U.S. product recall activity remained elevated in the first quarter of 2026 as companies faced mounting regulatory pressure and continued disruption across global supply chains, according to Sedgwick’s latest U.S. Product Safety and Recall Index report.
In fact, the total volume of defective products recalled across five U.S. industries increased 27% quarter-over-quarter, rising to 492 million units in Q1 2026. In contrast, the number of recall events declined 10.5%, from 877 in Q4 2025 to 785 in Q1 2026. These data indicate that while fewer recalls were announced overall, the scale and impact of individual events continued to intensify.
"The ongoing economic uncertainty should urge companies to control what they can do, including assessing their compliance risk and evaluating their recall plans against a dynamic regulatory environment," says Chris Harvey, SVP for Sedgwick. "The current administration is emphasizing transparency with a focus on product origin information and food ingredients. Clear communication is another priority with consumers, suppliers, and regulators. Businesses should ensure that they have effective communications channels in place and can support any statements they make."
Key takeaways:
· The consumer products sector was the only industry to record an increase in recalls events, rising 14.5% to 142. The sector also experienced a 347% increase in recalled units quarter-over-quarter.
· Several industries recorded significant numbers of units recalled in Q1. The pharmaceutical sector set a 12-year high in terms of recall volume with 218.8 million units impacted. The automotive industry reported its highest quarterly unit total since Q1 2024 with 12.2 million vehicles recalled.
· In the food sector, recalls regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) accounted for 37.1 million pounds of product. This is the third-highest total in more than two decades.
