Recall Trends Tracked in Launch of ExpertRECALL Index

By Mike Rozembajgier

Recalls have always been of interest to the media because of the potential risks they reveal. But as regulatory agencies face increasing criticism from consumer advocacy organizations and other groups, it is even more important that manufacturers and retailers pay close attention to recall trends and the complexities of the recall process. In order to help keep companies and consumers up-to-date on the recall landscape, we have launched the ExpertRECALL^TM Index to track recall activity across the medical device, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, consumer products and juvenile products industries.

The ExpertRECALL Index examines trends and issues about which consumers and manufacturers need to be aware. For example, the ExpertRECALL Index for the second quarter of 2011 found that:

• FDA enforcement reports documented 97 pharmaceutical recalls during the second quarter of 2011, a five-quarter high for the category.

• Medical device recalls in the second quarter 2011 were down 27 percent compared with the first quarter.

• Undeclared allergens were the most common cause of food recalls during the quarter, accounting for more than 45 percent of all food recalls.

• Laceration risks were the leading cause of product recalls by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

• Consumers reported 587 incidents in connection with children’s and infant products.

While we are not seeing increased recall activity in every category, the trends suggest that regulatory agencies will continue to intensify their oversight of both manufacturers and retailers, resulting in more recalls as the year wears on. With this in mind, manufacturers and distributors should keep a close eye on their regulatory agencies. They should also watch carefully for activity from industry critics and consumer safety advocates. Their persistence can influence government oversight and trigger investigations and recalls.

The quarterly ExpertRECALL Index provides a top-line summary of significant recall data, including quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year comparisons and trends.

Stericycle ExpertRECALL™ is the industry leader in recall logistics and regulatory compliance for consumer product, pharmaceutical, medical device, juvenile product, and food and beverage recalls. ExpertRECALL’s professionals are experts in recall management who can help you streamline the entire product recall process.