when trouble calls ...

Worried about the prospect of a visit from the federal food safety inspectors? Confused about where to begin in the case of a recall? The International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) has released two new manuals that provide helpful information for managing facility inspections and product recalls.

The first manual, FDA and USDA Inspection Manual for Foodservice Distributors, provides up-to-date guidance on distributors' rights and responsibilities in handling a visit from food safety regulators. Foodservice distributors can use the manual as a template for establishing a new set of procedures or to help evaluate their existing programs.

The second, Effective Recall Management for Foodservice Distributors, offers guidance for improving a company's existing processes for product recalls and details new requirements introduced by the Bioterrorism Act. The manual contains a comprehensive explanation of rules and regulatory schemes relating to recalls, provides guidance on conducting recalls in a timely and efficient manner, and details industry best practices in recall management.

For more information, visit www.ifdaonline.org.