Data Methodology
How available official records are collected, standardized, preserved, and presented.
Official sources
The index uses available machine-readable or structured public data from the FDA, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, and Consumer Product Safety Commission. Availability differs by source and can change without notice.
Collection schedule and source availability
Automated server tasks request new and changed records on a regular schedule. “Regularly synchronized” does not mean real-time. Agency maintenance, rate limits, access controls, network failures, or changes to a source may delay updates. Visitors should check the linked issuing-agency page when timing is important.
Current time coverage
The default search and XML sitemap focus on records from the most recent five years. If older records are imported, visitors can choose “All available years” in search. Historical records are not automatically turned into separate year, brand, state, or keyword landing pages solely for search-engine traffic.
FDA public announcements and enforcement reports
The FDA portion of the index combines two official publication streams when available. Public recall announcements are used to surface newer company notices promptly. openFDA enforcement-report records add structured fields such as recall number, classification, status, distribution, and enforcement dates. The two streams can appear on different schedules, so a recent announcement may not yet have every enforcement field. Find a Recall preserves the official source link and does not invent missing values.
USDA FSIS snapshot and import process
USDA FSIS records are refreshed by a server-side PHP downloader into a local JSON snapshot and then imported into the same normalized database used by the site. The downloader validates that a substantial FSIS dataset was received before replacing the prior snapshot, which reduces the risk of an empty or blocked response wiping out useful local data. The import step then inserts new records and updates changed records while preserving unchanged items. This two-step process is scheduled independently from the FDA and CPSC imports.
Normalization
Because agencies name fields differently, records are mapped into a common structure: agency, source ID, title, product description, recalling firm, reason, consumer action, classification, status, category, distribution, dates, source URL, and images when available. Empty fields remain empty rather than being guessed.
Duplicate and update handling
Agency and source identifiers help prevent duplicate records. Content hashes help detect changes. A failed or empty source response does not intentionally delete existing records. A later source update may alter the information shown in the index.
Images and source links
Images are displayed only when an official source provides a usable image URL. One image may represent only one package, color, size, or model. Source links are preserved so visitors can review the authoritative notice and any attachments.
Corrections
If an indexed record differs from its source, email support@findarecall.net with the page URL and the specific field in question. See our Editorial Policy for review standards.
Prepared by the Find a Recall Editorial Team | Last reviewed: July 30, 2026
Editorial questions or corrections: support@findarecall.net