The first Australian edition of Sedgwick’s product recall report shows more than 600 “corrective actions” in the first half of the year across the automotive, consumer product, food and drink, medical device and pharmaceutical sectors. 

The Recall Index, like editions published for the US and European markets, provides information on trends and developments including regulatory changes.

Sedgwick senior VP of brand protection Chris Harvey says commerce and supply chains are interconnected and impacts in different markets affect each other. 

“We are seeing regulators in multiple jurisdictions taking a more aggressive approach to enforcing consumer protection laws,” he said. 

“This creates more risk for companies and increases the need for well-tested recall and risk management plans.” 

The Recall Index shows 602 corrective actions in the first six months of this year, up 2.7% from 586 in the December half.  

The food sector had the largest increase, with Food Standards Australia New Zealand issuing 39 recalls, up 25.8% from the December period. Undeclared allergens were the top safety concern, followed by “foreign materials”. Non-bacterial contamination and unintended fermentation each prompted three events. 

Pharmaceutical product safety actions increased 17.5% to 47, including 33 recalls, 11 defect corrections and three defect alerts. Mislabelling and quality concerns forced 13 recall actions each, tying for the most events. 

Medical device actions increased 5.3% to 300 across recalls, defect corrections, defect alerts and hazard alerts. Software concern was the largest recall category, followed by device failure. Most actions were at the hospital level, in terms of distribution. 

In consumer products, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission recalls fell 6% to 94. Electronics were the main category, with USB wall chargers accounting for six events. Toys were second, followed by children’s products such as teethers. 

Automotive industry recalls fell 6.2% to 122, affecting 227,493 units, with passenger cars the most affected, ahead of motorbikes. There were 22 events for power trains, 15 for electrical systems and 13 for service brakes. 

Sedgwick says Australia’s 2050 net zero goals will have a growing influence across several industries, and there are plans to overhaul the transportation system and infrastructure to align with environmental objectives. 

“Regulators are also focused on enabling the introduction of more innovative products to market, including pharmaceuticals and consumer goods, while ensuring Australian consumer safety.” 

The Australian Recall Index will be published twice a year.