FDA Recall Intelligence Scraper - AI-Powered Safety & Compliance Monitoring

Extract comprehensive FDA recall data for drugs, medical devices, and food products with AI-powered intelligence scoring. Search 82,000+ recalls from the openFDA database. Perfect for compliance monitoring, supply chain risk management, consumer safety research, and legal due diligence.

🚀 Why Use This Actor?

Market Opportunity

• 82,000+ FDA recalls in the database (17K drugs, 37K devices, 28K food)
• $50B+ recall costs annually in the US
• Growing demand for automated compliance monitoring
• Critical for supply chain safety and risk management

Key Features

• ✅ AI Intelligence Scoring: 0-100 score based on severity, recency, and distribution
• ✅ Comprehensive Search: Filter by product type, classification, company, keywords, dates
• ✅ Free Public API: Uses openFDA.gov (no API key needed for basic use)
• ✅ Rich Data Fields: 20+ fields including reason, distribution, status, company info
• ✅ Class I/II/III Classification: Track life-threatening to minor violations
• ✅ Pay-Per-Result: $0.05/recall, 50 free recalls
• ✅ Fast & Reliable: Async HTTP requests with proper error handling

📊 What Data Do You Get?

Recall Core Information

Field	Description	Example
product_type	Type of product	drug, device, food
product_description	Full product description	Progesterone 100 mg/mL Injection
classification	Recall severity class	Class I, Class II, Class III
status	Current recall status	Ongoing, Terminated
reason_for_recall	Why the recall was initiated	Lack of Assurance of Sterility
recall_number	Official FDA recall number	D-321-2016
recall_initiation_date	When recall started	20150903
intelligence_score	AI score (0-100)	85

Company Information

Field	Description	Example
recalling_firm	Company issuing recall	Pfizer Inc
city	Company city	New York
state	Company state	NY
country	Company country	United States
postal_code	ZIP/postal code	10017

Distribution & Impact

Field	Description	Example
distribution_pattern	Geographic scope	Nationwide, CA, NY, TX
product_quantity	Amount recalled	10,000 units
voluntary_mandated	Type of recall	Voluntary: Firm initiated

Regulatory Details

Field	Description	Example
event_id	FDA event identifier	72241
report_date	FDA report date	20151125
termination_date	When recall ended	20171229
center_classification_date	Classification date	20151117
code_info	Lot/batch codes	Lot #: 072915, Exp 10/29/2015

Drug-Specific Fields (when available)

Field	Description	Example
brand_name	Brand name	Tylenol
generic_name	Generic name	Acetaminophen
manufacturer_name	Manufacturer	Johnson & Johnson

🧠 AI Intelligence Scoring Algorithm

The actor calculates a 0-100 intelligence score for each recall based on:

1. Classification Severity (50 points)

FDA classifies recalls by health risk level.

• Class I (50 points): Dangerous or defective products that could cause serious health problems or death

  • Examples: Contaminated injectable drugs, defective heart valves, mislabeled allergens

• Class II (30 points): Products that might cause temporary health problem or pose slight threat of serious nature

  • Examples: Incorrect dosage instructions, minor contamination, equipment malfunction

• Class III (15 points): Products unlikely to cause adverse health reaction but violate FDA labeling/manufacturing regulations

  • Examples: Minor packaging defects, labeling errors

2. Recency Score (25 points)

More recent recalls are generally more actionable.

• < 1 month old: 25 points (immediate action needed)
• 1-3 months: 20 points (recent concern)
• 3-6 months: 15 points (moderate priority)
• 6-12 months: 10 points (historical context)
• > 1 year: 5 points (reference data)

3. Distribution Scope (15 points)

Wider distribution increases impact and urgency.

• Nationwide/National: 15 points
• USA/United States: 12 points
• Regional/Multi-state: 8 points
• Local/Single state: 5 points

4. Recall Status (10 points)

Active recalls require immediate attention.

• Ongoing/Open: 10 points (active monitoring required)
• Terminated/Completed: 5 points (resolved issue)
• Other/Unknown: 7 points (default)

💼 Use Cases

1. Pharmacy & Healthcare Compliance Monitoring

Track drug and device recalls to ensure patient safety and regulatory compliance.

Example Input:

{
  "productType": "drug",
  "classification": ["Class I", "Class II"],
  "dateFrom": "2024-01-01",
  "maxResults": 500
}

Business Value:

• Identify recalled medications in inventory
• Prevent dispensing of dangerous products
• Meet FDA compliance requirements
• Protect patient safety

2. Hospital Supply Chain Risk Management

Monitor medical device recalls to prevent use of defective equipment.

Example Input:

{
  "productType": "device",
  "keywords": ["pacemaker", "surgical", "implant"],
  "classification": ["Class I"],
  "maxResults": 200
}

Business Value:

• Prevent patient harm from faulty devices
• Manage inventory recalls proactively
• Document compliance for audits
• Reduce liability exposure

3. Food Safety & Consumer Protection

Track food recalls for contamination, allergens, and safety hazards.

Example Input:

{
  "productType": "food",
  "keywords": ["salmonella", "listeria", "allergen", "undeclared"],
  "dateFrom": "2024-01-01",
  "maxResults": 300
}

Business Value:

• Protect consumers from foodborne illness
• Monitor supplier compliance
• Identify contamination trends
• Support recall response planning

4. Manufacturer & Distributor Monitoring

Track competitor recalls and industry trends.

Example Input:

{
  "firmName": "Competitor Company Inc",
  "dateFrom": "2023-01-01",
  "maxResults": 100,
  "includeIntelligenceScore": true
}

Business Value:

• Monitor competitor quality issues
• Identify industry-wide problems
• Benchmark safety performance
• Inform product development

5. Legal Due Diligence & Litigation Support

Research recall history for M&A, litigation, or regulatory investigations.

Example Input:

{
  "firmName": "Target Acquisition Company",
  "dateFrom": "2020-01-01",
  "maxResults": 500,
  "includeIntelligenceScore": true
}

Business Value:

• Assess acquisition targets
• Support product liability cases
• Evaluate regulatory risk
• Document safety track record

6. Quality Assurance & Risk Analysis

Analyze recall patterns to improve quality systems.

Example Input:

{
  "keywords": ["manufacturing defect", "contamination", "labeling error"],
  "dateFrom": "2024-01-01",
  "maxResults": 1000
}

Business Value:

• Identify common failure modes
• Improve quality processes
• Prevent future recalls
• Reduce compliance costs

📝 Input Parameters

Product Type

productType (string, optional)

Type of FDA recalls to extract.

Options:

• all (default): All products (drugs + devices + food)
• drug: Drugs only
• device: Medical devices only
• food: Food & cosmetics only

Example: "drug"

Search Filters

classification (array of strings, optional)

Filter by recall severity class.

Options:

• Class I: Most serious - risk of death or serious injury
• Class II: Moderate risk - temporary/reversible health consequences
• Class III: Least serious - unlikely to cause adverse health reaction

Example:

["Class I", "Class II"]

Tips:

• Leave empty to get all classifications
• Focus on Class I for critical safety issues
• Include all classes for comprehensive monitoring

keywords (array of strings, optional)

Keywords to search in product descriptions.

Example:

["insulin", "contamination", "allergen"]

Tips:

• Use specific medical/technical terms
• Include common issues: "contamination", "mislabeled", "undeclared allergen"
• Search by condition: "diabetes", "heart disease"

firmName (string, optional)

Name of the recalling firm or manufacturer.

Example: "Pfizer Inc"

Tips:

• Use official company names
• Include variations: "Inc", "LLC", "Corporation"
• Check FDA records for exact name format

Date Range

dateFrom (string, optional)

Start date for recall initiation date in YYYY-MM-DD format.

Default: 1 year ago

Example: "2024-01-01"

dateTo (string, optional)

End date for recall initiation date in YYYY-MM-DD format.

Default: Today

Example: "2025-12-31"

Options

maxResults (integer, optional)

Maximum number of recalls to extract.

Range: 1-1000 Default: 100

Note: openFDA API has a limit of 1000 results per query.

includeIntelligenceScore (boolean, optional)

Whether to calculate AI-powered intelligence scores.

Default: true

Recommendation: Leave enabled for better prioritization.

🎯 Example Inputs

Minimal Input (Last Year's Recalls)

{
  "productType": "all"
}

Returns all types of recalls from the last year.

Critical Drug Recalls

{
  "productType": "drug",
  "classification": ["Class I"],
  "dateFrom": "2024-01-01",
  "maxResults": 500,
  "includeIntelligenceScore": true
}

Food Contamination Alerts

{
  "productType": "food",
  "keywords": ["salmonella", "listeria", "e. coli"],
  "dateFrom": "2024-01-01",
  "maxResults": 300
}

Company Recall History

{
  "firmName": "Johnson & Johnson",
  "dateFrom": "2020-01-01",
  "maxResults": 200
}

Medical Device Safety

{
  "productType": "device",
  "keywords": ["implant", "cardiac", "surgical"],
  "classification": ["Class I", "Class II"],
  "maxResults": 500
}

Comprehensive Monitoring

{
  "productType": "all",
  "classification": ["Class I"],
  "dateFrom": "2024-01-01",
  "dateTo": "2025-12-31",
  "maxResults": 1000,
  "includeIntelligenceScore": true
}

📈 Pricing

Pay-Per-Result Model

Recalls	Cost	Per Recall
1-50	FREE	$0.00
51-100	$2.50	$0.05
101-500	$22.50	$0.05
501-1,000	$47.50	$0.05

No monthly subscription fee - pay only for what you extract!

Pricing Examples

• 100 recalls: $2.50 (50 free + 50 × $0.05)
• 250 recalls: $10.00 (50 free + 200 × $0.05)
• 500 recalls: $22.50 (50 free + 450 × $0.05)
• 1,000 recalls: $47.50 (50 free + 950 × $0.05)

Why This Pricing?

• ✅ 100x more valuable than general web scraping
• ✅ No subscription - pure pay-per-result
• ✅ Generous free tier - 50 free recalls to try
• ✅ Transparent - know exactly what you'll pay
• ✅ Scalable - from testing to enterprise use

Compare to alternatives:

• Manual FDA searches: Hours of staff time at $30-100/hour
• Compliance monitoring services: $500-5,000/month subscriptions
• FDA data vendors: $0.10-0.50 per recall
• Custom API integration: Months of development time

⚙️ How It Works

1. Data Source

Uses the official openFDA API (https://api.fda.gov), which provides:

• 82,000+ FDA enforcement reports (recalls)
• Updated weekly with new recalls
• Free public access (no API key for basic use)
• JSON REST API with advanced search capabilities

2. Technology Stack

• Python 3.11 with async/await for performance
• aiohttp for asynchronous HTTP requests
• Apify SDK for data storage and management
• openFDA API for recall data

3. Processing Pipeline

1. Input Parsing: Validate and normalize search parameters
2. Query Building: Construct openFDA API query with filters
3. API Requests: Async HTTP GET to openFDA endpoints
4. Data Processing: Extract and structure recall fields
5. Intelligence Scoring: Calculate 0-100 AI scores
6. Data Storage: Save to Apify dataset in JSON format

4. Rate Limiting & Performance

• openFDA allows 240 requests/minute (no API key) or 120,000/day (with key)
• Async requests for optimal performance
• Handles pagination automatically
• Graceful error handling and retries

📊 Recall Classification Explained

Class I - Most Serious

Definition: Dangerous or defective products that could cause serious health problems or death.

Examples:

• Contaminated injectable drugs
• Defective heart valves or pacemakers
• Undeclared allergens in food (e.g., peanuts)
• Surgical instruments that break during procedures
• Contaminated infant formula

Action Required: Immediate removal from market and consumer notification.

Class II - Moderate Risk

Definition: Products that might cause temporary health problem or pose slight threat of serious nature.

Examples:

• Incorrect dosage instructions on medications
• Minor contamination that doesn't pose serious health risk
• Equipment malfunction that doesn't cause injury
• Mislabeling that could lead to misuse
• Over-the-counter drugs with packaging defects

Action Required: Market withdrawal and notification to those who received the product.

Class III - Minor Violations

Definition: Products unlikely to cause adverse health reaction but violate FDA regulations.

Examples:

• Minor packaging defects that don't affect safety
• Labeling errors that don't impact use
• Color additives not approved for specific use
• Minor manufacturing deviations
• Container defects that don't compromise product

Action Required: Voluntary correction, may not require public notification.

🔧 Integration Examples

JavaScript/TypeScript

const { ApifyClient } = require('apify-client');

const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: 'YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN',
});

const input = {
    productType: 'drug',
    classification: ['Class I'],
    dateFrom: '2024-01-01',
    maxResults: 100,
};

const run = await client.actor('YOUR_ACTOR_ID').call(input);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();

console.log(`Found ${items.length} recalls`);
items.forEach(recall => {
    console.log(`${recall.classification}: ${recall.product_description} (Score: ${recall.intelligence_score})`);
});

Python

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient('YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN')

input_data = {
    'productType': 'device',
    'classification': ['Class I', 'Class II'],
    'dateFrom': '2024-01-01',
    'maxResults': 200,
}

run = client.actor('YOUR_ACTOR_ID').call(run_input=input_data)

for item in client.dataset(run['defaultDatasetId']).iterate_items():
    print(f"{item['classification']}: {item['product_description'][:80]}... (Score: {item['intelligence_score']})")

REST API

curl -X POST https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/YOUR_ACTOR_ID/runs \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "productType": "food",
    "keywords": ["salmonella"],
    "maxResults": 100
  }'

📊 Data Export Formats

Export your recall data in multiple formats:

• JSON - Structured data for APIs and applications
• CSV - Spreadsheet analysis in Excel/Google Sheets
• HTML - Human-readable reports
• XML - Legacy system integration
• RSS - Feed subscription for monitoring

❓ FAQ

How current is the recall data?

The openFDA database is updated weekly with new FDA enforcement reports. You'll have access to recalls published as recently as last week.

Does this include withdrawn products?

Yes, the database includes both active recalls and terminated (completed) recalls. Use the status field to filter by current state.

Can I search for specific drug or device names?

Yes, use the keywords parameter to search for specific product names, active ingredients, or device types in the product description field.

What's the difference between recall_initiation_date and report_date?

• recall_initiation_date: When the firm started the recall action
• report_date: When FDA published the enforcement report
• Usually report_date is later than recall_initiation_date

How accurate is the intelligence scoring?

The AI scoring is based on proven recall risk indicators:

• Classification: FDA's official severity assessment
• Recency: More recent = higher priority
• Distribution: Wider scope = more impact
• Status: Active recalls need immediate attention

Can I download all 82,000 recalls?

The openFDA API limits single queries to 1,000 results. For larger datasets:

1. Split your search by date ranges
2. Run multiple queries by product type
3. Filter by classification or company
4. Combine results in post-processing

Are recalls from other countries included?

No, this database contains US FDA enforcement reports only. For international recalls, check:

• European Medicines Agency (EMA)
• Health Canada
• WHO Global Rapid Alert System

What if a recall affects my product?

This tool is for informational/monitoring purposes only. If you discover a recall affecting your inventory:

1. Stop distribution immediately
2. Contact the recalling firm for instructions
3. Follow FDA guidance for recall procedures
4. Document all actions taken

How long does a typical run take?

• 100 recalls: 5-10 seconds
• 500 recalls: 15-30 seconds
• 1,000 recalls: 30-60 seconds

Time varies based on API response times and query complexity.

Can I schedule automatic monitoring?

Yes! Set up scheduled runs in Apify to:

• Check for new Class I recalls daily
• Monitor specific companies weekly
• Track industry trends monthly
• Alert on critical safety issues

🎓 Additional Resources

FDA Resources

• FDA Recalls, Market Withdrawals & Safety Alerts
• openFDA Documentation
• FDA Enforcement Report Datasets

Recall Classification

• FDA Recall Classifications
• Understanding FDA Enforcement Reports

Compliance & Safety

• FDA Compliance References
• Drug Quality & Security Act
• Medical Device Reporting

💡 Pro Tips

1. Focus on Class I for critical issues: Filter by ["Class I"] for life-threatening recalls
2. Use specific keywords: "contamination" is better than "problem"
3. Monitor competitors: Track firmName for competitive intelligence
4. Check distribution patterns: Nationwide recalls have broader impact
5. Export to CSV: Easy analysis in Excel/Google Sheets
6. Watch for trends: Group by reason_for_recall to identify patterns
7. Schedule regular runs: Automate daily monitoring for new recalls
8. Combine with inventory: Cross-reference recalls with your product database
9. Filter by status: Focus on "Ongoing" recalls for active monitoring
10. Archive historical data: Keep records for compliance documentation

🚀 Get Started

1. Try the free tier: 50 recalls free - no credit card needed
2. Run a test search: Start with your industry or products
3. Review the data: Check output quality and fields
4. Scale up: Expand to larger searches as needed
5. Automate: Schedule regular runs for ongoing monitoring

📞 Support

• Issues: Report bugs on GitHub or Apify Console
• Questions: Contact support via Apify platform
• Feature requests: We're always improving - let us know what you need!

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Built with ❤️ for healthcare professionals, safety officers, and consumer advocates

Monitor FDA recalls at scale. Protect public health. Stay ahead of safety issues.