RecallCheck methodology

RecallCheck is an independent ITSBAD Labs product that helps consumers compare packaged-food information with available official recall records. Official FDA and USDA notices remain authoritative.

Sources and refresh

FDA recall announcements are refreshed from the FDA's official annual firm-issued recalls XML dataset. Meat, poultry, and related USDA notices are refreshed from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Recall API v1. The two sources are refreshed independently so a problem with one agency does not erase the other agency's last known records.

RecallCheck reports source-specific status rather than treating a successful refresh from one agency as proof that both sources are current. The interface can show when each source was checked, whether the latest refresh succeeded, the last successful retrieval, and the newest recall date available in that source.

Matching

RecallCheck evaluates exact UPC and GTIN identifiers first and also recognizes equivalent zero-padded GTIN representations. Product identity information may come from Open Food Facts. When an official recall does not contain a usable barcode, RecallCheck can use corroborating product details such as brand, product name, package size, lot code, date code, or USDA establishment number to guide manual review.

Similarity is not treated as proof that a package is recalled. When an official notice requires a lot, date, establishment, package size, or other package-specific detail, the user must compare that information with the official notice.

Current and historical records

RecallCheck normalizes lifecycle information from the source record to distinguish records that are actionable from records identified as closed or terminated. Source formats vary, so an unknown lifecycle is not automatically treated as active. Historical similarity is not presented as confirmation of a current recall.

Categories and filters

The Current recalls page provides practical filters such as FDA, USDA, meat and poultry, dairy and eggs, prepared foods, allergens, and contamination. Agency filters use the normalized source agency. Topic filters use explicit recall fields and conservative terms found in the official product description, reason, classification, and source record; they are discovery aids, not official regulatory classifications. Products explicitly described as Not Ready-To-Eat (NRTE) are excluded from the Prepared foods filter.

Boundaries and limitations

A no-match result does not mean a food is safe or that no recall exists. Official data can be delayed or incomplete, some recalls do not include barcodes, and a barcode may identify a product without identifying the affected production lot. RecallCheck does not determine illness, expiration, food safety, or whether a specific package is affected when required package details are missing.

Privacy

RecallCheck has no user accounts, advertising trackers, analytics, cookies, or persistent scan history. Camera frames remain on the device. Session history exists only in browser memory and disappears when the page is reloaded. Product and package identifiers are excluded from optional feedback.

Check a product · FDA recall data sets · USDA FSIS Recall API