FDA & NHTSA Product Recall Monitor | Real-Time US Government Recall Alerts

Monitor FDA food, drug, and medical device recalls — plus NHTSA vehicle recalls — directly from official US government APIs. Real data. No scraping. No delays. Certified compliance-grade output.

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📌 Table of Contents

• What Does This Actor Do?
• Quick Start — 3 Steps
• Why This Actor?
• Use Cases
• Data Sources — Official Government APIs
• What Data You Get
• Risk Classification Explained
• How It Works
• Input Parameters
• Example Input & Output
• Vehicle Recall Search
• Performance & Speed
• Cost Estimate
• Limitations
• Integrations
• FAQ
• Changelog
• Legal & Compliance Notice

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🚨 What Does This Actor Do?

This actor monitors US government product recall databases in real time — pulling directly from the FDA and NHTSA official public APIs — and returns structured, compliance-grade recall records ready for alerts, dashboards, and regulatory workflows.

One run returns:

• ✅ FDA Food Recalls — contamination, mislabeling, undeclared allergens
• ✅ FDA Drug Recalls — prescription and OTC medications, controlled substances
• ✅ FDA Medical Device Recalls — surgical equipment, diagnostics, implantables
• ✅ NHTSA Vehicle Recalls — cars, trucks, motorcycles, child safety seats
• ✅ Risk classification — Class I (urgent/life-threatening), Class II (moderate), Class III (low)
• ✅ Full recall details — product, brand, reason, scope, affected units, remedy, date

All data comes directly from api.fda.gov and api.nhtsa.dot.gov — the same official government systems used by compliance teams, law firms, and regulatory professionals. No third-party aggregators. No data lag.

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⚡ Quick Start — 3 Steps

Step 1 — Configure your search

{
  "monitor_source": "ALL",
  "keyword":        "peanut",
  "max_results":    30
}

Step 2 — Click Run The actor queries FDA and NHTSA APIs, parses and classifies every recall, applies your filters, and returns structured records.

Step 3 — Get your recall data

{
  "Recall_ID":     "F-0123-2024",
  "Product":       "Sunshine Foods — Peanut Butter Crackers 12oz",
  "Reason":        "Undeclared peanut allergen — risk of allergic reaction",
  "Risk_Level":    "CLASS I (URGENT) — Serious adverse health consequences or death",
  "Recall_Date":   "2024-10-15",
  "Status":        "Active",
  "Source":        "FDA",
  "Compliance_Grade": "CERTIFIED"
}

Data appears in the Dataset tab — export as JSON, CSV, or Excel instantly.

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🏛️ Why This Actor?

Feature	This Actor	News Scrapers	Paid Compliance SaaS
Official government API source	✅ FDA + NHTSA direct	❌ Aggregated/delayed	✅ But costly
FDA food + drug + device	✅ All three categories	⚠️ Partial	✅
NHTSA vehicle recalls	✅ By make/model/year	❌	✅
Class I / II / III risk labeling	✅ Auto-classified	❌	✅
Keyword search across recall text	✅ Built-in	❌	⚠️
Vehicle-specific search	✅ Make + Model + Year	❌	⚠️
Risk filter (Class I only)	✅ Built-in	❌	⚠️
Structured JSON output	✅ API/CRM ready	❌	⚠️
Compliance-grade data label	✅ CERTIFIED flag	❌	✅
No API key needed	✅	✅	❌ Requires account
Monthly cost	✅ $17.99	Free but unreliable	❌ $200–$2,000+

Same official data as enterprise compliance platforms — at a fraction of the cost. All records carry a "Compliance_Grade": "CERTIFIED" flag sourced directly from US government APIs.

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🎯 Use Cases

🏭 Product Safety & Compliance Monitoring

Automatically monitor FDA recalls for products your company manufactures, distributes, or sells. Get structured alerts the moment a Class I recall is issued in your product category — without manually checking the FDA website daily.

🚗 Automotive Safety & Fleet Management

Search NHTSA vehicle recalls by make, model, and year across your entire fleet. Identify open recalls on company vehicles before inspections or before purchasing used inventory. Essential for fleet managers, dealerships, and rental companies.

⚖️ Legal & Litigation Research

Pull complete FDA and NHTSA recall records for products involved in personal injury, product liability, or class action cases. All data is sourced from government APIs and carries a certification flag usable in legal documentation.

🏪 Retail & Supply Chain Risk Management

Monitor FDA food and drug recalls for products on your shelves or in your supply chain. Trigger automated removal or quarantine workflows when a recall matches a SKU or brand you carry.

📊 Insurance Underwriting & Risk Assessment

Integrate recall frequency and severity data into product liability underwriting models. Query historical recall patterns by product type, manufacturer, and risk class.

🏥 Healthcare & Pharmacy Compliance

Monitor FDA drug and medical device recalls relevant to your formulary, hospital supply chain, or patient-facing products. Class I drug recalls require immediate action — this actor surfaces them automatically.

📰 Journalism & Consumer Advocacy

Track and publish recall alerts for a specific product category, brand, or region. Get the same data journalists at major publications use — directly from government sources — without building a custom scraper.

🤖 Automated Alert Systems

Schedule this actor hourly or daily and connect via Zapier, Make, or the Apify API to fire Slack alerts, emails, or SMS notifications whenever a new recall matches your keywords, product type, or risk class.

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🏛️ Data Sources — Official Government APIs

Every record returned by this actor originates from a US federal government system:

FDA — Food and Drug Administration

Endpoint: api.fda.gov (free public API, no authentication)

Covers four enforcement categories queried independently:

• Food recalls — contamination (Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli), undeclared allergens, foreign objects, mislabeling
• Drug recalls — prescription medications, OTC drugs, controlled substances, contamination, labeling errors
• Medical device recalls — diagnostic equipment, surgical instruments, implants, monitors
• Other — biologics, veterinary products, cosmetics

FDA uses a standardized Lucene query syntax allowing precise keyword search across product_description and reason_for_recall fields.

NHTSA — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Endpoint: api.nhtsa.dot.gov (free public API, no authentication)

Covers all vehicle-related safety recalls including passenger cars, light trucks, motorcycles, child safety seats, and tires. Supports exact search by vehicle make, model, and model year — or broad queries across recent recalls.

NHTSA records include defect description, consequence summary, remedy description, and the number of potentially affected units.

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📋 What Data You Get

FDA Recall Fields

Field	Type	Description	Example
Recall_ID	string	Official FDA recall number	"F-0123-2024"
Product	string	Brand + product description	"Sunshine Foods — Crackers 12oz"
Brand	string	Recalling firm / manufacturer	"Sunshine Foods Inc."
Product_Description	string	Full product details (up to 500 chars)	"Peanut Butter Crackers, 12oz..."
Reason	string	Reason for recall (up to 500 chars)	"Undeclared peanut allergen"
Scope	string	Distribution pattern / affected regions	"Nationwide"
Recall_Date	string	Date recall was initiated (YYYY-MM-DD)	"2024-10-15"
Risk_Level	string	Full risk classification with description	"CLASS I (URGENT) — Serious adverse..."
Classification	string	Raw FDA classification	"Class I"
Status	string	Recall status	"Active" / "Terminated"
Product_Type	string	FDA product category	"Food" / "Drug" / "Medical Device"
Voluntary_Mandated	string	Whether recall was voluntary	"Voluntary: Firm Initiated"
Source_Link	string	FDA recall safety alerts page	"https://www.fda.gov/..."
Source	string	Data origin	"FDA"
Compliance_Grade	string	Data certification flag	"CERTIFIED"
Timestamp	string	ISO 8601 extraction timestamp	"2024-11-01T10:30:00Z"

NHTSA Recall Fields

Field	Type	Description	Example
Recall_ID	string	NHTSA campaign number	"24V-001"
Product	string	Year + Make + Model + Component	"2022 Ford F-150 — Brake System"
Brand / Vehicle_Make	string	Vehicle manufacturer	"Ford"
Vehicle_Model	string	Vehicle model name	"F-150"
Vehicle_Year	string	Model year	"2022"
Component	string	Affected vehicle component	"Brake System"
Defect	string	Description of the defect	"Brake fluid may leak..."
Consequence	string	Risk to drivers/passengers	"Increased risk of crash"
Remedy	string	How the recall will be fixed	"Dealers will replace..."
Affected_Units	integer	Estimated vehicles affected	``142000`
Recall_Date	string	Date recall was reported	"2024-09-28"
Risk_Level	string	Fixed label for vehicle safety	"Safety Critical"
Source_Link	string	NHTSA recall detail URL	"https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=..."
Source	string	Data origin	"NHTSA"
Compliance_Grade	string	Data certification flag	"CERTIFIED"

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🔴 Risk Classification Explained

FDA assigns every recall a formal classification. This actor maps each class to a plain-language risk label:

FDA Class	Risk Level Label	What It Means
Class I	CLASS I (URGENT) — Serious adverse health consequences or death	Highest severity. Immediate action required. Products that can cause serious injury or death.
Class II	CLASS II (MODERATE) — May cause adverse health consequences	Products that may cause temporary or reversible health problems, or where the probability of serious harm is low.
Class III	CLASS III (LOW) — Unlikely to cause harm	Products unlikely to cause harm, but violate FDA regulations. Often labeling or minor quality issues.

For alert workflows: Filter by risk_filter: "Class I" to receive only urgent, life-threatening recall notices.

NHTSA vehicle recalls are always classified as "Safety Critical" — the NHTSA system uses a single severity designation for all vehicle safety defects.

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⚙️ How It Works

Step 1 — Source Routing

Based on the monitor_source parameter, the actor routes to FDA only, NHTSA only, or both. Within FDA, the product_type parameter narrows the query to a single enforcement endpoint (food, drug, device) — or all four in parallel.

Step 2 — Government API Query

FDA queries use Lucene search syntax to match product_description and reason_for_recall against your keyword. NHTSA supports direct vehicle lookup by make, model, and year — or a general recent-recalls query across major manufacturers.

Step 3 — Risk Classification

FDA classification fields are mapped to the standardized plain-language risk labels. Records without a classification receive "Under Review". NHTSA records are always marked "Safety Critical".

Step 4 — SSL & Rate-Limit Handling

US government APIs occasionally have SSL certificate chain issues. The actor handles these automatically by retrying without proxy on SSL errors. On 429 Too Many Requests, the actor waits and retries up to 3 times with increasing delay before moving on.

Step 5 — Risk Filter & Output

If risk_filter is set, only records matching that class are kept. All records are trimmed to max_results, pushed to the Dataset, and saved to the Key-Value Store as results.json.

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⚙️ Input Parameters

{
  "monitor_source": "ALL",
  "keyword":        "listeria",
  "product_type":   "food",
  "vehicle_make":   "",
  "vehicle_model":  "",
  "vehicle_year":   "",
  "risk_filter":    "Class I",
  "max_results":    30,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy":    true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"]
  }
}

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
monitor_source	string	"ALL"	Which agencies to query: "ALL", "FDA", or "NHTSA"
keyword	string	""	Search term matched against product description and recall reason (FDA uses Lucene syntax)
product_type	string	""	FDA product category filter: "food", "drug", "device", or "" for all. Use "vehicle" / "auto" to query NHTSA only
vehicle_make	string	""	NHTSA: Vehicle manufacturer (e.g., "FORD", "TOYOTA")
vehicle_model	string	""	NHTSA: Vehicle model (e.g., "F-150", "CAMRY")
vehicle_year	string	""	NHTSA: Four-digit model year (e.g., "2022")
risk_filter	string	""	Filter output to a specific risk class: "Class I", "Class II", "Class III", or "Safety Critical"
max_results	integer	30	Maximum total records returned across all sources
proxyConfiguration	object	Off	Apify proxy config — optional for government APIs

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📦 Example Input & Output

Example 1 — Search All Allergen-Related FDA Recalls

Input:

{
  "monitor_source": "FDA",
  "keyword":        "allergen",
  "risk_filter":    "Class I",
  "max_results":    10
}

Output (one record):

{
  "Recall_ID":          "F-2456-2024",
  "Product":            "Nature's Best — Granola Bars Variety Pack 18ct",
  "Brand":              "Nature's Best Foods LLC",
  "Product_Description": "Granola Bars Variety Pack, 18 count, UPC 0-12345-67890-1",
  "Reason":             "Undeclared milk allergen due to cross-contamination on shared equipment",
  "Scope":              "Nationwide — distributed through major retail chains",
  "Recall_Date":        "2024-10-22",
  "Risk_Level":         "CLASS I (URGENT) — Serious adverse health consequences or death",
  "Classification":     "Class I",
  "Status":             "Active",
  "Product_Type":       "Food",
  "Voluntary_Mandated": "Voluntary: Firm Initiated",
  "Source_Link":        "https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts",
  "Source":             "FDA",
  "Compliance_Grade":   "CERTIFIED",
  "Timestamp":          "2024-11-01T10:30:00Z"
}

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Example 2 — NHTSA Vehicle Recall Search by Make & Model

Input:

{
  "monitor_source": "NHTSA",
  "vehicle_make":   "FORD",
  "vehicle_model":  "F-150",
  "vehicle_year":   "2022",
  "max_results":    10
}

Output (one record):

{
  "Recall_ID":      "24V-112",
  "Product":        "2022 Ford F-150 — Brake System",
  "Brand":          "Ford",
  "Vehicle_Make":   "FORD",
  "Vehicle_Model":  "F-150",
  "Vehicle_Year":   "2022",
  "Component":      "HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEM:ANTILOCK",
  "Defect":         "Brake fluid may leak from the master cylinder reservoir",
  "Consequence":    "Brake fluid leakage may increase braking distance, increasing the risk of a crash",
  "Remedy":         "Dealers will inspect and replace the brake master cylinder as necessary",
  "Affected_Units": 142000,
  "Recall_Date":    "2024-09-28",
  "Risk_Level":     "Safety Critical",
  "Source_Link":    "https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=24V-112",
  "Source":         "NHTSA",
  "Compliance_Grade": "CERTIFIED",
  "Timestamp":      "2024-11-01T10:31:00Z"
}

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Example 3 — Scheduled Daily Alert: All Class I Recalls

Input:

{
  "monitor_source": "ALL",
  "risk_filter":    "Class I",
  "max_results":    50
}

Use this as a daily scheduled run to surface every new Class I recall — across food, drugs, devices, and vehicles — in a single dataset. Connect to Zapier or Make to fire email or Slack alerts automatically.

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🚗 Vehicle Recall Search

The NHTSA vehicle search supports three lookup modes:

By Make + Model + Year (most precise)

{
  "vehicle_make":  "TOYOTA",
  "vehicle_model": "CAMRY",
  "vehicle_year":  "2021"
}

Returns all open recalls for that exact vehicle configuration.

By Make only

{
  "vehicle_make": "BMW"
}

Returns all recent recalls across all BMW models and years.

General recent recalls (no vehicle specified)

{
  "monitor_source": "NHTSA",
  "max_results":    20
}

Returns a sample of recent NHTSA recalls across major manufacturers — useful for broad monitoring.

Note: Vehicle make and model values are case-insensitive — the actor converts them to uppercase automatically for the NHTSA API.

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⚡ Performance & Speed

Configuration	Estimated Time
FDA single category (food only), 20 records	~10–20 seconds
FDA all categories, 30 records	~20–40 seconds
NHTSA specific vehicle, 10 records	~10–15 seconds
ALL sources, 50 records	~30–60 seconds
ALL sources, 100 records	~1–2 minutes

Government APIs are fast and reliable. Most runs complete in under 60 seconds for typical workloads.

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💰 Cost Estimate

Subscription: $17.99/month · Free Trial: 1 Full Day (no credit card required)

Run Type	Apify Compute Units	Approx. Compute Cost
Single source, 30 records	~0.01–0.03 CU	< $0.01
All sources, 50 records	~0.03–0.06 CU	< $0.01
Scheduled hourly (30-day month)	~0.5–1.5 CU/month	~$0.04–$0.12
Scheduled daily (30-day month)	~0.05–0.15 CU/month	< $0.01

Apify provides $5 free compute credit per month on the free plan. This actor's compute costs are minimal — most users will pay only the $17.99 subscription regardless of how often they run it.

Use the 1-day free trial to verify the actor returns the recall categories you need before subscribing.

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⚠️ Limitations

Being transparent about what this actor cannot do:

• ❌ CPSC recalls — The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is mentioned in the code comments as planned. CPSC is not yet active in the current version.
• ❌ Historical archive beyond FDA API limits — The FDA free API returns up to 100 records per endpoint per call. Very old archived recalls may not appear in default queries.
• ❌ Real-time push notifications — This actor fetches on demand or on schedule. It does not maintain a persistent connection to government systems. For real-time alerts, schedule it hourly and connect to an alerting tool.
• ❌ Non-US recalls — Only covers US federal agencies (FDA and NHTSA). European (RAPEX), Canadian (Health Canada), or other international recall systems are not included.
• ❌ Recall outcome or resolution tracking — The actor captures the recall status at time of run. It does not track whether a recall has been resolved, terminated, or extended over time.
• ❌ PDF/document attachments — Some FDA recalls include detailed PDF documents. This actor extracts structured text fields only — not binary attachments.
• ❌ Proxy required for government APIs — FDA and NHTSA APIs are open to the public. Proxy is optional and generally not needed unless your IP is geo-blocked.

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🔌 Integrations

Slack or Email Alerts via Zapier / Make

Schedule this actor daily and connect to Zapier or Make. When a new Class I recall matches your product category or vehicle, fire a Slack message or email automatically — no code required.

Google Sheets Compliance Dashboard

Export results directly to Google Sheets. Use conditional formatting to highlight Class I recalls in red. Build a rolling log of all recalls by running daily and appending new records.

Apify API — Programmatic Integration

// Trigger a recall monitor run via API
const run = await fetch("https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/YOUR_ACTOR_ID/runs", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Content-Type":  "application/json",
    "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    monitor_source: "FDA",
    keyword:        "salmonella",
    risk_filter:    "Class I",
    max_results:    50
  })
});

Legal Case Management

Export the structured JSON output with Compliance_Grade: "CERTIFIED" fields for use in product liability case documentation. All records include Recall_ID, Recall_Date, Source_Link, and full product/reason text.

n8n Workflow Automation

Use the Apify node in n8n to pull recall data on a schedule and route records by risk class — Class I to an urgent Slack channel, Class II to a daily digest email, Class III to a compliance database.

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❓ FAQ

Q: Is this data actually from the FDA and NHTSA — or a third-party aggregator? A: Directly from api.fda.gov and api.nhtsa.dot.gov. No third-party aggregators, no middlemen, no data lag. Every record includes a "Compliance_Grade": "CERTIFIED" flag confirming the government source.

Q: Do I need an FDA or NHTSA API key? A: No. Both api.fda.gov and api.nhtsa.dot.gov are free public APIs with no authentication required. This actor works out of the box with no setup.

Q: How current is the recall data? A: The FDA API reflects the current state of the openFDA enforcement database, which is updated continuously by the FDA. NHTSA data is similarly near-real-time. Each record includes a Timestamp showing exactly when it was fetched.

Q: Can I monitor only Class I (life-threatening) recalls? A: Yes. Set "risk_filter": "Class I" to receive only the most urgent FDA recalls. For NHTSA, all vehicle recalls are labeled "Safety Critical" — there is no sub-classification in the NHTSA system.

Q: Can I search for a specific product brand or drug name? A: Yes. Use the keyword parameter. It searches across product_description and reason_for_recall using FDA's Lucene query syntax. Examples: "keyword": "tylenol", "keyword": "beef", "keyword": "battery".

Q: Can I search NHTSA recalls for a specific car I own? A: Yes. Provide vehicle_make, vehicle_model, and vehicle_year in the input. For example: "HONDA", "CIVIC", "2020". The actor returns all open safety recalls for that exact vehicle.

Q: What happens if a government API is temporarily unavailable? A: The actor retries up to 3 times with increasing delay (20s, 40s, 60s) on rate limits. On SSL errors, it retries without proxy. On persistent failure, it logs the error, skips that source, and returns whatever data was successfully collected.

Q: Can I use this data in a legal or compliance document? A: The data originates from official US government APIs and carries a "Compliance_Grade": "CERTIFIED" flag. However, always consult a legal professional for regulatory or litigation use. The actor is a data retrieval tool — it does not constitute legal advice.

Q: How do I set up daily recall alerts for my team? A: Use Apify's built-in Schedule feature to run daily with your chosen keywords and risk filter. Connect the run completion webhook to Zapier or Make to send a formatted email or Slack digest to your team.

Q: Is proxy needed to access FDA and NHTSA APIs? A: Generally no — these are fully public US government APIs. Proxy is optional and only recommended if you are running from an IP with restricted access to US government servers.

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📜 Changelog

v1.0.0 (Current)

• ✅ FDA Food Recalls via api.fda.gov/food/enforcement.json
• ✅ FDA Drug Recalls via api.fda.gov/drug/enforcement.json
• ✅ FDA Medical Device Recalls via api.fda.gov/device/enforcement.json
• ✅ FDA Other (biologics, veterinary, cosmetics) via api.fda.gov/other/enforcement.json
• ✅ NHTSA Vehicle Recalls via api.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/recallsByVehicle
• ✅ Vehicle search by make, model, and model year
• ✅ FDA Class I / II / III risk classification with plain-language labels
• ✅ risk_filter parameter for Class I-only alert runs
• ✅ keyword parameter with FDA Lucene query syntax
• ✅ product_type filter to narrow FDA query to a single category
• ✅ SSL error handling with automatic proxy bypass retry
• ✅ Rate-limit retry with exponential backoff (up to 3 attempts)
• ✅ "Compliance_Grade": "CERTIFIED" flag on all records
• ✅ Results saved to Dataset and Key-Value Store (results.json)
• ✅ Residential proxy support via curl_cffi Chrome 110 impersonation
• 🔜 Coming next: CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) recalls

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⚖️ Legal & Compliance Notice

This actor retrieves data from official US federal government public APIs — api.fda.gov (Food and Drug Administration) and api.nhtsa.dot.gov (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). Both APIs are free, public, and intended for use by developers, researchers, and compliance professionals.

Data use guidelines:

• All recall data retrieved is publicly available and published by US government agencies
• Data is provided for informational, research, compliance monitoring, and alerting purposes
• This actor is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the FDA, NHTSA, or any US government agency
• Recall data accuracy depends on the government source — always verify critical safety actions directly with the issuing agency
• Do not use this data as a substitute for professional legal, medical, or regulatory advice

Safety Disclaimer: If you believe a product poses an immediate safety risk, contact the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236 directly. Do not rely solely on this actor for real-time emergency safety decisions.

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🤝 Support

• Bug or broken endpoint? Contact via the Apify actor page — government API endpoints occasionally change and fixes are prioritized
• Need CPSC, RAPEX, or other recall agencies? Drop a feature request — expansion is actively planned
• Works well for your compliance workflow? A ⭐ review on the Apify Store helps others find this actor and keeps it actively maintained

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FDA & NHTSA Product Recall Monitor · Built on Apify
FDA · NHTSA · Official Government APIs · Food · Drug · Device · Vehicle · Compliance Grade · Real-Time