A product recall can happen for a number of reasons, but how you handle it can have a tremendous impact on the outcome.

United Fresh will provide the training geared toward the produce industry to help minimize the impact of a recall May 27-29, at the Embassy Suites Monterey Bay-Seaside in Salinas, Calif.

Sponsored by Syngenta, this course offers a primer on the ins-and-outs of product recalls.

"Every company needs to know how to handle a crisis, because recalls impact your business whether your products is actually involved or not," says Tony Freytag, marketing director, Crunch Pak and 2008 course attendee.

The two-day workshop will detail how to prevent a product recall from becoming a crisis. There also will be a half-day session on media training. The first part of the course emphasizes the legal liability and implications of a recall, the role of testing in the decision making process, the importance of traceability and how to apply a crisis plan to product recall situations.

The second part includes training by communications and public affairs specialists on how to deliver messages under the pressure of a real-life interview. To ensure each attendee has an opportunity to experience on-camera mock media interviews, the class size for the media training is limited and requires a separate registration.

For registration and housing information, including group discounts, contact Julie Jacocks, United Fresh education coordinator, at jjacocks@unitedfresh.org, or call 202-303-3400, ext. 405.