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What are the different recall categories?

On Behalf of | Jul 6, 2018 | Consumer Protection

Every time you buy food from your local grocery store or pick up a prescription medication from your pharmacist in Charleston, you do so assuming that the products you are purchasing are completely safe for use and consumption. When defective or dangerous products are identified, you likely sleep soundly knowing that regulatory agencies are out there to recall said products. Yet when news is released regarding product recalls, it often designates a recall classification. What do those classifications mean, and should they serve as an indication as to the urgency of the recall? 

Recall classification categories have been developed by the U.S Food and Drug Administration. They are broken down as follows: 

  • Class I: Any dangerous of defective product who use could predictably result in serious injury, illness or even death
  • Class II: Any products that present a slight risk of resulting in a serious health issue, our whose use could likely create a temporary health problem
  • Class III: Any products that violate FDA manufacturing or labeling laws, yet whose use is unlikely to produce adverse health affects

You might read this and assume that Class III recalls are not as urgent as those for products grouped into Class I, yet every recall should be taken seriously. If you discover that a product you have purchased has been recalled, immediately discontinue its use and contact whatever resources the recall notice provides. In many cases, the manufacturer may compensate you for your trouble. 

Speaking specifically of compensation, it should be noted that having a recall in place does not absolve a manufacturer of liability. If you or a loved one are injured by a recalled product, you may still bring action against the manufacturer (if you so choose). 

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