The preparedness group for the Group consists of: 

• CEO
• COO Farming
• COO VAP, Sales and Distribution
• Technical Director
• Head of ESG and Quality
• Head of Public affairs
• Group Director HR
• Head of procurement
• Head of IT Systems

The core & responsible of the preparedness group comprises of the CEO and Head of Quality and Sustainability. The other members are invited to meetings depending on the items to be discussed – Farming, VAP/ Sales, Fisheries or processing. The preparedness group has primary responsibility, both internally and externally, for communications and handling of any relevant challenges/crises.

Preparedness plans are also drawn up locally. All facilities have a local preparedness group if a recall should be necessary. The preparedness group consists of persons representing all parts of the operations. 

The typical procedure for product recall consists of the following phases: 

1. Written explanation of nonconformance
2. Classification:

Class I: Need for information 

Class II: Other faults/nonconformances in the product 

Class III: Products representing a health risk 

3. Notify manufacturer and management/preparedness team
4. Tracking product and other relevant batches, 

5  Verify nonconformance, i.e with external expertise (lab) 

6. Notify customers and authorities
7. Written explanation of what is to be recalled
8. Set plan to handle logistic
9. Set plan to handle further use/destruction
10. Corrective action to prevent recurrence

Recalls of products/ traceability test

Every year the Group performs a traceability test to verify that the traceability and recall system works correctly and efficiently, our recall procedure can be initiated and operated at any time and finalized within 4 hours. It is essential to train employees and improve recall procedures to be able to ensure an efficient recall regarding food safety if a real case should occur.

A traceability test/recall test is a fictive case related to food safety, which includes: Processing facility, harvest facility, farming including juvenile stations, feed supplier, sub suppliers, the authority and customers. All actors must supply correct documented information. It is also checked if relevant key contact/ out of hours contact details are up to date and correct. 

After a recall test, a summary is compiled by the preparedness group and improvement points are identified and implemented. A recall has a time limit of maximum 4 hours. 

The Quality Manager at the production facility (QMP) together with the quality Manager at the sales department (QMS) are responsible to ensure that all recalls are carried out according to the recall procedure. QMP and QMS are also responsible involving correct personnel, external expertise and recover documentation required ( analytical reports, quality assurance log, traceability information etc).

In 2021, 42 traceability tests were executed. No non-conformities were found.

Link

KPI:Product recall
Policy: Food safety

RECALL

A recall is when a product with defects that violate food safety, have reached the end consumer and is removed from the marked. A withdrawal is product with the same characteristic but are removed in the supply chain before it has reached the consumer.   

In 2021 the group had 5 recalls of Lerøy products produced by the group.

All 5 incidents are related to small local batches where Listeria Monocytogenes was detected on Ready to eat products. The recalls where performed as a precaution measure since the risk of Listeria Monocytogenes exceeding 100 CFU/g was present.

Corrective action have been carried out. The products have no either reduced shelf life ensuring that Listeria does not exceed 100 CFU, or are have “positive release”, meaning the products are on stock until listeria analysis is documented negative before product reach the marked.

Link

KPI:  Product recall