A product recall is an expensive, fast-moving event, and the disposal of the recovered stock is the part most often improvised. Product recall ABP collection is the licensed route by which withdrawn food containing material of animal origin leaves a business, and doing it properly is what allows a manufacturer to demonstrate to a retailer, an auditor or a regulator that the affected product is genuinely out of the supply chain. Martlands is a family-run, DEFRA approved operator in Burscough licensed for all three ABP categories, and our fallen stock and ABP collection business handles recall and withdrawal volumes for food manufacturers, retailers and distributors across the North West.
This article covers the classification of recalled stock, the evidence a business will be asked to produce, and the practical arrangements that need to be in place before a recall happens rather than during one.
Recalled Food as Animal By-Product Material
Food that contains or is contaminated with material of animal origin and is no longer intended for human consumption is animal by-product material. Where the reason for withdrawal is commercial or a packaging, labelling or quality defect, and the product was otherwise fit, it is Category 3 material. That covers the great majority of withdrawals, including mislabelled allergen cases where the product itself is sound, date coding errors and short-dated stock recovered from customers.
Category 3 material is processed through approved routes and cannot go to landfill in a general waste stream. Our Category 3 ABP collection service operates under Animal By-Products Licence No APB/CCN21/373/8002, with Waste Carrier Licence CB/QE5406MT and Site Licence EAWML/100236, and we hold licences across all three categories so the route can be matched to the material.
When the Category Is Higher
The classification changes where the reason for the recall is a hazard rather than a defect. Product contaminated with a chemical, a veterinary medicine residue, a heavy metal or foreign material that would make it unsuitable for animal feed cannot go into the Category 3 stream, because Category 3 material can be processed into feed. Microbiological contamination is assessed on its facts. Where the reason for withdrawal makes the material unsuitable for feed, it must be routed to Category 2 ABP collection or higher.
This is not a judgment to make quickly under pressure. Tell us the reason for the withdrawal when you call, and we will confirm the routing before the material moves. Our note on categories of animal by-products explained sets out the distinctions.
Packaged Stock and Depackaging
Recalled product is almost always packaged, frequently palletised and sometimes still in outer transit cases. The packaging is not animal by-product material and the contents are, and they need to be separated at an appropriate point in the process. Attempting to depackage several pallets of chilled product in a despatch bay is a poor idea for hygiene, drainage and staff time reasons alike.
Agree the presentation at the point the collection is arranged. Depending on the volume, the packaging type and the material, it may be collected as packaged product for processing elsewhere or may need separating first. That conversation takes five minutes in advance and can take a day if it is left until the vehicle is on site.
The Evidence Chain a Recall Generates
The whole point of a recall is to demonstrate that the affected product is out of circulation, and the disposal documentation is the closing entry in that demonstration. Every collection produces a Commercial Document recording the category of material, the nature and quantity collected, the date, the collecting vehicle and the receiving premises. Read against the production and despatch records showing the quantity manufactured and the quantity recovered, it accounts for the batch.
Retailer technical teams and third-party auditors examine exactly this reconciliation. A recall in which the quantity disposed of does not correspond to the quantity recovered is the finding that keeps a corrective action open for months. Our note on animal by-products from food manufacturing sets out how the disposal records should sit alongside production traceability.
Security and Preventing Diversion
Recalled stock has value to somebody, and a recall is not complete if the product resurfaces at a market stall. Material awaiting collection should be held in a segregated, clearly labelled and access-controlled area, quarantined from saleable stock and from despatch. Where a recall involves a branded product the reputational exposure of diversion is considerable, and a licensed collector with documented custody is what closes that risk. Our guidance on storage of animal by-products covers segregation and labelling requirements.
Speed and Capacity
Recalls do not arrive at convenient times, and the volumes can be substantial. What determines how quickly a site can be cleared is usually vehicle capacity and access rather than willingness. When you call, give us the approximate weight or pallet count, the packaging type, whether the material is chilled or frozen, and the site access constraints. That determines what is sent and how many journeys are needed.
We collect across the food manufacturing base of the region, through the Greater Manchester ABP collection area, the Merseyside ABP collection district and the Lancashire corridor, with the M6, M62 and M58 giving reasonable access to most manufacturing and distribution sites.
Arranging Cover Before You Need It
The businesses that handle recalls best have the arrangement in place already. To set one up, or to arrange a collection now, call 01704 776977 or use the contact us page. We will confirm the routing for the material, agree the presentation, and provide the documentation that closes the loop on the batch.
