Food recalls: “Information is not reaching consumers enough”

More than 40 batches were recalled between Monday and Tuesday due to suspected contamination, according to the government website Rappel Conso. JIMMY BEUNARDEAU / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP

Massive cheese recalls were initiated as a precaution in August after a link was established with cases of listeriosis identified by health authorities. While "no contamination of products by Listeria," the bacteria in question , has been detected, as the Ministry of Agriculture assured on Tuesday, August 13, associations have denounced the response time between the first detection of the bacteria on June 12 and the massive recall of products launched at the beginning of the week.

For Camille Dorioz, campaigns director for the consumer advocacy NGO Foodwatch, the recall chain and its communication need to be reviewed.

How does product detection and recall work?

It should be noted from the outset that health authorities do not have the means to control all products, so companies and distributors are required to self-monitor and notify the government when they find a defect or contamination. Companies can therefore initiate a recall themselves, but this is the first flaw in this system, since they are both judge and jury, by controlling their products and sanctioning themselves with a recall. This can lead to qualms of conscience given the economic cost involved. In June, during the first recall of Chavegrand cheeses, it was a distributor, Carrefour, that made a report. For the August recall, hospitals across France detected cases of listeriosis and analyzed them to determine if they came from the same strain. An investigation by Santé publique France then made it possible to trace the food chain to find the products in question. And then, of course, consumers can make a report themselves.

How can consumers find out about these recalls?

Have you ever, in your life, reported a product that was the subject of a recall? Not me, and yet I follow all of this very closely! It is certain that with more than 2000 food recalls per year, I have already consumed a recalled product. The problem is that the information does not reach the consumer enough, and the brands and distributors do not help. Communication only really works during cases of health scandals, thanks to the media wave, which also allows consumers to discover the Rappel Conso website. Of course, some stores play the game by hanging posters next to the recalled products, but others record them in a notebook at the reception that no one will look at. Ultimately, for this to work, a consumer would have to check all their products on Rappel Conso before putting them in the fridge, but that is not acceptable. Knowing that a significant portion of recalled products are processed products that are not intended to be stored for long, by the time a person is aware of a recall, or sees the notice during their next shopping trip, they will have already consumed it. Today, people are being asked to be proactive, when it shouldn't be their responsibility; it's the responsibility of the government and those who produce and market the products.

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How can we improve this news channel?

Distributors and brands need to communicate more. We can imagine them relaying recalls on their social networks, but we can see that this would pose an advertising problem for them. I'm also thinking of a system similar to what is done in other European countries like Belgium, Ireland, or Scotland, where consumers can register on government websites to be notified by email or text message in the event of recalls. It's necessary to reach out to consumers directly to warn them. This is an issue of general interest and public health, and it's essential that this takes precedence over economic interests because with cases like Listeria, the consequences can be serious for sensitive populations.

In a statement about the cheese recall, you said that "as usual, these recalls come too late when the damage is done." Why?

We always have the same scenario: when I see a recall on January 3 for a batch of 20 Christmas logs, I say to myself "that's very convenient, they were eaten." Obviously, I have no proof that there was bad intention, but I can't help thinking about it and neither can the consumer. In the case of Chavegrand, there was already a problem in June. And I think of the Kinder scandal that affected Ferrero three years ago : the recall took place just before Easter, but when we dig deeper, we realized that the first alerts from the health authorities dated back to December. From there, obviously, we have the impression that manufacturers are not playing the game, and this leads to a loss of consumer confidence.

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How to put pressure on brands and distributors?

At Foodwatch, we are asking for an obligation on their part to be more proactive in their communication, and this could involve financial penalties. This is another problem with the current system: if a company recalls a product tomorrow, it won't necessarily be penalized for having something potentially dangerous on the market. There is also no punishment if you recall a product too late. Let's imagine an extremely high fine, for example, €1 million per day between the time the company receives the results of analyses showing contamination of a product and the time it issues the recall. I think it would go much faster. The company must be penalized as soon as it hasn't done everything in its power to avoid putting these products on the market. And for those who try to hide or delay a recall, to sweep it under the rug, as is unfortunately sometimes the case in these cases, the penalty must be so severe that you will never do it again. Today, these penalties don't exist.

Interview by Marie Fiachetti