Methodology and sources

How often it updates

A scheduled job checks every source twice an hour. New notices appear within about thirty minutes of the agency publishing them, and a notice that the agency later edits is updated in place rather than duplicated. Each record is keyed on the agency’s own recall or campaign number, so the same recall never appears twice even when two agencies mention it.

Historical depth is at least twelve months for food, drug, device and consumer-product recalls. Vehicle campaigns cover the three most recent model years for the makes with the largest U.S. fleets.

How a page is built

• The headline is assembled from the brand, the product and the reason the agency gave. No adjectives are added.
• Lot codes, UPCs, quantities and distribution areas are reproduced as published, truncated only when a notice runs to thousands of characters.
• Retailer names are matched against a list of U.S. chains. A chain is listed only when the agency’s own distribution text names it.
• Risk level follows the agency: FDA Class I/II/III, FSIS high/low risk and public health alerts, and NHTSA’s “do not drive” and “park outside” warnings.
• The “what to do” and refund guidance is ours, written per category, and is general consumer advice — the agency notice and the company’s own instructions always take precedence.