:pill: FDA Recalls Tracker

Search the FDA enforcement and recall database via the openFDA API — covering drug, food, and medical device recalls across the United States. Thousands of active and historical recalls with classification severity, company details, and distribution patterns.

What data does it extract?

For each recall, the Actor extracts:

Field	Description
Recall Number	FDA recall identifier
Product Type	Drug, food, or device
Classification	Severity: Class I (most serious), Class II, or Class III
Status	Ongoing, Completed, Terminated, or Pending
Recalling Firm	Company that initiated the recall
Product Description	What was recalled
Reason for Recall	Why the product was recalled
Distribution Pattern	Where the product was distributed
Dates	Recall initiation, classification, and termination dates
Location	City, state, and country of the recalling firm

Output example

{
  "recallNumber": "D-0123-2026",
  "productType": "drug",
  "classification": "Class II",
  "status": "Ongoing",
  "recallingFirm": "Acme Pharmaceuticals Inc",
  "city": "Parsippany",
  "state": "NJ",
  "country": "United States",
  "productDescription": "Ibuprofen Tablets, 200 mg, 100 count bottles",
  "reasonForRecall": "Failed dissolution specifications",
  "codeInfo": "Lot# AB1234, Exp 12/2026",
  "productQuantity": "50,000 bottles",
  "distributionPattern": "Nationwide",
  "recallInitiationDate": "20260115",
  "voluntaryMandated": "Voluntary: Firm initiated",
  "scrapedAt": "2026-02-25T12:00:00.000Z",
  "sourceUrl": "https://api.fda.gov/drug/enforcement.json"
}

Input options

Parameter	Type	Description
productType	string	Which database to query: drug, food, or device. Default: drug.
status	string	Filter by status: Ongoing, Completed, Terminated, Pending. Leave empty for all.
classification	string	Filter by severity: Class I, Class II, or Class III. Leave empty for all.
searchText	string	Free text search across all fields (company name, product, reason, etc.).
dateFrom	string	Start date in YYYY-MM-DD format.
dateTo	string	End date in YYYY-MM-DD format.
maxRecords	integer	Maximum records to fetch. Default: 1,000.

Classification severity

Class	Severity	Description
Class I	Most serious	Products that could cause serious health problems or death
Class II	Moderate	Products that might cause temporary or reversible health effects
Class III	Least serious	Products unlikely to cause adverse health reactions

Use cases

• Food safety teams — Monitor recalls affecting your supply chain or product categories
• Pharmaceutical companies — Track competitor recalls and industry-wide quality trends
• Healthcare providers — Stay informed about drug and device recalls affecting patients
• Compliance officers — Ensure recalled products are removed from distribution channels
• Law firms — Research recall histories for product liability and class action cases
• Investors — Monitor recall activity as a risk indicator for pharma and food companies
• Data journalists — Report on recall trends, repeat offenders, and public safety patterns

Data freshness

The FDA updates this database daily. Schedule this Actor to run daily or weekly to track new recalls.

Cost

This Actor uses the openFDA public API. Typical cost: less than $0.01 per run for up to 1,000 records.