Is this real recall data?

Yes — real food and drug recalls from the FDA's own openFDA API.

No. The openFDA API is fully key-less.

Does this include device recalls?

No — it covers real food and drug enforcement reports only.

Yes — free, no download, in your browser.

What do the recall classes mean?

The FDA assigns Class I, II or III according to the health risk: Class I is a reasonable probability of serious harm or death, Class II is temporary or medically reversible harm (or a remote chance of serious harm), and Class III is unlikely to cause adverse health consequences.

Does a recall date match the announcement?

Not always. The Enforcement Report is compiled separately from company announcements, so a record can appear later than the first public notice.

FDA Recall Alert Board Screensaver

The FDA Recall Alert Board screensaver streams real US food and drug recalls. It is free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.

How the FDA Recall Alert Board screensaver works

The saver reads real enforcement reports from the FDA's openFDA API.

Each entry shows a real recalling firm, product and recall reason.

The pipeline refreshes on the FDA's own enforcement-report schedule.

No key is required for this key-less public endpoint.

Reading FDA enforcement reports

The US Food and Drug Administration publishes an Enforcement Report covering the recalls it monitors, and its openFDA project exposes enforcement records for food, drugs and devices through a public API. A record carries fields such as the recalling firm, the product description and the stated reason for the recall.

A firm may start a recall on its own initiative, at the FDA's request, or under an FDA order. The FDA then classifies it by risk. Class I means reasonable probability of serious harm or death, Class II means temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences are the likely outcome (or serious harm is remote), and Class III means exposure is unlikely to cause adverse health consequences. Some recalls are listed as not yet classified.

A listing is not a statement that everyone who bought the product was harmed. Recalls often cover specific lots or date ranges, and a record can appear after the company's first announcement. Recalls of meat and poultry fall under a different agency, the USDA, so they should be looked up in USDA notices. This display is informational; consult the official notice for product details and instructions.

A worked example

A real food or drug recall issued by a real firm scrolls past exactly as openFDA recorded it.

Settings & tips

Firms, products and reasons are real, unedited openFDA entries.
Accent recolours the ticker text.
openFDA is the FDA's own real public enforcement-data API.

Frequently asked questions

Is this real recall data?: Yes — real food and drug recalls from the FDA's own openFDA API.
Is a key needed?: No. The openFDA API is fully key-less.
Does this include device recalls?: No — it covers real food and drug enforcement reports only.
Is it free?: Yes — free, no download, in your browser.
What do the recall classes mean?: The FDA assigns Class I, II or III according to the health risk: Class I is a reasonable probability of serious harm or death, Class II is temporary or medically reversible harm (or a remote chance of serious harm), and Class III is unlikely to cause adverse health consequences.
Who starts a recall?: A firm can recall a product on its own initiative, at the FDA's request, or under an FDA order. The FDA then classifies the recall.
Does a recall date match the announcement?: Not always. The Enforcement Report is compiled separately from company announcements, so a record can appear later than the first public notice.

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