CPSC Makes Recall Data Available Via API
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission 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).
By providing electronic access to this data, CPSC intends to 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 said it encourages all businesses and developers to access this API and related technical instructions at www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/api.html. In addition, CPSC encourages anyone who uses the API to let the commission know how you're using it or provide CPSC with other feedback by sending an e-mail to [email protected].