Number of recalled products in the U.S. reaches lowest quarterly level in three years

Sedgwick releases latest U.S. Product Safety and Recall Index report

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Aug. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The number of products recalled across the United States fell sharply in the second quarter of 2025, declining 31.5% from 125.37 million units in Q1 to 85.87 million in Q2, according to Sedgwick's latest U.S. Product Safety and Recall Index. This marks the lowest quarterly total since Q2 2022, despite only the FDA food and pharmaceutical sectors reporting fewer recalled units compared to the previous quarter. It is also one of only five quarters in the past five years in which fewer than 100 million units were affected.

While the number of units recalled declined, recall events themselves surged. At 861 events, Q2 2025 marked the highest quarterly total in more than a year. This divergence between events and impacted units may point to factors such as smaller batch production, earlier defect detection, and a heightened culture of vigilance and recall readiness across industries.

Sedgwick's quarterly Recall Index provides in-depth analysis of recall activity across the automotive, consumer product, food and drink, pharmaceutical, and medical device sectors. The latest edition examines data from April through June, with an early look at emerging trends from July.

Across the first half of 2025 (H1), there were 1,636 recall events, a modest decline from 1,697 in the same period of 2024. The total number of units impacted was 211.25 million in H1 2025, nearly half the 384.17 million units recorded in H1 2024. This represents the lowest half-year total for recalled units in a decade.

In addition to the recall data and analysis, the latest Recall Index report provides essential insights into the regulatory developments that shaped the second quarter and perspectives on what product safety stakeholders should anticipate for the remainder of 2025. In Q2, several regulatory agencies moved quickly to reimagine a new era for government operations. The Trump Administration trimmed regulations and accelerated processes with new pilot programs and the implementation of AI tools. Additionally, trade issues continued to dominate headlines as the administration launched investigations into national security risks for several industries and furthered tariff negotiations with trade partners.

Businesses across all sectors should be prepared for government efforts designed to bring more manufacturing to the U.S., get products to market more quickly, and improve the safety of products—especially across the food and drink sector. These goals bring both opportunities and challenges for companies as regulations are rescinded in some areas, including around vehicle emissions, but added in others—such as post-market reviews of chemicals in food and restrictions on other ingredients.

"Even amidst a rapidly changing regulatory landscape and uncertainty around how regulators will operate in the future, product safety remains the focus for federal agencies," said Chris Harvey, Senior Vice President of Brand Protection for Sedgwick. "Businesses will need to evaluate multiple aspects of their supply chains, pricing models, and compliance programs to ensure their operations align with new approaches to oversight and enforcement. Even as their obligations evolve and risks shift, businesses should ensure their recall and incident response plans are current and ready to deploy at any time."

To download the latest U.S. Product Safety and Recall Index report, click here.

Sedgwick publishes the Recall Index every quarter. It is the only report that aggregates and tracks recall data across multiple government agencies and industries to help stakeholders respond to the regulatory environment, product recalls, and other in-market challenges. For more information, visit www.sedgwick.com/product-recall.

About Sedgwick
Sedgwick is the world's leading risk and claims administration partner, helping clients thrive by navigating the unexpected. The company's expertise, combined with the most advanced AI-enabled technology available, sets the standard for solutions in claims administration, loss adjusting, benefits administration and product recall. With over 33,000 colleagues and 10,000 clients across 80 countries, Sedgwick provides unmatched perspective, caring that counts, and solutions for the rapidly changing and complex risk landscape. Sedgwick's majority shareholder is The Carlyle Group; Stone Point Capital LLC, Altas Partners, CDPQ, Onex and other management investors are minority shareholders. For more, see sedgwick.com.

SOURCE Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc.