Cars, groceries lead product recalls in Australia: new figures

Australia experienced a 14 percent jump in product recalls in 2015-16, with cars and groceries topping the list of unsafe items called back, according to figures out on Tuesday.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) released its yearly recall figures on Tuesday, and found that 670 product recalls were made compared to 596 in 2014-15.

ACCC deputy chair Delia Rickard said cheap, poorly-made imported goods, faulty cars and misleading allergen advice were the main causes for the "concerning" 14 percent jump in product recalls.

"Recalls have been trending up every year for the last five years," she told Fairfax Media on Tuesday.

"More and more, we are seeing suppliers seeking to keep costs down, sourcing from overseas countries without having direct oversight of every step of the supply chain."

Rickard said that more companies were choosing to recall their products before negative press, as they were becoming "more conscious of their rights to recall products that are unsafe."

She said that cut-throat price wars may be leading to fewer safety tests and less-stringent quality control.

"Across the board, the ACCC has concern about suppliers seeking to keep prices down, outsourcing production to overseas countries often without adequate safety protocols in place," Rickard said on Tuesday.

Cars lead the number of product recalls in 2015-16 with 182, while grocery recalls jumped from 71 in 2014-15 to 123 in 2015-16.

She said the ACCC had launched a smartphone app which will allow Aussie consumers to track product recalls as they happen, so they can take the product back to the manufacturer before they become unsafe. Endit