This week, more than 40 produce industry professionals representing a wide range of commodities and products participated in United’s popular Training for a Recall, Communicating Under Fire course, sponsored by Syngenta. The training sessions, conducted at the Embassy Suites in Seaside, Calif., featured presentations covering a broad range of issues related to produce recalls, including FDA expectations, recall liability, traceability and crisis management.

"Recalls can be painful, or they can be very painful," said David Gombas, senior vice president of food safety and technology at United Fresh, who led training exercises at the event. "Taking the time to prepare for a recall in advance can make a big difference."

Session participants heard from FDA investigator John Liu from the agency's San Francisco District, as well as United General Counsel David Durkin, a specialist in food safety laws and regulations.

"FDA inspectors often do not understand exactly what they're looking for," Durkin said during his presentation. "Therefore, it's important for companies to know their rights and responsibilities to ensure compliance, without letting inspectors simply go on fishing expeditions." As part of his overview on legal considerations of an FDA recall, he also previewed provisions of pending federal food safety legislation.

A highlight of the event was a mock traceability exercise, which gave attendees a chance to test their recall management skills using a real-world scenario. In addition to the recall seminar, United Fresh is hosting media training for participants, geared for working with reporters during recall situations.

United Fresh hosts another recall and media training event in West Palm Beach, Florida, October 28-30, 2009. Contact Victoria Backer at 202-303-3400 for more information.