Why pet food recall is by the manufacturer and always a “voluntary recall” ?

Before US Senate hearing on pet food recall, Senator Dick Durbin said: “"The FDA is like a fire department that is only called after the house has burned,'

He also said he would like to see federal law changed to allow the FDA to order a recall of food intended for human or pet consumption rather than rely on companies to do it voluntarily.

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Answer:
It was voluntary in that Menu Foods decided to issue the recall before they were ordered to. This is often done as a cost/benefit calculation.

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