# FDA Recalls Scraper - Food, Drug & Device Safety (`parseforge/fda-recalls-scraper`) Actor

Scrape FDA recall data for food, drugs, and medical devices. Get recall reasons, severity classifications, product descriptions, recalling firms, distribution patterns, and key dates. Filter by product type, class (I/II/III), status, state, and date range. Covers 84,000+ recalls.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/fda-recalls-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** Automation, Developer tools, Other
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $6.00 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md):

```bash
npm install apify-client
```

In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md):

```bash
pip install apify-client
```

In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md):

````bash
# MacOS / Linux
curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash
# Windows
irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex
```bash

In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md).

If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).


# README

![ParseForge Banner](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ParseForge/apify-assets/main/banner.jpg)

## 🏥 FDA Recalls Scraper - Food, Drug & Device Safety

Whether you're a compliance officer monitoring product safety, a supply chain manager tracking recalls, or a researcher analyzing FDA enforcement trends, this tool makes it easy to collect structured recall data from the FDA's official enforcement database.

> **The FDA Recalls Scraper collects enforcement actions for food, drugs, and medical devices. Get recall reasons, classifications, product descriptions, recalling firms, distribution patterns, and key dates from the openFDA API.**

### ✨ What Does It Do

- 🍎 **Food recalls** - collect food safety recalls including contamination, allergen, and labeling issues
- 💊 **Drug recalls** - track pharmaceutical recall actions, dosage errors, and contamination events
- 🏥 **Medical device recalls** - monitor device safety issues, malfunctions, and defects
- 🔍 **Powerful filters** - search by keyword, classification severity, status, state, and date range
- 📊 **84,000+ records** - access the complete FDA enforcement database going back years

### 🔧 Input

- **Product Type** - choose Food, Drugs, Medical Devices, or All
- **Max Items** - how many recalls to collect (free users get 10, paid up to 1,000,000)
- **Search Query** - search across all fields (e.g., 'salmonella', 'peanut butter', 'insulin')
- **Classification** - Class I (most serious), Class II, or Class III
- **Status** - Ongoing, Terminated, or Completed
- **State** - filter by state where the recalling firm is located
- **Date Range** - filter by report date (YYYYMMDD format)

```json
{
    "productType": "food",
    "maxItems": 100,
    "searchQuery": "salmonella",
    "classification": "Class I",
    "status": "Ongoing"
}
````

### 📊 Output

Each recall record includes 22+ data fields. Download as JSON, CSV, or Excel.

| 📌 Field | 📄 Description |
|----------|---------------|
| 📋 recallNumber | FDA recall number |
| 🏷️ productType | Food, Drug, or Device |
| ⚠️ classification | Severity (Class I/II/III) |
| 📊 status | Ongoing, Terminated, or Completed |
| 🏢 recallingFirm | Company issuing the recall |
| 📝 productDescription | Description of recalled product |
| ❗ reasonForRecall | Why the product was recalled |
| 📦 productQuantity | Quantity of recalled product |
| 🗺️ distributionPattern | Where the product was distributed |
| 📅 reportDate | Date the recall was reported |

```json
{
    "recallNumber": "F-0276-2017",
    "productType": "food",
    "classification": "Class II",
    "status": "Terminated",
    "recallingFirm": "Pharmatech LLC",
    "productDescription": "CytoDetox, Dietary supplement",
    "reasonForRecall": "Potential risk of product contamination with Burkholderia cepacia.",
    "productQuantity": "1,990 bottles",
    "distributionPattern": "FL, MI, MS, and OH.",
    "city": "Davie",
    "state": "FL",
    "reportDate": "20161102",
    "scrapedAt": "2026-04-07T12:00:00.000Z"
}
```

### 📋 How to Use

1. **Sign Up** - [Create a free account w/ $5 credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp)
2. **Configure** - select product type, add keywords, and set your filters
3. **Run It** - click "Start" and get structured recall data in seconds

### 🎯 Business Use Cases

- 🏭 **Compliance teams** - monitor recalls daily to ensure your products and suppliers are not affected
- 📊 **Supply chain managers** - track recalls across your supplier network and distribution channels
- 🔬 **Food safety researchers** - analyze contamination patterns, recall trends, and enforcement actions
- 💊 **Pharmaceutical companies** - monitor drug recalls and enforcement actions across the industry
- 🏥 **Healthcare organizations** - track medical device recalls that may affect patient safety
- 📰 **Journalists** - investigate recall patterns, repeat offenders, and safety trends

### ❓ FAQ

⚠️ **What do the classification levels mean?**
Class I means there is a reasonable probability of serious health consequences or death. Class II means the product may cause temporary or medically reversible health problems. Class III means the product is unlikely to cause adverse health consequences.

📊 **How many recalls are available?**
The database contains 84,000+ recall records across food (28K+), drugs (17K+), and medical devices (38K+).

🔍 **Can I search for specific products?**
Yes. Use the Search Query field to find recalls for specific products, ingredients, or issues (e.g., 'listeria', 'infant formula', 'hip implant').

⏱️ **How fast is it?**
Very fast. 100 recalls in about 1 second. The data comes directly from the official openFDA API.

### 🔗 Integrate FDA Recalls Scraper with any app

- [Make](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/make) - Automate recall monitoring
- [Zapier](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/zapier) - Get alerts for new recalls
- [Slack](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/slack) - Notify your team instantly
- [Google Drive](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/drive) - Export to spreadsheets

### 💡 Recommended Actors

| Actor | Description | Link |
|-------|-------------|------|
| Grants.gov Scraper | Collect federal grant opportunities | [Link](https://apify.com/parseforge/grants-gov-scraper) |
| Federal Register Scraper | Collect regulatory notices and rules | [Link](https://apify.com/parseforge/federal-register-regulatory-notices-rules-scraper) |
| ClinicalTrials Scraper | Extract clinical trial data | [Link](https://apify.com/parseforge/clinicaltrials-scraper) |
| GSA eLibrary Scraper | Government contract data | [Link](https://apify.com/parseforge/gsa-elibrary-scraper) |
| FAA Aircraft Registry Scraper | Aircraft registration data | [Link](https://apify.com/parseforge/faa-aircraft-registry-scraper) |

**Pro Tip:** 💡 Browse our complete collection of [data collection actors](https://apify.com/parseforge) to find the perfect tool for your needs.

### 🆘 Need Help?

- Check the FAQ section above
- Visit [Apify documentation](https://docs.apify.com)
- Contact us at [Tally contact form](https://tally.so/r/BzdKgA)

### ⚠️ Disclaimer

> This Actor is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It accesses only publicly available data through the official openFDA API.

# Actor input Schema

## `productType` (type: `string`):

Type of FDA-regulated product to search recalls for.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Free users: Limited to 10 items (preview). Paid users: Optional, max 1,000,000.

## `searchQuery` (type: `string`):

Search across all fields (e.g., 'salmonella', 'peanut butter', 'insulin'). Leave empty for all recalls.

## `classification` (type: `string`):

FDA recall classification. Class I is most serious (risk of death), Class III is least serious.

## `status` (type: `string`):

Current recall status.

## `state` (type: `string`):

Filter by state where the recalling firm is located (e.g., 'CA', 'TX', 'NY').

## `dateFrom` (type: `string`):

Only include recalls reported on or after this date (YYYYMMDD format, e.g., '20250101').

## `dateTo` (type: `string`):

Only include recalls reported on or before this date (YYYYMMDD format).

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "productType": "all",
  "maxItems": 10
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (type: `string`):

Overview of recall records with key fields

## `fullData` (type: `string`):

Complete dataset with all scraped recall fields

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "productType": "all",
    "maxItems": 10
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parseforge/fda-recalls-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "productType": "all",
    "maxItems": 10,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parseforge/fda-recalls-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"])
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "productType": "all",
  "maxItems": 10
}' |
apify call parseforge/fda-recalls-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=parseforge/fda-recalls-scraper",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

```json
{
    "openapi": "3.0.1",
    "info": {
        "title": "FDA Recalls Scraper - Food, Drug & Device Safety",
        "description": "Scrape FDA recall data for food, drugs, and medical devices. Get recall reasons, severity classifications, product descriptions, recalling firms, distribution patterns, and key dates. Filter by product type, class (I/II/III), status, state, and date range. Covers 84,000+ recalls.",
        "version": "0.0",
        "x-build-id": "bWJhTFGdOFOhfrDQU"
    },
    "servers": [
        {
            "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2"
        }
    ],
    "paths": {
        "/acts/parseforge~fda-recalls-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-parseforge-fda-recalls-scraper",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK"
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        "/acts/parseforge~fda-recalls-scraper/runs": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "runs-sync-parseforge-fda-recalls-scraper",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK",
                        "content": {
                            "application/json": {
                                "schema": {
                                    "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema"
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        "/acts/parseforge~fda-recalls-scraper/run-sync": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "run-sync-parseforge-fda-recalls-scraper",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK"
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    },
    "components": {
        "schemas": {
            "inputSchema": {
                "type": "object",
                "properties": {
                    "productType": {
                        "title": "Product Type",
                        "enum": [
                            "food",
                            "drug",
                            "device",
                            "all"
                        ],
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Type of FDA-regulated product to search recalls for.",
                        "default": "all"
                    },
                    "maxItems": {
                        "title": "Max Items",
                        "minimum": 1,
                        "maximum": 1000000,
                        "type": "integer",
                        "description": "Free users: Limited to 10 items (preview). Paid users: Optional, max 1,000,000."
                    },
                    "searchQuery": {
                        "title": "Search Query",
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Search across all fields (e.g., 'salmonella', 'peanut butter', 'insulin'). Leave empty for all recalls."
                    },
                    "classification": {
                        "title": "Classification",
                        "enum": [
                            "",
                            "Class I",
                            "Class II",
                            "Class III"
                        ],
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "FDA recall classification. Class I is most serious (risk of death), Class III is least serious."
                    },
                    "status": {
                        "title": "Status",
                        "enum": [
                            "",
                            "Ongoing",
                            "Terminated",
                            "Completed"
                        ],
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Current recall status."
                    },
                    "state": {
                        "title": "State",
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Filter by state where the recalling firm is located (e.g., 'CA', 'TX', 'NY')."
                    },
                    "dateFrom": {
                        "title": "Report Date From",
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Only include recalls reported on or after this date (YYYYMMDD format, e.g., '20250101')."
                    },
                    "dateTo": {
                        "title": "Report Date To",
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Only include recalls reported on or before this date (YYYYMMDD format)."
                    }
                }
            },
            "runsResponseSchema": {
                "type": "object",
                "properties": {
                    "data": {
                        "type": "object",
                        "properties": {
                            "id": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "actId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "userId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "startedAt": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "format": "date-time",
                                "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
                            },
                            "finishedAt": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "format": "date-time",
                                "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
                            },
                            "status": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "example": "READY"
                            },
                            "meta": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "origin": {
                                        "type": "string",
                                        "example": "API"
                                    },
                                    "userAgent": {
                                        "type": "string"
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "stats": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "inputBodyLen": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 2000
                                    },
                                    "rebootCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "restartCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "resurrectCount": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "computeUnits": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "options": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "build": {
                                        "type": "string",
                                        "example": "latest"
                                    },
                                    "timeoutSecs": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 300
                                    },
                                    "memoryMbytes": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 1024
                                    },
                                    "diskMbytes": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 2048
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "buildId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultKeyValueStoreId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultDatasetId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "defaultRequestQueueId": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "buildNumber": {
                                "type": "string",
                                "example": "1.0.0"
                            },
                            "containerUrl": {
                                "type": "string"
                            },
                            "usage": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 1
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_SERPS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            },
                            "usageTotalUsd": {
                                "type": "number",
                                "example": 0.00005
                            },
                            "usageUsd": {
                                "type": "object",
                                "properties": {
                                    "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATASET_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "number",
                                        "example": 0.00005
                                    },
                                    "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    },
                                    "PROXY_SERPS": {
                                        "type": "integer",
                                        "example": 0
                                    }
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}
```