The requirement that applies today
The organization must be able to withdraw or recall lots of end product identified as potentially unsafe in good time, through competent people with the authority to start and carry out the action. It documents how it notifies relevant parties such as authorities, customers and consumers, how it handles withdrawn product and product still in stock, and the sequence of actions. Product is secured or held under control until it is dispositioned. The cause, extent and result are recorded and reported to top management for the review. The organization verifies implementation and effectiveness with techniques such as a mock or practice recall, and keeps the record.
ISO 22000:2018, 8.9.5 Control of product and process nonconformities: withdrawal and recall; ISO/DIS 22000:2026, 8.9.5.
What the draft does
Unchanged title: The public contents keep 8.9.5 at the same number and title. No structural change is shown.
Source: public contents and foreword at 8.9.5, retrieved 2026-10-19.
Why this clause matters
A recall is the moment the whole system is tested in public. The clause asks for a plan, authority, notification routes, product control and a test. The mock recall is the evidence that matters, and a mock that takes days or cannot reconcile quantities is a finding before a real event forces the issue.
Suggested evidence to discuss with your auditor
For 8.9.5, these are the artefacts we suggest discussing with your auditor. The standard publishes no evidence list, so this is our reading, not a requirement.
- A recall plan with decision authority and contact routes
- A mock recall report with timings and quantity reconciliation
- Notification templates for authority, customer and consumer
Where systems usually fall short
- A plan that has never been tested
- A mock that reaches customers but cannot reconcile the lot
How to prepare
Run a mock recall on a product that is still in the market. Time the notification, reconcile the quantity, and record what you could not find. Then fix the one thing that would have hurt most in a real event.
Dates
Cross-references
Source
Clause 8.9.5. Current edition: ISO 22000:2018. Draft: ISO/DIS 22000:2026. Retrieved 2026-10-19. The full DIS text for 8.9.5 is sold by ISO and not held here; the sources page lists what is.
Not legal advice; does not certify; our words, not the standard's, and the planning date is an estimate.