Australia product recalls decline in 2025

Sedgwick releases latest Australian Product Safety and Recall Index report

SYDNEY, Australia – The number of Australian product safety market actions, including recalls, fell 3.2% from 2024 to 2025, according to Sedgwick’s 2026 State of the Nation Australian Product Safety and Recall Index report. In total, there were 1,247 events in 2025 compared to 1,288 in 2024. While the annual figures are lower, the second half (H2) of 2025 recorded an uptick in the number of events, suggesting an increased regulatory focus on product safety and enforcement.

Sedgwick’s biannual Australian report analyses product safety and recall data from the Australian automotive, consumer product, and food and drink sectors, as well as market actions, including product recalls, corrections, and alerts, for the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. This latest edition examines data from the second half of 2025, July through August, as well as the full year in review.

Compared to January through June 2025 (H1 2025), the total number of recall actions rose by 10.3% from 593 to 654 in H2. All five sectors that Sedgwick tracks experienced more events in H2 2025 than in H1. The greatest gains were in the pharmaceutical industry, where market actions rose 70% to a six-year high. The food and drink sector saw recalls increase 36.4%, marking the second-highest half-year total since H2 2020.

In addition to the recall data and analysis, Sedgwick’s report provides essential insights into the regulatory developments and perspectives on what product safety stakeholders should anticipate for 2026. Throughout 2025, Australian regulators updated or implemented rules and guidance across a range of industries to harmonise them with those of other nations. This included stronger cyber security rules for smart devices and toys, extended producer responsibilities for batteries and other consumer goods, and requirements for emissions standards and Autonomous Emergency Braking in vehicles. 

One of the biggest product safety changes in 2025 was the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s (TGA) new Procedure for Recalls, Product Alerts, and Product Corrections (PRAC). The new regulation outlines rules for sponsors of medical devices, medicines, bloods, and biologicals when conducting market actions, including product recalls. Regulators also prioritised transparency by enacting several rules that addressed consumers’ access to information about product safety, ingredients, and honest advertising.

“While overall recall activity eased in 2025, Australian regulators remain sharply focused on product safety and enforcement,” notes Mark Buckingham, Global Director of Recall Solutions with Sedgwick. “Businesses must remain agile as regulatory reforms demand greater transparency, stricter safety standards, and increased obligations for manufacturers and distributors. In this dynamic landscape, clear communications with regulators and supply chain partners, along with robust recall strategies, is essential to respond swiftly to emerging market crises.”

To download the latest Australian Product Safety and Recall Index, click here.

Sedgwick publishes its Australian Product Safety and Recall Index twice a year. It is the only report that aggregates and tracks recall data and regulatory changes across multiple government agencies and industries to help stakeholders respond to product recall trends, dynamic legislation, and other in-market challenges. For more information, visit www.sedgwick.com/product-recall.

About Sedgwick

Sedgwick is the world’s leading risk and claims administration partner, helping clients thrive by navigating the unexpected. The company’s expertise, combined with the most advanced AI-enabled technology available, sets the standard for solutions in claims administration, loss adjusting, benefits administration and product recall. With over 33,000 colleagues and 10,000 clients across 80 countries, Sedgwick provides unmatched perspective, caring that counts, and solutions for the rapidly changing and complex risk landscape. Sedgwick’s majority shareholder is The Carlyle Group; Stone Point Capital LLC, Altas Partners, CDPQ, Onex and other management investors are minority shareholders. For more, see sedgwick.com.