Table of Contents

Motor vehicles, like children's products, are frequently recalled. In fact, these are the second and third-most frequently occurring types of recalls, after perishables. In 1997, there were approximately 300 motor vehicle recalls; an increase from the 284 motor vehicle recalls the year before. There were 258 governmentally-conducted recalls of motor vehicles in 1997, compared to 42 such recalls not involving a government agency. See Table Two.

There were not as many individual recall campaigns of appliances or tools, but several of them involved substantial numbers of products. In fact, although there were only 58 appliance and tool recalls (47 by the government, eleven voluntary), compared to 83 children's products and 300 motor vehicle, six million fewer children's product units and motor vehicles were recalled. Nearly 45 million product units of appliances and tools were recalled, compared to 17,131,682 children's product units and 21,685, 925 motor vehicle items. 1997 appliance and tool recall data is presented in Table Three.

By far the most numerous type of product recall, there were 1946 perishables recalls in 1997. In 1996, there were just over 1,400 perishable recalls, involving more than 1.7 billion product units. There was a greater number of such recalls in 1997, but a substantially smaller number of units was recalled. The government acted directly in 1935 of the 1997 recalls, while another eleven were voluntary.

In 1997, there were 296 recalls of foods, 223 of medicine, thirteen of clothing, and 1,017 of biologicals, to cite four of the seven sub-categories. See Table Four.

This was the least frequently recalled type of product in 1997, compared to the other five main categories. There were only 11 such recalls, of 12, 789, 500 product units. Six of these recalls were ordered by a government agency, while the other five were not. See Table Five.

There were 23 recalls of sports and recreational equipment in 1997, nearly twice as many as the 12 sports and recreation recalls the year before. And, while the twelve 1996 sports and recreation recalls netted under 500,000 product units, the 1997 sports and recreation recalls involved more than 2,000,000 product units. Three of these recalls were considered voluntary, with direct government action in 20 cases. See Table Six.

In addition to the six main recall categories, there is a catch-all category, one containing all of the products not included in one of the other six. In 1997, there were at least 23 of these recalls, involving nearly 6.5 million product units; 16 miscellaneous recalls involved a government agency, while seven did not. See Table Seven.

At this point, we have quantified the incidence of each type of recall. Table Eight presents a summary of the number of 1997 recalls, and the number of product units recalled. See Table Eight.

Although complete information on each recall is not available, we do know enough about most to determine basic facts; the name of the recalled product, the date of recall, the number of units involved, and the reason for the recall are usually available. If it is possible to anticipate rather than react to recall events, it might be possible to minimize the expense and other unpleasant consequences of recall campaigns. Identifying possible monthly and seasonal trends in recall occurrences is a first step in such anticipation. The present study extends Gibson's (1998) analysis of monthly and seasonal recall tendencies, which found three distinct clusters of high-recall, moderate, and low-recall periods. The monthly incidence of product recalls is illustrated in Table Nine.

Initial observation of the monthly distribution of recalls in 1997 reveals no surface patterns, only the obvious fact that some months have more recalls than others. However, just as was the case with 1996 recalls, these seemingly random monthly distributions make sense when combined into seasonal cluster patterns.

To this point, we have considered the number of recalls in the main categories, and tabulated the number of individual product units recalled. Monthly recall tendencies were noted, and quasi-seasonal recall frequency variations were observed. Let us now add a final dimension to our understanding of 1997 recalls: the role of government.

Tables one through seven summarized the number of recalls in the various categories, and indicated the number of directly governmentally-induced recalls and those recalls termed purely voluntary on the part of recallers. Now we can directly compare the number of governmental vs. non-governmental recalls, looking at both the number of campaigns and number of recalled units. That comparison is provided in Table Ten.

The results are inconsistent, although in general there are many more governmentally-induced recalls. There was rough parity between the six government office/furniture/computer recalls, and the five non-governmental recalls. But, in general, there were far more recalls initiated by the government, by a margin of 2,525 to 122.

These governmentally-induced recalls are produced by several regulatory agencies, most notably the Food and Drug Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Other 1997 federal recallers included the U. S. Department of Agriculture, and the Centers for Disease Control.

It is important to advance our understanding of product recalls, in light of the gravity of the consequences of ineffective recall campaigns. It is no overstatement to suggest that product recalls are a matter of life and death; effective recalls save lives and reduce suffering, while unsuccessful campaigns may have quite different and disappointing results.

1997 recalls differed little from recall tendencies of the years before. Recalls of perishables far outnumbered the rest. There was a significant number of children's products and motor vehicle recalls, with a fewer number of appliances and tools, office, computer and furniture, and sports and recreation product recalls.

Monthly variation in recall frequency was considerable, with no apparent pattern. However, certain seasonal tendencies were identified. These quasi-seasonal 1997 recall frequency tendencies are quite similar to the 1996 recall data, and not much different than the 1995 recall profile.

Much remains to be learned about American product recalls. We know little about sub-national recalls; counties, cities, and states sometimes conduct recall activity. At the federal level, it is likely that some recall activity has escaped our attention. Thus, we must concede that our quantification of 1997 recalls is probably an understatement of the true incidence of this economic phenomenon.

Nevertheless, there is considerable value in enhancing our understanding of product recalls in the U. S. In light of the public health and economic consequences of product recall events, it is imperative that we advance our knowledge about this important business topic, with its central communication variables.

Cabbage Patch Kids Snacktime Kids doll. (1997, March). Consumer Reports. p. 45.

Gibson, D. C. (1997). Consumer product recalls 1995: A typology and quantification. In J. Biberman and A. Alkhafaji (eds) Business Research Yearbook Lanham, MD: University Press of America, pp. 777-81 (1998).

Quantification and analysis of 1996 recalls. In J. Biberman and A. Alkhafaji, (eds) Business Research Yearbook Lanham, MD: University Press of America, pp. 771-75.Glanton, E. .Meatpackers rethink `reworking' Albuquerque (1997, August 28) Journal, p. D-7.

Hamburger recall grows: Plant shut. (1997, August 22). Albuquerque Journal, p. A-3.

Langreth, R., and L. Johannes. (1997, October 31). Diet-drug mystery grows as new data emerge. The Wall Street Journal, p. B-1.

Neergaard, L. (1997, September 16). FDA pulls diet drugs off shelves. Albuquerque Journal, p. A-1.

O'Neill, A. (1997, August 8). Judge orders recall of magazine over nude photos. Los Angeles Times, p. B-3.

Playgirl told to halt mags. (1997, August 8). Albuquerque Journal, p. A-3.

Redux may be less risky than feared. (1998, September 10). Albuquerque Journal, p. A-6.