary “finds that there is a reasonable
probability that a device intended for human use would cause serious, adverse health
consequences or death,” then the Secretary must issue an order requiring “the
appropriate person” to (1) immediately stop distributing the device, (2) immediately
notify health professionals and device user facilities of the Secretary’s order, and
(3) instruct health professionals and device user facilities to stop use of the device.38
Thus, the first step of the statute does not require a mandatory recall of a device for
which the Secretary makes the above determination.
However, the order may be amended to mandate a recall of such device. The
Secretary’s order must “provide the person subject to the order with an opportunity
for an informal hearing, to be held not later than 10 days after the date of the issuance
of the order, on the actions required by the order and on whether the order should be
amended to require a recall.”39 If the Secretary determines, after the informal
hearing, that the order should be amended as such, the Secretary must amend the
33 21 C.F.R. § 107.200.
34 FFDCA § 412(f)(3); see 21 C.F.R. § 107.230(d); see also 21 C.F.R. § 107.250.
35 FFDCA § 412(g)(1).
36 Id.
37 FFDCA § 412(g)(2).
38 FFDCA § 518(e)(1).
39 Id.

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order to require the recall, set a timetable for the recall, and require periodic reports
describing the recall’s progress.40 The Secretary’s amended order must not include
a recall of the device from individuals and must not include a recall from device user
facilities “if the Secretary determines that the risk of recalling such device from the
facilities presents a greater health risk than the health risk of not recalling the device
from use.”41
Additionally, the Secretary’s amended order must provide “notice to individuals
subject to the risks associated with the use of such device.”42 To notify individuals
regarding the device, the statute provides that “the Secretary may use the assistance
of health professionals who prescribed or used such a device.”43 However, if “a
significant number” of individuals cannot be identified, the Secretary must notify
them via FFDCA § 705(b). That provision gives the Secretary the broad authority
to “cause to be disseminated information . . . in situations involving, in the opinion
of the Secretary, imminent danger to health, or gross deception of the consumer.”44
Recalling a device is only one of the methods that the Secretary may use to address
the risk it presents to the public health; the Secretary may also notify health
professionals who prescribe or use the device; order the manufacturer, importer, or
any distributor to submit a plan for repairing or replacing the device, or refunding all
or part of the purchase cost of the device; and may require the manufacturer,
importer, distributor, or retailer to reimburse, for expenses incurred in carrying out
the Secretary’s order, “any other person who is a manufacturer, importer, distributor,
or retailer.”45
Biological Products. For biological products, the Secretary must issue an
order immediately requiring a recall of “a batch, lot, or other quantity of a product
licensed under [42 U.S.C. § 262, Regulation of Biological Products]” once a
determination is made that that quantity “presents an imminent or substantial hazard
to the public health.”46 The Secretary’s order must be issued in accordance with 5
U.S.C. § 554, which addresses formal adjudications after an opportunity for an
agency hearing. Violators of these provisions may face inflation-adjustable civil
penalties of up to $100,000 per day of violation.47
40 FFDCA § 518(e)(2)(A).
41 FFDCA § 518(e)(2)(B)(i).
42 FFDCA § 518(e)(2)(B)(ii).
43 FFDCA § 518(e)(2)(B).
44 FFDCA § 705(b).
45 FFDCA § 518(a), (b), (c), (e)(3).
46 42 U.S.C. § 262(d)(1).
47 42 U.S.C. § 262(d)(2). The statute provides a formula for adjusting the maximum amount
of the civil penalty for violations of the recall statute. Id.

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Current FDA Regulations Regarding Voluntary Recalls
Part 7, Subpart C, of Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations gives “guidance for
manufacturers and distributors to follow with respect to their voluntary removal or
correction” of a FDA-regulated product on the market that violates the FFDCA or
other law that the FDA administers.48 Chapter Seven of the FDA’s Regulatory
Procedures Manual also serves as a reference for FDA employees and industry as to
recall procedures; however, the manual is not law and does not bind the FDA or
industry.49 As a result, only FDA regulatory authorities and not the manual are
discussed in this report.
The FDA views voluntary, industry-initiated recalls as an alternative to FDA
legal actions to remove or correct products that violate laws.50 For example, the FDA
has the power to seize adulterated and misbranded products under the FFDCA.51
However, the agency notes that a company recall “is generally more appropriate and
affords better protection for consumers than seizure, when many lots of the product
have been widely distributed.”52 The FDA may turn to seizure as a remedy if “the
agency has reason to believe that a recall would not be effective, determines that a
recall is ineffective, or discovers that a violation is continuing.”53
Industry-Initiated Recalls. The FDA recommends that companies undertake
certain practices that may prepare them for a recall or assist them during a recall.
These include (1) creating a contingency plan, (2) using codes on FDA-regulated
products that will make it possible to identify and recall the defective products, and
(3) keeping records — even beyond the shelf or expected use life of a product — that
can be used to find the tainted products.54 If a company initiates a recall, the FDA
regulations suggest that the firm immediately notify the closest FDA district office.
If the product being recalled would be subject to a court action, such as seizure for
being misbranded or adulterated, then the FDA deems the company’s action to be a
recall and will ask the business to provide the agency with information on the amount
and identity of the product, as well as communications about the recall and other
data.55
FDA regulations also provide for instances in which a company decides to recall
a product after being informed by the agency that “the product in question violates
48 21 C.F.R. §§ 7.1, 7.40.
49 FDA, FDA REGULATORY PROCEDURES MANUAL, [http://www.fda.gov/ora/compliance_
ref/rpm].
50 See 21 C.F.R. § 7.40(a).
51 21 U.S.C. § 334; FFDCA § 304.
52 21 C.F.R. § 7.40(c).
53 Id.
54 21 C.F.R. § 7.59.
55 21 C.F.R. § 7.46.

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the law, but the agency has not specifically requested a recall.”56 In this case, the
company’s decision to recall the product is treated as an industry-initiated recall.
Furthermore, agency regulations provide procedures if a company begins to remove
or correct a product in a way that the company believes would constitute a market
withdrawal. A market withdrawal is “a firm’s removal or correction of a distributed
product which involves a minor violation that would not be subject to legal action by
the [FDA] or which involves no violation, e.g., normal stock rotation practices.”57
If the business is conducting a market withdrawal, but the reason for the need to
remove the product is not clear, the FDA is willing to help the company ascertain the
cause of the problem. For example, consumers may have experienced adverse
reactions to the product, but the source of the problem may not be “obvious or clearly
understood.”58

FDA-Requested Recalls. The FDA can request a business to voluntarily
recall a FDA-regulated product; however, such requests are “reserved for urgent
situations.”59 The FDA would make such a request to the company with “primary
responsibility for the manufacture and marketing” of the defective product.60 The
FDA Commissioner can request a company to conduct a recall after these three
determinations have been made:
(1) That a product that has been distributed presents a risk of illness or injury or
gross consumer deception.
(2) That the firm has not initiated a recall of the product.
(3) That an agency action is necessary to protect public health and welfare.61
56 Id. One example of this may be Menu Foods’s expansion of its pet food recall to include
cat food varieties. The FDA “had confirmed test results it received from a laboratory . . .
[that] found that canned cat food which had not been included in Menu Food’s earlier recalls
tested positive for melamine, a chemical used as a fertilizer and in the manufacture of
cutlery and kitchenware.” The FDA informed Menu Foods, Inc., and the company acted to
expand the recall. It is unclear whether the FDA requested the expanded recall or simply
informed Menu Foods that the cat food varieties violated the FFDCA. Press Release, FDA,
FDA Warns Consumers that Retailers May Still Have Recalled Pet Food on Shelves (April
12, 2007), [http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01605.html].
57 21 C.F.R. § 7.3(j); see supra note 1.
58 21 C.F.R. § 7.46(d).
59 21 C.F.R. § 7.40(b).
60 Id. The FDA’s Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs, who leads the FDA’s
Office of Regulatory Affairs, “has direct responsibility for approval of all recalls requested
by FDA and Class I recalls.” Sandra Nowlin Whetstone, ORA’s Role at FDA Headquarters
and in the Field for Product Recalls, 53:3 FOOD & DRUG L. J. 513, 513 (1998).
61 21 C.F.R. § 7.45. When making its request, the FDA notice of the above determinations
will state the violation of the FDA-administered laws, the classification of the recall, the
recall strategy, and any agency instructions on carrying out the recall. Id.

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If the company refuses to recall its products after the FDA makes its request, the
agency may then turn to seizures or other court actions to protect the public health.62
If the FDA requests a recall, the agency should take into account the factors listed in
its recall strategy, such as “the degree to which the product remains unused in the
marketplace” and the “ease in identifying the product.”63
Classification of Recalls. The FDA categorizes recalls in three classes.
Class I recalls involve “situation[s] in which there is a reasonable probability that the
use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health
consequences or death.”64 According to the FDA, over 100 Class I recalls of food
products occurred in FY2006 and the average number of Class I food recalls for the
last five fiscal years is 188.65 Class II recalls involve “situation[s] in which use of,
or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible
adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health
consequences is remote,” while Class III recalls involve “situation[s] in which use
of, or exposure to, a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health
consequences.”66 The FDA posts information regarding all three classes of recalls
on its website in the agency’s weekly FDA Enforcement Report.67 Additionally, the
FDA’s webpage devoted to “Recalls, Market Withdrawals, and Safety Alerts”
contains press releases and information for mostly Class I recalls.68
In order to determine what classification to assign a recall, an ad hoc committee
of FDA scientists, perhaps at the closest FDA district office, will first examine the
factors below.
(1) Whether any disease or injuries have already occurred from the use of the product.
(2) Whether any existing conditions could contribute to a clinical situation that
could expose humans or animals to a health hazard. Any conclusion shall be
supported as completely as possible by scientific documentation and/or
statements that the conclusion is the opinion of the individual(s) making the
health hazard determination.
(3) Assessment of hazard to various segments of the population, e.g., children,
surgical patients, pets, livestock, etc., who are expected to be exposed to the
product being considered, with particular attention paid to the hazard to those
individuals who may be at greatest risk.
(4) Assessment of the degree of seriousness of the health hazard to which the
populations at risk would be exposed.
(5) Assessment of the likelihood of occurrence of the hazard.
62 21 C.F.R. § 7.40(c).
63 21 C.F.R. § 7.42(a).
64 21 C.F.R. § 7.3(m)(1).
65 FDA, FDA’s Pilot Program to Better Educate Consumers about Recalled Food Products,
[http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/pilot.htm].
66 21 C.F.R. § 7.3(m)(2) and (3).
67 FDA, FDA Enforcement Report Index, [http://www.fda.gov/opacom/Enforce.html].
68 FDA, Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts, [http://www.fda.gov/opacom/
7alerts.html].

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(6) Assessment of the consequences (immediate or long-range) of occurrence of
the hazard.69
The committee is not limited to evaluating the health hazard posed by a product
based on these factors alone however.70 The FDA will then use the committee’s
health hazard evaluation as the basis for assigning a classification.71
Communication Regarding a Recall. The company that recalls a product
“is responsible for promptly notifying each of its affected direct accounts about the
recall.”72 The FDA regulations set out what information should be specified in the
notification, such as the identity of the product, the need to stop distributing the
product, that the notified person should in turn notify its customers, and what other
steps to take with the recalled product. The agency also provides instructions about
the contents — or lack thereof, in the case of including promotional materials that
could distract from the recall information — and appearance of the communication
that will inform a customer of the recall. Those who purchased, received, or used
the product being recalled that are notified via a recall communication should also
promptly notify their customers or the individuals who may have received or used the
product.73 As mentioned above, the FDA will place information regarding recalls in
its weekly FDA Enforcement Report, with two exceptions: (1) product removals or
corrections that the FDA finds are market withdrawals or stock recoveries74 and (2)
“intentionally delay[ed] public notification of recalls of certain drugs and devices
where the agency determines that public notification may cause unnecessary and
harmful anxiety in patients and that initial consultation between patients and their
physicians is essential.”75
Monitoring and Termination of a Recall. The FDA regulations ask
companies recalling products to send progress reports on the recall to the appropriate
FDA district or field office. The FDA will inform the firm, based on the urgency of
the recall, of how often it should submit recall status reports.76 The recalling
company should continue to send recall progress reports until the FDA terminates the
recall, and such reports should include information on the numbers of individuals
who were notified, who responded, or who failed to respond to the company’s recall
69 21 C.F.R. § 7.41(a).
70 21 C.F.R. § 7.41.
71 Id. The FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs’ Associate Commissioner “may, and has,
delegated designation of certain Class I recalls to the agency’s Center directors,” such as the
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN). Whetstone, supra note 60, at 513.
“CFSAN’s director has been delegated authority for certain routine Class I food recalls, e.g.,
listeria and undeclared allergen Class I recalls.” Id.
72 21 C.F.R. § 7.49.
73 21 C.F.R. § 7.49.
74 See supra note 1.
75 21 C.F.R. § 7.50.
76 21 C.F.R. § 7.53. The regulations state that “generally the reporting interval will be
between 2 and 4 weeks.” Id.

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communication. The reports should also state the number of products returned and
accounted for, how many verification checks were conducted to determine if the
recall was effective and the results of such checks, and the firm’s estimate of the time
until the recall is completed.77 The FDA field office “is responsible for determining
whether the recall was effective and that disposition of the product was completed
properly.”78
Once the FDA “determines that all reasonable efforts have been made to remove
or correct the product in accordance with the recall strategy, and when it is reasonable
to assume that the product subject to the recall has been removed” and either
disposed of or corrected, the agency will issue a written notice that the recall is
terminated.79 The FDA’s determination may depend on the degree of public health
hazard associated with product being recalled.80 For Class I recalls, the FDA district
office prepares a recommendation for the appropriate FDA center, such as the Center
for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, that the Class I recall be terminated.
However, Class II and III recalls do not need approval from an FDA Center.81
Alternately, the recalling company can request, in writing, that the FDA terminate the
recall. This request should include a statement in writing that the recall is effective,
in line with the type of determination that the FDA would make when terminating a
recall.82 The FDA’s Regulatory Procedures Manual states that the time from when
a company considers its recall complete to the time when the agency terminates the
recall should generally not exceed three months.83
The FDA’s Pilot Program
From mid-February 2007 until August 12, 2007, the FDA ran a six-month pilot
program “to educate and assist consumers in identifying recalled food products that
may pose a significant health risk.”84 The program concentrated on posting photos
of Class I food product recalls, in the hope that pictures of the main label or display
panel would help consumers recognize and avoid using recalled products. Press
releases with these photos also contained other identifying information for the food
product, such as a lot number or flavor of a product, if only one flavor was affected.85
The FDA is accepting comments from consumers and industry on the program, and
77 21 C.F.R. § 7.53. For example, in the Menu Foods pet food recall, the FDA conducted
approximately 400 effectiveness checks in retail stores. See Press Release, supra note 56.
78 Whetstone, supra note 60, at 514.
79 21 C.F.R. § 7.55(a).
80 Id.
81 Whetstone, supra note 60, at 514.
82 21 C.F.R. § 7.55(b).
83 FDA, REGULATORY PROCEDURES MANUAL ch. 7, at 7-25, [http://www.fda.gov/ora/
compliance_ref/rpm/pdf/ch7.pdf].
84 FDA, FDA’s Pilot Program to Better Educate Consumers about Recalled Food Products,
[http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/pilot.htm].
85 Id.

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the agency’s website states that the program is “continuing for a short time after the
end date while it is being evaluated.”86
Legislative Proposals to Grant the FDA Recall Authority
The 110th Congress has shown significant interest in the issue of food safety
and several bills would grant the FDA the ability to order recalls of food products.
The Senate approved, by a vote of 94-0, Senator Durbin’s amendment to the FDA
Revitalization Act (S. 1082), which would provide the FDA with greater recall and
notification authority. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act,
S. 625/H.R. 1108, would provide the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS)
with the authority to require recalls of tobacco products, while Representative
Dingell’s draft bill — posted for comment on the House Energy and Commerce
Committee website — would grant the Secretary the authority to require food recalls.
Other bills that would provide the FDA with recall authority include the Human and
Pet Food Safety Act of 2007, S. 1274/H.R. 2108; the Safe Food Act of 2007, S.
654/H.R. 1148; and the Protect Consumers Act of 2007, H.R. 2099. Additionally,
according to news reports, Representative DeGette has stated that she plans to
introduce two bills, including one that would include a mandatory food tracking
system.87
Human and Pet Food Safety Act of 2007. S. 1274 and H.R. 2108 propose
to amend the FFDCA to allow the HHS Secretary to handle recalls in a voluntary
manner at first. The bills would give the Secretary statutory authority for both
voluntary and mandatory recalls. If the Secretary determines that food in interstate
commerce violates the FFDCA and “that there is a reasonable probability that the
food, if consumed, would present a threat to public health,” the bills then require the
Secretary to “give the appropriate persons (including the manufacturers, importers,
distributors, or retailers of the food) an opportunity to” cease distributing the food;
notify individuals such as distributors, processors, handlers, consumers, and state and
local public health officials; and recall the food.88 The bills also provide civil
penalties of up to $10,000 per violation per day.89
If a person, such as a manufacturer, refuses to or fails to adequately carry out the
above described actions “within the time period and in the manner prescribed by the
Secretary,” the bills would grant the Secretary the authority to “control and possess
the food, including ordering the shipment of the food from a food establishment . . .
to the Secretary” at either the establishment’s expense or, in an emergency, at the
86 Id. As of July 18, 2007, the FDA received 188 comments. The website states that “[t]he
majority of consumers who commented on the pilot find the program beneficial.” Id.
87 Anna Edney, DeGette Looks to Add Food Safety Bills to Dingell Measure, Congress Daily
AM, September 5, 2007; Inside Health Policy, Spinach Recall Creates Opening for DeGette
Food Bills, August 31, 2007.
88 S. 1274, § 2; H.R. 2108, § 2 (proposed FFDCA § 417(b)).
89 S. 1274, § 2; H.R. 2108, § 2 (proposed FFDCA § 417(c)).

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Secretary’s expense.90 The Secretary would be required to issue an order mandating
importers, retailers, or others to stop distributing the food and notify those involved
with the food product’s handling, transportation, sale, and other activities.
Furthermore, the Secretary must notify “consumers to whom the food was, or may
have been distributed,” as well as state and local public health officials.91 Persons
such as distributors, processors, handlers, and sellers notified by either the Secretary
or an “appropriate person,” as described above, must also stop distributing the food
product and make available records regarding others who processed, distributed, and
sold the food.92 After an informal hearing, the Secretary would also be able to
require a recall, set a timetable for the recall, mandate progress reports on the recall,
and give notice of the recall to consumers.93
To enhance communication during a recall, the bills would require the Secretary
to post information regarding recalled human or pet food products on the FDA
website; work with industry, professional organizations, and others to gather
information relevant to the recall; and communicate with the public.94 Finally, the
HHS Secretary would have to work with notification networks during a pet food
recall “to inform veterinarians and relevant stakeholders.”95
Food and Drug Administration Revitalization Act. Senator Durbin’s
amendment to S. 1082, which passed 94-0, contains the same communication and
notification requirements during recalls as the Human and Pet Food Safety Act of
2007 (see above). The amendment would expand the FDA’s authority in other areas
as well.
Safe Food Act of 2007. S. 654 and H.R. 1148 would create an independent
single food agency, headed by an Administrator of Food Safety. The bills’ voluntary
and mandatory recall provisions, in Section 403, are basically the same as those in
the Human and Pet Food Safety Act of 2007, except that the Administrator replaces
the Secretary of HHS; the term “food establishment” is defined in these bills;96 and
S. 654 and H.R. 1148 prohibit violations of food safety laws in general — from the
Egg Products Inspection Act to the Sanitary Food Transportation Act of 1990, as
amended — rather than solely the FFDCA.
90 S. 1274, § 2; H.R. 2108, § 2 (proposed FFDCA § 418(a)(1)).
91 S. 1274, § 2; H.R. 2108, § 2 (proposed FFDCA § 418(b)).
92 S. 1274, § 2; H.R. 2108, § 2 (proposed FFDCA § 418(c) and (d)).
93 S. 1274, § 2; H.R. 2108, § 2 (proposed FFDCA § 418(f)(1)).
94 S. 1274, § 3; H.R. 2108, § 3.
95 S. 1274, § 4; H.R. 2108, § 4.
96 The bills define “food establishment” as “a slaughterhouse, factory, warehouse, or facility
owned or operated by a person located in any State that processes food or a facility that
holds, stores, or transports food or food ingredients.” The terms “does not include a farm,
restaurant, other retail food establishment, nonprofit food establishment in which food is
prepared for or served directly to the consumer, or fishing vessel.” S. 654, § 3(13);
H.R.1148, § 3(13).

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The bills would institute additional recall provisions as well. Section 204 of the
bills would give the Administrator the power to order recalls from food
establishments if the Administrator determines that an establishment fails to meet a
performance standard for contaminants in food and does not take corrective actions
determined by the Administrator. These standards would be promulgated by the
Administrator. The frequency with which a food establishment conducts recalls of
its products would be taken into account in the bills’ provisions classifying food
establishments and how often the new agency would inspect such establishments.97
The bills also specify that any protections that the Administrator develops “to prevent
the unauthorized disclosure of any trade secret or confidential information obtained
by the Administrator” would not “limit the public disclosure of distribution records
or other records related to a food subject to a voluntary or mandatory recall.”98
Section 207 of the bills states that the new agency’s Administrator must support state
and local recall authorities. Like the current FFDCA, the bills create a section of
prohibited acts, one of which would be failing to comply with a recall or other
order.99 Additionally, the bills provide civil and criminal penalties.100
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. S. 625 and
H.R. 1108 would provide the HHS Secretary with the authority to require recalls of
tobacco products in a manner substantially similar to the Secretary’s authority to
recall medical devices. “If the Secretary finds that there is a reasonable probability
that a tobacco product contains a manufacturing or other defect not ordinarily
contained in tobacco products on the market that would cause serious, adverse health
consequences or death,” then the Secretary must issue an order requiring distribution
of such tobacco products to cease.101 The Secretary’s order would affect
manufacturers, importers, distributors, and/or retailers.102 Thus, similar to the
Secretary’s authority to recall medical devices, the first step of the statute does not
require a mandatory recall of the tobacco product for which the Secretary makes the
above determination.
As with medical devices, after providing an opportunity for an informal hearing
within 10 days of the date the order was issued, the Secretary would be able to amend
the order to require recalls of such tobacco products. The Secretary must set a
timeline “in which the tobacco product recall will occur.”103 The bills also specify
that the Secretary must require reports “describing the progress of the recall,” but
97 S. 654, § 205(d); H.R. 1148, § 205(d).
98 S. 654, § 205(i); H.R. 1148, § 205(i).
99 S. 654, § 401(11); H.R. 1148, § 401(11).
100 S. 654, § 405; H.R. 1148, § 405.
101 S. 625, § 908(c); H.R. 1108, § 908(c).
102 The medical device recall provisions in the FFDCA call for notification “to health
professionals who prescribe or use the device and to any other person (including
manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers, and device users) who should properly
receive such notification in order to eliminate such risk.” FFDCA § 518(a); 21 U.S.C. §
360h(a).
103 S. 625, § 908(c)(2)(A); H.R. 1108, § 908(c)(2)(A).

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does not state from whom such reports would be required.104 Defective tobacco
products could not be recalled from individuals, however, an amended order from the
Secretary requiring a recall must give notice of the risks associated with using a
defective tobacco product. The Secretary could ask retailers and other distributors
to notify individuals about the defective tobacco products, which is arguably
comparable to the Secretary’s ability to use “the assistance of health professionals
who prescribed or used” a medical device subjected to a recall.105
Again, similar to the Secretary’s authority for recalling medical devices, if a
significant number of retailers and/or distributors of the defective products cannot be
identified,106 the Secretary must notify these persons by publicizing information
under FFDCA § 705(b).107 Unlike the medical device recall provisions, S. 625 and
H.R. 1108 do not provide for replacements, reimbursements, or refunds, however,
the bills specify that the value of remedies (potentially, a reimbursement of a
retailer’s costs associated with replacing the defective products) must be taken into
account in an award of damages for economic loss.108
Protect Consumers Act of 2007. H.R. 2099 would enable the HHS
Secretary to institute a mandatory recall of an FDA-regulated product. Under the bill,
if the Secretary makes a determination that a mandatory recall is necessary, the
Secretary must issue an order requiring distribution, manufacture, and sales of the
product to cease; giving “notice to individuals subject to the risks associated with the
use of such product”; and recalling the product immediately.109 The bill would
provide for an opportunity for an informal hearing after the order is issued.
Depending on whether the Secretary determines that there are adequate grounds to
support the order, the order could be vacated or could remain in effect until a future
decision by the Secretary. Noncompliance with an order would be treated as a
violation of the FFDCA. Section 3 of the bill would also provide for a study on
procedures for instituting voluntary and mandatory recalls and making them more
effective. The Secretary would also be required to promulgate regulations as a result
of the study on new recall procedures.
Draft of the Food and Drug Import Safety Act of 2007. On the website
of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Representative Dingell has posted
a discussion draft of a bill that would be entitled the Food and Drug Import Safety
104 S. 625, § 908(c)(2)(A); H.R. 1108, § 908(c)(2)(A).
105 FFDCA § 518(e)(2)(B).
106 S. 625, § 908(c)(2)(B); H.R. 1108, § 908(c)(2)(B).
107 However, S. 625 and H.R. 1108 do not amend FFDCA § 705(b) to include tobacco
products. Section 705(b) currently states that “The Secretary may also cause to be
disseminated information regarding food, drugs, devices, or cosmetics in situations
involving, in the opinion of the Secretary, imminent danger to health or gross deception of
the consumer. . . .” (emphasis added).
108 S. 625, § 908(b); H.R. 1108(b).
109 H.R. 2099, § 2.

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Act of 2007.110 Section 10 of the bill would grant the FDA mandatory authority to
order manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers, and others to stop distributing
adulterated food products if “the Secretary finds that there is a reasonable probability
that a food would cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.” After an
opportunity for an informal hearing, the HHS Secretary may amend the order to cease
distribution to include a mandatory recall, except from individuals. The Secretary
must also set a timetable for the recall and require reports on its progress. This
proposal has been endorsed by the consumer group Food & Water Watch, which
believes that “giving FDA such authority will speed up the removal of adulterated
food from commerce.”111
110 [http://energycommerce.house.gov/China%20Food%20Safety/Food%20Safety%20Draft
%20Bill.pdf].
111 Letter from Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director, Food & Water Watch, to
Representative John Dingell, Chairman, House Committee on Energy and Commerce, at 3
(August 17, 2007).

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