A recall notice explains how to identify a product and what action the agency or company instructs for that product, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA describes specific steps for foods and drugs, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) lists consumer product recalls and product safety warnings. Each agency provides recall information and, in many cases, a way to subscribe to alerts.
How to find recall information
The FDA says recall information for FDA‑regulated products appears in the agency’s Enforcement Report. It also offers a recall subscription service, where users can choose all recalls, commodity‑specific recalls such as food, and individual recall events on a daily or weekly basis. The FDA states that public warnings are posted on Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts, though not all recalls appear on that page.
For consumer products, CPSC’s Recalls & Product Safety Warnings page lists recalls and product safety warnings and allows searches by date, hazard, and category, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC states, “Never miss a recall – subscribe for recall emails,” and provides options to download recall data. The page also links to SaferProducts.gov to report unsafe products.
What to do for recalled food
The FDA states that consumers should read the food recall notice carefully and follow any product‑specific instructions. The agency says recalled products may often be returned to the store for a full refund; if not, the product should be disposed of properly, and if it is contaminated, it should be wrapped securely before putting it in the trash. The FDA adds that recalled food should not be given to others, such as a food bank or a pet.
The FDA describes cleaning steps when surfaces may have contacted contaminated food. It advises washing the inside walls and shelves of the refrigerator, cutting boards, countertops, and utensils that may have contacted the food, then sanitizing them with a mix of one tablespoon of chlorine bleach per one gallon of hot water and drying with a clean cloth or paper towel that has not been previously used. The FDA says to clean and sanitize any surfaces used to serve or store items that might be contaminated and to wash hands with warm water and soap after cleaning and sanitizing.
If someone has symptoms that may be related to an FDA‑regulated food, the FDA says to contact a health care provider to report symptoms and receive care. To report a complaint or adverse event such as illness or a serious allergic reaction, the FDA directs consumers to visit Industry and Consumer Assistance.
What to do for recalled medicine
The FDA explains that a company may initiate a drug recall at any time or a recall may be recommended or requested by the FDA, and the agency oversees the company’s recall strategy and evaluates its effectiveness. When a company issues a drug recall announcement, the FDA posts the announcement on FDA.gov or may issue its own notification if needed to protect consumers; however, the FDA notes that not all recalls are announced on FDA.gov or in the news media and that public notification is generally issued for widely distributed products or serious hazards. The FDA also maintains a database of all recalled medicines that includes the recall classification and the reason for the recall.
To check a recalled medicine, the FDA instructs patients to review the lot number on the medicine’s label and see if it matches the lot number in the recall notification. The FDA classifies recalls by risk: class I recalls involve a reasonable probability of serious health consequences and are urgent, generally involving removal from the market at the consumer level; class II recalls may cause temporary health consequences with a remote probability of a serious issue and are generally conducted at the retail level; class III recalls are not likely to cause health consequences and are generally conducted at the wholesale level.
For actions to take, the FDA states that class I recall notifications provide instructions for patients and recommends that patients follow the recalling company’s instructions. For class II and III recalls, the FDA says patients and consumers can generally continue taking the medicine unless the recalling company or the FDA gives different instructions, and it advises talking to a doctor or pharmacist if there are questions or concerns. The FDA adds that companies may advise returning recalled medications to the place of purchase and that most retailers have established return and refund policies for recalled products.
How food recalls and drug recalls are initiated and overseen
According to the FDA, food recalls remove from the market foods that violate FDA regulations. The FDA says its food authority covers everything other than meat, poultry and processed egg products; those items fall under the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Food recalls are usually initiated voluntarily by the manufacturer or distributor, though the FDA may request or mandate a recall in some situations.
For drugs, the FDA states that it oversees the recalling company’s strategy, reviews efforts to notify customers and remove defective products, and says it will take additional actions to protect consumers when a recall is found to be ineffective. The agency’s role includes evaluating recall effectiveness and ensuring adequate steps were taken to implement the recall.
How consumer product recalls are listed and how to report unsafe products
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recalls page presents recall and product safety warning listings and allows the public to download data and subscribe to recall emails, according to CPSC. The page also displays information on remedies associated with recalls, such as refunds, repairs, replacements, disposal, or new instructions. CPSC says unsafe products can be reported at SaferProducts.gov.