Last Year's Recalls Reach Record 'High'... Diffusers and Others Increase by 54.7%

Last year, recalls of general consumer products such as diffusers significantly increased.

The Korea Fair Trade Commission announced on the 23rd that recalls under 14 laws, including the Framework Act on Consumers, totaled 3,586 cases last year, an increase of 116 cases (3.3%) from the previous record high of 3,470 cases the year before. The number of recalls rose for the second consecutive year, following a sharp 56.8% increase from 2,213 cases in 2020 to 3,470 cases in 2021.

Last year, recalls of pharmaceuticals (including herbal medicines and quasi-drugs), automobiles, and medical devices decreased by 45.2%, 7.5%, and 5.3% respectively to 442, 308, and 269 cases compared to the previous year. However, recalls of general consumer products (2,303 cases) surged by 34.0%. In particular, recalls of chemical products such as cleansers, air fresheners, and deodorants among general consumer products increased by 54.7% to 1,417 cases.

The Fair Trade Commission explained, "The increase in managed household chemical products such as cleansers and air fresheners, expanded information gathering on overseas recalled products, and strengthened domestic distribution monitoring have contributed to the rise in consumer product recalls."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.