This article examines the factors that influence a manager's determination of an event or situation as a crisis. Various strategies of responding to a crisis are explained along with factors that may influence the strategy chosen to ameliorate a crisis situation. The methods that companies use to prepare for future crises are also reviewed. Several past business crises and the scope of those crises are reviewed. The selection and execution of crisis response strategies to a recall prompted by Salmonella Typhimurium are examined along with specific actions that several companies in the food industry took in response to the situation. The role of United States Government agencies in the recall process is also explained.

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