FDA Launches Consumer-Friendly Web Search For Consumers During Recalls

Direct to FDA Food Recall Database

From an Food and Drug Administration Update:

To provide greater ease of use for consumers, the search results provide data from news releases and other recall announcements in the form of a table. That table organizes information from news releases on recalls since 2009 by date, product brand name, product description, reason for the recall and the recalling firm.

The table also provides a link to the news release on each recall for more detailed information. The news releases were chosen as the source of information for the table because they provide the most up-to-date and user friendly information about any recall.

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Prior to launching the new Web search, the FDA consulted with stakeholder groups, including the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Consumers Union, Food Marketing Institute, Grocery Manufacturers Association, the Pew Health Group, and Safe Tables Our Priority to gain their insights on how to most effectively and easily communicate recall information to consumers.

FDA Makes Food Recall Search Consumer-Friendly” (via OMB Watch)

The new tool allows for searches by date, brand name, food type, or by defect (i.e., undeclared allergens), and presents the search results in an easy-to-read, sortable table. Search results also link to a detailed report and pictures of packaging. Prior to this change, FDA recall search results were a series of links in scroll-down format which were impossible to sort by date. The only list of recalls were large excel files that were difficult to sort and did not provide much background information.

Filed under: Data Files, News