BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

At first glance, news that a million pounds of pistachio nuts have been recalled due to potential salmonella contamination may seem like a rerun of a movie we've seen before. Wasn't it just last month that we finally saw the end of our six-week national nightmare over the recall of products made by the now-defunct Peanut Corporation of America?

But while public anxiety about food safety has reached fever pitch, consumers should know that the pistachio and peanut recalls differ substantially. First, Kraft Foods voluntarily pulled pistachios from the shelves before receiving any reports of illness, or even a government warning. Second, the company' s follow-through in keeping the public informed has been exceptional.

Kraft alerted the Food and Drug Administration to the possible contamination as soon as it found the evidence. At a time when the Obama Administration is cracking down on food safety, Kraft has provided a salient reminder of why a total regulatory overhaul may be unnecessary if brand-name food companies act appropriately.

Due to the swift action of Kraft Foods - and its cooperation with supplier Setton Farms - it' s likely we' re not looking at the kind widespread health problems contaminated peanuts caused in January. Thanks to good-old-fashioned corporate responsibility, Kraft detected the contamination during routine internal testing and immediately moved to inform the proper authorities and prevent potentially harmful products from reaching the marketplace.

That' s probably got a lot to do with why FDA Associate Commissioner for Food Safety already feels confident enough to state that "we are not dealing with an outbreak here."

Furthermore, we already have answers as to what caused the problem - the mixing of raw and roasted nuts at Setton Farms' California processing facility. And as I have written in the space numerous times, combining action and answers is the formula for calming the public' s nerves and containing the brand damage that may result from any high-profile recall.

This is how our existing food-safety system is supposed to work. Industry (both brand-name companies and non-branded suppliers) and government need to work together, rather playing a game of cat-and-mouse.

Where the Peanut Corporation of America failed, Kraft Foods shined - and in the process, it offered any company that may experience a similar recall with a response template that can keep consumers - and the brand name - safe in times of crisis.