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CPSC Makes Recall Data Available Electronically to Businesses, 3rd Party Developers

Release Date: August 31, 2010

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is making its product safety information on all recalls available in an electronic data set for use by businesses and software and application developers.

Recall data from 1973 forward is available via an Application Program Interface (API). It is formatted in XML and contains information currently found in CPSC press releases online such as brand names, product types, product descriptions, companies involved in recalls, where the products were manufactured, hazards, recall dates and UPC codes (when those are available).

Electronic access to this data will give online businesses an easier, direct and more automated way to stop the sale of recalled products. Online retailers and auction sites can use the API to automatically flag and both remove and stop the sale of recalled products quickly after a recall has been announced.

In addition, developers are encouraged to create applications and other innovative tools to put this important recall information into the hands of consumers.

The General Services Administration is using this API to feed data to the Recalls.gov mobile application, which is available for free on the Android market.

CPSC encourages all businesses and developers to access this API and related technical instructions at https://www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/CPSC-Recalls-Application-Program-Interface-API-Information/. In addition, CPSC encourages anyone who uses the API to let us know how you're using it or provide us with other feedback by sending an e-mail to feedback@cpsc.gov

Release Number
10-315

About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years. 

Federal law prohibits any person from selling products subject to a Commission ordered recall or a voluntary recall undertaken in consultation with the CPSC.

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