Sedgwick: Australian Product Recalls Fell 14% in First Half

Product recalls in Australia fell 14.3% in the first half of 2025 compared with the second half of last year, a new report shows.

Sedgwick’s latest Australian Product Safety and Recall Index found 394 recalls between January and June, down from 460 in the second half H2 2024.

Four of the five sectors tracked by in the report saw declines. The automotive industry saw the biggest drop with a change of 30.7%, down from 163 recalls in the first half of last year to 113 recalls in the first half of 2025. Other big drops came in the food and drink sector (17.5%), and the pharmaceutical (18.4%) and medical device sectors declined (6.1%). Only consumer products showed a slight increase, up 2.8%.

The index provides insights into regulatory developments that shaped the first half of the year and what product safety stakeholders should expect moving forward. In the first six months, several sectors saw regulatory changes that brought Australia more in line with other major economies. These included new cybersecurity rules for smart devices that set standards for passwords, software updates and vulnerability reporting.

Expanded producer responsibilities for batteries and other consumer goods were created under the NSW Product Lifecycle Responsibility Act.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration’s new procedure for recalls, product alerts and product corrections also took effect in March, outlining rules for medical devices, medicines, bloods and biologicals when conducting market actions. The changes to recall procedures, along with new adverse-event reporting requirements for hospitals, could lead to more activity in these industries, according to Sedgwick. In the food sector, the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct became mandatory in April and now carries penalties for noncompliance, including fines up to $10 million or 10% of company turnover.

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