May 22, 2025
Sedgwick releases latest European Product Safety and Recall Index report
LONDON – European product recalls surpassed 3,500 for the fifth consecutive quarter in Q1 2025, reaching 3,925 events across five key industries. According to Sedgwick brand protection’s latest European Product Safety and Recall Index report, this is the highest quarterly total in 11 years.
Sedgwick’s Index report analyses recall data across the UK and EU automotive, consumer product, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and medical device industries. Notably, recall activity in both the automotive and consumer product sectors surged in Q1 2025, with each recording it’s highest quarterly level in more than a decade. In contrast, the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and medical device sectors experienced mostly moderate quarter-over-quarter declines. The food and beverage sector saw the steepest drop at 14.5%, while pharmaceutical and medical device recalls fell by 8.8% and 8.7%, respectively.
In addition to the latest recall data, Sedgwick’s Index report also provides essential insights into the evolving regulatory landscape and what product safety stakeholders should anticipate throughout 2025. In Q1 2025, U.S. tariffs were a dominant concern, creating uncertainty across industries and complicating supply chain planning—a trend expected to persist into the second quarter and likely beyond.
In Europe, regulatory momentum continues to build as policymakers pursue measures to address competitiveness gaps and to promote fair trade practices across key sectors. Regulators also continue to focus on AI and sustainability, with both the EU and UK implementing new AI frameworks. In addition, the two jurisdictions are exploring broad environmental reforms across multiple sectors, including agriculture and packaging.
Looking ahead, several recent rulings by the Court of Justice of the European Union may carry significant implications, particularly by expanding potential liability for distributors and by clarifying the distinction between medical devices and medicinal products.
“For the fifth consecutive quarter, European recall activity has reached an unprecedented level,” noted Chris Occleshaw, International Product Recall Consultant at Sedgwick. “As regulatory frameworks continue to evolve and new obligations emerge, businesses are confronted with an increasingly complex and demanding risk landscape. This dynamic not only heightens the challenges of brand protection and compliance, but also underscores the importance of robust preparedness. In the face of potential non-compliance or an in-market product crisis, it is essential that businesses take proactive steps to mitigate risks and ensure they are ready for every eventuality.”
To download the latest European Index report, click here.
The Sedgwick brand protection European Product Safety and Recall Index is published every quarter. It is the only report that aggregates and tracks recall data across the EU and UK to help industry stakeholders respond to the regulatory environment, product recalls, 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.
