Certain sectors such as automotive saw a significant rise in recall activity with an 155% increase

According to findings in the Sedgwick European product safety and recall index report, while many countries and businesses eased pandemic-imposed restrictions to operations, there were lingering concerns about supply chains and regulatory oversight across the industries surveyed.

The recall index report reveals a decrease in overall product recalls activity in Europe by 2.4% in the first quarter of 2022, indicated by a decline in events within the pharmaceutical (28.0%), medical devices (17.3%), and food and beverage (10.3%) sectors.

However, certain sectors such as automotive saw a significant rise in recall activity with an 155.1% increase, as well as consumer products including clothing (131.3%), toys (9.0%) and electronics (44.8%).

“While many countries and businesses eased pandemic-imposed restrictions to operations, there were lingering concerns about supply chains and regulatory oversight and a significant rise in the number of recalls across a number of the five sectors assessed,” said Mark Buckingham, international product recall consultant at Sedgwick.

Q1 2022 recall highlights include:

  • The 227 automotive recalls in Q1 2022 represented an 155.1% increase compared to Q4 2021. This rise may be an indicator of regulatory oversight practices returning to normal or manufacturers finding challenges with new regulations. 
  • For food and beverage, the data collected showed a 10.3% drop in recalls to 1,202 in Q1 2022, compared to Q4 2021. 
  • Pharmaceutical recall activity across the EU and UK dropped 28.0% in Q1 2022, compared to the previous quarter, with 67 recalls recorded. 
  • The 649 medical device recalls in Q1 2022 saw an overall drop of 17.3% compared to Q4 2021. This is also lower than the 722 recalls from the same quarter last year.
  • Within the electronics sector, Q1 2022 activity saw a rise of 43.8% with 139 recall events recorded. 
  • Toy recalls rose in Q1 2022 to 181, up from 166 in Q4 2021. This represented a modest 9.0% increase. 
  • Clothing recalls more than doubled from 32 recalls in Q1 2021 to 74 recalls in Q1 2022. This represents a 131.3% increase quarter-over-quarter. 

Julie Ross, Sedgwick’s international business development director said: “Supply chain delays continues to be an issue alongside a range of other external factors, influencing how businesses operate. Having a recall plan in place helps to mitigate the impact and protect your brand when the worst happens.”

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