Our approach

From thousands of recalls to the few that matter to you

Here's how Recall Radar decides what reaches your inbox, and why most recalls never will.

Every notice

watched across recall sources

Your household

compared against each one

Only matches

sent to your inbox

The path every recall takes

Six stages, running continuously in the background.

  1. Stage 1: Watch

    We keep an eye on recall sources around the clock

    Recall and safety notices are published across many agency and manufacturer sources, in different formats and at different times. We monitor them continuously so nothing depends on you checking a website.

  2. Stage 2: Decode

    Each notice is broken down into the details that matter

    A recall is more than a headline. We pull out the product, brand, sizes, lot and date codes, the hazard, any allergens involved, and where it was sold, so every notice can be compared like-for-like.

  3. Stage 3: Know your home

    Your household profile tells us what to look for

    Your profile records the people, pets, foods, kids' products and medications in your home, including details for each person, like a peanut allergy or a blood pressure prescription.

  4. Stage 4: Match

    Every recall is weighed against your household

    Our matching engine compares each decoded recall with your profile and weighs how strongly it applies to you. A recall has to clear that bar to count as a match.

  5. Stage 5: Double-check

    Matches are verified before they're sent

    A false alarm costs you time and trust. Matches go through accuracy checks before anything reaches your inbox, so the alerts you get are ones worth reading.

  6. Stage 6: Deliver

    You get a clear summary on your schedule

    Alerts arrive by email in plain language: what's affected, why it matched your household, how to check your product, and what to do next.

Built around who actually lives with you

A recall for a peanut-containing snack means nothing to one family and everything to another. That's why matching starts with your household, not with a list of categories. The profile takes less than 10 minutes and you can update it whenever life changes: a new baby, a new pet, a new prescription.

Build your profile
  • PeopleAllergies and dietary needs for each person
  • PetsFood, treats and products for each animal
  • KidsBaby gear, toys, car seats and nursery products
  • HealthMedications, supplements and medical devices
  • GroceriesThe brands and products you buy regularly

What guides every decision we make

Relevance over volume

Thousands of recalls are issued every year. Sending you all of them would just recreate the problem. We'd rather send you three that matter than thirty you'll learn to ignore.

Accuracy before alarm

Getting it right matters more than being first. Every match is checked before it's sent.

Plain language

Recall notices are written for regulators. Our summaries are written for the person standing in front of their pantry.

Your data serves you

Your profile exists to match recalls to your household. That's what it's for.

A note on what we don't publish

The exact rules our matching engine uses are proprietary, built and tuned by our team over many rounds of testing. We're happy to explain the process above in as much detail as you like. If you have a question about why you did or didn't receive an alert, contact supportand we'll look into it.