A product recall is action to remove or correct a marketed product because of a safety problem or a breach of applicable requirements. The remedy may involve repair, replacement, a refund or another specified action.
The instructions apply to the identified products. A recall of one model or production batch does not automatically cover everything sold under the same brand. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission’s guidance explains that the notice identifies the affected products and the remedy available.
How a recall works
A company may identify a problem through testing, complaints or information from its suppliers. It must establish which products are affected and what corrective action is needed. The responsible regulator and legal requirements depend on the product and country.
The US Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, describes recalls initiated by a firm, requested by the agency or ordered under statutory authority. A voluntary recall can still concern a serious hazard.
For a fictional kettle, the notice might identify a particular model and manufacturing batch, describe a faulty component and offer a repair. Owners would follow that notice’s instructions. Returning every kettle sold by the company would not necessarily be the remedy.
A business may face collection, testing, repair, replacement and communication costs. It also needs to check whether affected distributors, retailers and customers received the notice and completed the required action. The CPSC’s recall checklist covers identifying affected units, communicating with recipients and monitoring the response.
Recall depth and health risk are separate
Recall depth describes how far the action extends through distribution. It can reach warehouses and wholesalers, retailers, or consumers and other users. FDA’s recall procedures explain that the strategy considers both the health hazard and where the product has been distributed.
FDA Classes I, II and III describe different levels of assessed health risk for products within its jurisdiction. They are not alternative names for wholesale, retail and consumer recalls. Other regulators and countries may use different systems.
A notice should identify the affected item, explain the problem and state what recipients should do. Model names, lot codes, serial numbers and production dates can help identify the correct product. The notice determines whether to stop using it and how to obtain the stated remedy.
A historical egg recall
On April 13, 2018, Rose Acre Farms voluntarily recalled 206,749,248 shell eggs over possible Salmonella contamination, according to its announcement published by FDA. The scale was more than 206 million eggs.
The CDC’s final outbreak update reported 45 cases across 10 states, with information reported as of June 13, 2018. Those are historical investigation figures, not a current recall alert.
Video examples
The following video presents examples of past product recalls.
Last checked and updated on November 2, 2026 by the MBN editorial team.