How to check whether a product, medicine or food has been recalled

The short answer

Find the identifying details first: the lot number and expiration date on a medicine, the brand, size and date code on food, the model number on a household item, or the 17-character vehicle identification number (VIN) on a car.
Search the agency that oversees that kind of product. The table below shows which one. If you are not sure, start at Recalls.gov, which links to all of them.
Treat the item as recalled only if every detail matches the notice. Then follow the instructions in the notice.
If it is a prescribed medicine, do not stop taking it on your own. Call your pharmacist or prescriber first. Stopping some medicines can do more harm than the problem behind the recall.
Have future recalls come to you. Sign up for agency alerts, and register car seats and baby products with the maker.

Who announces recalls, and where to look

There is no single list of every recall. Recalls.gov, run by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), sends you to the agency responsible for each type of product.

If the item is…	Agency in charge	Where to search	What to search with
A prescription or over-the-counter medicine, vaccine, medical device, cosmetic or dietary supplement	Food and Drug Administration (FDA)	FDA recalls, market withdrawals and safety alerts; for a fuller list, the weekly FDA Enforcement Report	Product name, company, lot number
Most packaged food, produce, seafood, infant formula or pet food	FDA	FoodSafety.gov recalls or the FDA page above	Brand, product name, size, date code, lot code
Meat, poultry or processed egg products	U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)	FoodSafety.gov recalls, which shows USDA and FDA notices together	Brand, product name, size, package date
Toys and children's products, furniture, appliances, electronics, clothing, sports gear and other household items	CPSC	CPSC recalls	Brand, product name, model number
Cars and other motor vehicles, car seats, tires and vehicle equipment	National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)	NHTSA recalls	VIN for a vehicle; brand and model for seats, tires and equipment

Recalls.gov also links to recalls of recreational boats (U.S. Coast Guard), and of pesticides and of vehicles and engines that fail emissions standards (Environmental Protection Agency).

What each search can miss

FDA's main recall page is not complete. It lists recalls that came with a press release or other public notice, and FDA says not every recall does. The weekly Enforcement Report lists each new recall with its class.
Not every medicine recall is announced to the public. FDA says public notices generally go out for widely distributed products or serious hazards, and it may delay notice of some drug and device recalls so patients can talk with their clinicians first. Your pharmacy or clinician may tell you first.
NHTSA's VIN search has limits. It shows unrepaired safety recalls from the last 15 years for the manufacturers it lists. It leaves out some small and specialty brands, vehicles built for other countries, and very new recalls.
CPSC posts two kinds of notices. A recall comes with a company remedy, such as a refund, repair or replacement. A "product safety warning" describes a hazard without a company remedy.
Consumer reports are not recalls. SaferProducts.gov publishes reports filed by the public, and CPSC does not guarantee their accuracy.

Step 1: Find the details that prove a match

A brand name alone is not enough. Recalls usually cover specific models, lots or dates.

Item	Details to find	Where they usually are
Medicine	Name, strength, lot number, expiration date	The maker's label or box. A pharmacy bottle may not show the maker's lot, so ask the pharmacy.
Food	Brand, product name, package size, "use by," "best by" or "freeze by" date, lot or batch code	Printed on the package, often near the date
Household or children's product	Brand, model name or number, date code or serial number	A label on the product, the packaging or the manual. Baby and toddler products such as cribs and strollers must be permanently marked with the model and the month and year made.
Vehicle	17-character VIN	Lower left corner of the windshield, registration card, often the insurance card
Car seat	Model number and date of manufacture	The labels on the seat
Medical device	Device name, model, lot or serial number	The device or its packaging, or the clinic that supplied or implanted it

Before you throw away a box or wrapper, take a photo of the label.

Step 2: Confirm that every detail matches

FoodSafety.gov's rule for food is a good test for any recall: all of the information must match, including the brand, product name and date, for your item to be part of the recall. For medicines, FDA advises comparing the lot number on your label with the one in the notice.

Example (fictional): A notice covers 16-ounce jars of a brand of salsa with "best by" dates in March 2027. Your jar is the same brand and size but says August 2027, so that notice does not cover it. A 24-ounce jar dated March 2027 would not be covered either, because the size differs. If you cannot tell, set the item aside unused and call the consumer number in the notice.

Step 3: Read the notice: the words that matter

Term	What it means
Recall	A company removes a product from the market or corrects it. A recall may be started by the company, requested by FDA, or ordered by FDA where the law allows.
Correction	The product is repaired, adjusted, relabeled or inspected where it is, instead of being taken back
Market withdrawal (FDA)	A product is removed for a minor problem that would not lead to FDA legal action, or for no violation at all
Medical device safety alert or Early Alert (FDA)	A notice about a device that may pose an unreasonable risk of substantial harm. Since September 29, 2025, FDA has issued Early Alerts for potentially high-risk removals or corrections of any type of device, sometimes before it decides whether the action is a recall.
Public health alert (USDA)	A warning about a risk from a meat, poultry or egg product when there is no recall

FDA and USDA also give recalls a class. The table uses FDA's definitions; USDA's are similar. The agency assigns the class, so it may not appear in the first announcement.

Class	Meaning, in plain words
Class I	Most serious. There is a reasonable chance that using the product will cause serious health problems or death.
Class II	The product may cause temporary or medically reversible health problems, or the chance of serious harm is remote.
Class III	The product is not likely to cause health problems. FDA's examples for medicines include minor labeling errors and wrong expiration dates.

CPSC and NHTSA notices do not use these classes. They describe the hazard and the remedy instead.

An FDA notice may also say how far the recall reaches. A "consumer level" recall asks people who already have the product to act. A "retail" or "wholesale" level recall is about stock on store or warehouse shelves. If you are unsure whether you need to do anything, ask your pharmacist or the company.

Step 4: What to do if your item is recalled

A prescribed medicine

Do not stop a prescribed medicine because of a recall without talking to your pharmacist or prescriber. For a Class I recall, call the same day. If the notice itself tells patients to stop using the product, follow it and call promptly about a replacement.

FDA says that for Class I drug recalls, patients should follow the recalling company's instructions. For Class II and III recalls, patients can generally keep taking the medicine unless the company says otherwise, because stopping can sometimes be more harmful. Questions to ask your pharmacist:

Did my prescription come from a recalled lot?
Can you replace it with a lot that is not recalled, or with the same medicine from another maker?
Should I bring back what I have, and will I get a refund or a free replacement?

FDA notes that most retailers have return and refund policies for recalled products. For a recalled over-the-counter medicine or supplement, stop using that lot, follow the notice, and ask a pharmacist about a substitute. If the notice gives no disposal steps, see safe medication storage and disposal.

Get help now

For new or worsening symptoms after taking a recalled product, call your clinician. For a medical emergency, call 911. If someone took a product that may be harmful, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (free, 24 hours a day).

A medical device, including an implant

A device recall does not always mean you must stop using or return the device; it may need to be checked, adjusted or fixed. FDA says a recalled implant does not always have to be removed, and companies often ask doctors to weigh the risks of removing it against leaving it in place. Call the clinician who manages your device before you stop using it, unless the notice tells you to stop.

Food

Do not open or eat it. Return it to the store for a refund, or throw it away as the notice directs.
If you already opened, cooked or stored it, throw it out and clean anything it touched. Wash dishes, utensils, counters and refrigerator shelves with hot, soapy water, then sanitize them with 1 tablespoon of unscented liquid chlorine bleach in 1 gallon of water.
If the recall is for an undeclared allergen, such as sesame missing from the label, return or throw out the unserved food and wash surfaces it touched. See food allergy or food intolerance.
If you already ate it, watch for symptoms. For Listeria, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that if you feel well, most experts believe you do not need tests or treatment. Serious infection usually starts within 2 weeks. Call a clinician if you get a fever with symptoms such as tiredness or muscle aches, and mention the recalled food, especially if you are pregnant, 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system. If you think a food made you sick, tell your county or city health department.

A household or children's product

Stop using it, then read the remedy before you throw anything away. In recent CPSC recalls, companies asked buyers for a photo of a cut power cord or a marked, taken-apart product before issuing a refund.

Do not sell it or pass it on. CPSC says selling a recalled product is illegal, including secondhand sales by individuals, online or in person. Before you buy anything used, especially a baby product, search CPSC recalls.

A vehicle, car seat or tire

Call a dealer to schedule the repair. Federal law requires the manufacturer to remedy the defect by repairing, replacing or refunding (the manufacturer chooses which), and to do it without charge. That free-remedy rule does not apply if the first buyer bought the vehicle more than 15 calendar years before the recall notice, or a tire more than 5 years before.

Recall letters go to the registered owner the manufacturer finds through state records or other sources, or to the most recent buyer it knows of. If you bought the car used or have moved, check your VIN yourself. If you cannot get the repair, call the manufacturer's line in the notice and file a complaint with NHTSA.

Step 5: Have future recalls come to you

Email alerts: The Recalls.gov email alerts page links to sign-ups for CPSC, FDA, USDA's FSIS and NHTSA. FDA also offers separate emails for medical device recalls and its MedWatch safety alerts.
Vehicle alerts: NHTSA's free SaferCar app can alert you to recalls for the vehicles, car seats and equipment you enter.
Register what you buy. Car seats, and baby and toddler products such as cribs, strollers and high chairs, come with a postage-paid registration card, and many makers also offer online registration. For the baby and toddler products, federal rules let the maker use your registration only to contact you about a recall or safety alert.

Step 6: Report a problem, even if there is no recall

Reports help agencies spot problems that can lead to recalls. Keep the product, its packaging, your receipt and photos of the labels.

Problem with…	Report to
A medicine, medical device or cosmetic	FDA's MedWatch program online, or call 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332) and follow the prompts to report a problem
A food (other than meat, poultry or egg products), infant formula or dietary supplement	FDA's Safety Reporting Portal, through FDA's Report a Problem page
A vaccine	The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), linked from the same FDA page
Pet food or an animal medicine	FDA's animal and veterinary reporting page, linked from the same FDA page
Meat, poultry or processed egg products	USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline, 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854), or FSIS's online complaint form
A household or children's product	SaferProducts.gov, or the CPSC hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 800-638-8270). Reports go into a public database, so check what is shown publicly before you submit.
A vehicle, car seat, tire or vehicle equipment	NHTSA's Report a Safety Problem page, or 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171)
An illness you think came from food	Your county or city health department

Mistakes to avoid

Assuming no letter or call means no recall. A company may not have your contact details. Check for yourself.
Throwing the item out before reading the remedy. You may need it, or a photo of it, to get a refund.
Tapping a link in an unexpected text or email about a recall. Go to the agency's website yourself. See fake delivery, toll and bank texts.

A printable recall check card puts the agency list, the details to find and the report lines on one page.

Sources

Recalls.gov: Federal Recall Information and its email alerts page — U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, accessed October 21, 2026.
Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts — U.S. Food and Drug Administration, content current as of October 17, 2026.
Recalls Background and Definitions — U.S. Food and Drug Administration, content current as of March 20, 2026.
Understanding Drug Recalls: What to Know and What to Do — U.S. Food and Drug Administration, content current as of May 6, 2026.
21 CFR Part 7, Enforcement Policy (sections 7.3, 7.40, 7.42 and 7.50) — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, accessed October 21, 2026.
Enforcement Report — U.S. Food and Drug Administration, accessed October 21, 2026.
What Is a Medical Device Recall? and What Is an Early Alert? — U.S. Food and Drug Administration, content current as of September 29, 2025.
Medical Device Recalls — U.S. Food and Drug Administration, accessed October 21, 2026.
MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program and Reporting Serious Problems to FDA — U.S. Food and Drug Administration, content current as of October 20, 2026, and September 26, 2025.
Report a Problem to the FDA — U.S. Food and Drug Administration, content current as of May 11, 2026.
Recalls and Outbreaks and How to Report a Problem with Food — FoodSafety.gov, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, accessed October 21, 2026.
FSIS Directive 8080.1, Managing Adulterated or Misbranded Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products, Revision 8 — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, accessed October 21, 2026.
Symptoms of Listeria Infection — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last reviewed February 3, 2025.
Recalls — U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, accessed October 21, 2026.
Stop Online Sale of Recalled Products — U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, accessed October 21, 2026.
SaferProducts.gov — U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, accessed October 21, 2026.
16 CFR Part 1130, Requirements for Consumer Registration of Durable Infant or Toddler Products — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, accessed October 21, 2026.
Recalls and Report a Safety Problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, accessed October 21, 2026.
Car Seat Registration — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, accessed October 21, 2026.
49 CFR 571.213, Child Restraint Systems (registration and labeling provisions) — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, accessed October 21, 2026.
49 U.S.C. 30119, Notification procedures and 49 U.S.C. 30120, Remedies for defects and noncompliance — U.S. Code (2024 edition) via GovInfo, accessed October 21, 2026.
Poison Help — Health Resources and Services Administration, accessed October 21, 2026.