Issued by:
Guidance Issuing Office
Center for Devices and Radiological Health
Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Center for Tobacco Products
Center for Veterinary Medicine

This guidance document is intended to provide guidance and recommendations to FDA-regulated industry regarding what information firms should give to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and how they should notify their customers about product recalls. This guidance is intended to assist those members of industry regulated by the FDA in handling most aspects of a product recall, as well as some removals and corrections which do not meet the definition of a recall under 21 CFR 7.3. The guidance includes a checklist of documentation and information that industry can provide to the FDA that will be used by FDA to evaluate, classify, monitor and audit product recalls. Various statutory provisions and regulations, described below, authorize the FDA to require recalls of certain products in particular circumstances. Additionally, subpart C of part 7 of FDA regulations (21 CFR 7.40-59) provides general guidance for the voluntary recall of products, including those recalls initiated by a firm on its own and at the FDA's request. This guidance provides more specific recommendations and applies to voluntary and, to the extent that the guidance does not conflict with statute or regulation, mandatory recalls of all FDA-regulated products (i.e., food, including animal food; drugs, including animal drugs; medical and radiological devices and products; cosmetics; tobacco products; and biological products.)


Submit Comments

Submit comments on this guidance document electronically via docket ID: FDA-2013-S-0610 - Specific Electronic Submissions Intended For FDA's Dockets Management Staff (i.e., Citizen Petitions, Draft Proposed Guidance Documents, Variances, and other administrative record submissions)

If unable to submit comments online, please mail written comments to:

Dockets Management
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fishers Lane, Rm 1061
Rockville, MD 20852

All comments should be identified with the title of the guidance.