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Recall Monitorby SyncVentura

Where official recalls are published

Recalls and product warnings are not published in one place but in many official databases, depending on the country and product group. Here are the main sources for stores selling into the EU, the UK, the US, Canada or Australia, and notes on matching alerts against your catalogue.

Last updated: · Recall Monitor by SyncVentura

At a glance

  • For consumer products in the EU, the European Commission’s Safety Gate is the central source.
  • Food, cosmetics, medicines, medical devices and vehicles have their own databases in many countries.
  • Alerts are matched most reliably by barcode (EAN, GTIN, UPC), then by model number; the brand alone is only a hint.
  • With a larger catalogue, a regular – ideally daily – check is more practical than looking now and then.

European Union: Safety Gate

Safety Gate is the EU rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products. Member state authorities report measures taken against dangerous products there, such as sales bans, withdrawals and recalls; the European Commission publishes the alerts on the Safety Gate portal.

An alert usually contains the product category, name, brand, type or model number, often a barcode or batch number, a photo, the type of risk, the measure taken and the notifying country.

  • Safety GateEuropean Commission

    Alerts on dangerous consumer products from all member states, searchable by product category, brand and country.

  • RASFF WindowEuropean Commission

    The separate rapid alert system for food and feed.

Germany

  • lebensmittelwarnung.deGerman federal states and the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL)

    Warnings and recalls for food, cosmetics and consumer goods such as toys, tableware or clothing (in German).

  • RecallsFederal Motor Transport Authority (KBA)

    Recalls of vehicles and vehicle parts (in German).

  • Manufacturers’ measuresFederal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM)

    Field safety notices from medical device manufacturers on corrective actions in Germany (in German).

For consumer products without a database of their own, such as electrical appliances, furniture or tools, EU Safety Gate is the main source; German authorities also report dangerous products there.

United States

  • RecallsConsumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

    Recalls of consumer products such as toys, children’s products, furniture, household and electrical appliances.

  • Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety AlertsFood and Drug Administration (FDA)

    Recalls of food, dietary supplements, cosmetics, drugs and medical devices.

  • RecallsNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

    Recalls of vehicles and vehicle equipment, including child car seats and tyres.

Meat, poultry and egg products are the responsibility of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the US Department of Agriculture.

United Kingdom

Canada and Australia

  • Recalls, advisories and safety alertsGovernment of Canada (Health Canada, CFIA and others)

    A joint portal for recalls and safety alerts, covering consumer products, food and health products, among others.

  • Food recallsFood Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)

    Food recalls in Australia.

  • Product Safety AustraliaAustralian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)

    Recalls of consumer products in Australia.

Across countries: OECD GlobalRecalls

The OECD GlobalRecalls portal brings together consumer product recalls from many countries. It is useful for an overview; the notice from the relevant authority is authoritative.

How to match alerts against your catalogue

An alert rarely concerns an entire brand; it usually covers a specific model, batch or period. These attributes help, in descending order of certainty:

  1. Barcode (EAN, GTIN, UPC)

    If it matches, it is very likely the same product. A 12-digit UPC from the US corresponds to a 13-digit EAN with a leading zero.

  2. Model number or SKU

    Reliable if written the same way; hyphens, spaces and suffixes often differ.

  3. Brand

    Only a hint: the alert usually concerns a different product of the same brand. Compare pictures and descriptions.

  4. Batch, serial number, period

    Decide whether your stock and the goods you sold are actually affected.

Many alerts contain no barcode. The more complete your own product data – EAN, model number, brand –, the more likely a match is spotted. The GPSR requires these identifiers on every product page anyway (Article 19(c), see GPSR product information for Shopify stores).

How often should you check?

The GPSR sets no fixed interval. But distributors must not sell a product they have reason to believe is unsafe (Article 12(3)) – and the longer a recalled product stays in your store, the more customers are affected.

With a larger catalogue, a daily automatic check is more practical than looking now and then. Check new products as soon as you create them. What to do in case of a match is covered in Product recalls: what online sellers must do.

Sources

This guide gives a general overview as of the date shown and is not legal advice. The wording of the regulations is authoritative; individual cases may require advice from a lawyer or the competent authority.