Lower riskMedical device recall · FDA · Published February 3, 2023
Avanos Oral Care Swabs: Incorrect Expiration Date Recall
Recall of Avanos Ballard Oral Care Swabs with incorrect expiration dates. Product codes 12241, 12243, 12251 affected. Check lot numbers for affected items.
“Avanos Oral Care Swabs: Incorrect Expiration Date Recall.” GovInfoNow, updated August 18, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/58960-avanos-oral-care-swabs-incorrect-expiration-date-recall. Based on FDA recall #Z-1406-2023 (https://api.fda.gov/device/enforcement.json?search=recall_number:%22Z-1406-2023%22&limit=1).
Avanos Medical, Inc. recalled Avanos Ballard Oral Care Swab, Bulk Packed on Feb. 3, 2023, due to an incorrect expiration date, according to the FDA. The Food and Drug Administration announced the Class II recall of product codes 12241, 12243, and 12251.
How to tell if you have it
Avanos Ballard Oral Care Swab, Bulk Packed
Product Code 12241
Product Code 12243
Product Code 12251
The hazard
The recalled swabs have an incorrect expiration date. The FDA classified this as a Class II recall.
Context
GovInfoNow's records show Avanos Medical, Inc. has 18 other recalls on record since Oct. 8, 2019. Other recent recalls of similar products include Cook Medical Pneumothorax Tray Recall (March 5, 2026), Cook Medical Multipurpose Drainage Catheter Recall (March 5, 2026), and B Braun Discofix Four Way Stopcock Recall (Aug. 4, 2026). Avanos Medical previously recalled Ballard Closed Suction Catheters for lack of sterility assurance on March 19, 2025.
How to tell if you have this one
Check the product code (12241, 12243, or 12251) and lot numbers listed in the recall notice. The affected swabs were sold between 2005 and 2009.
Brand
Avanos
Category
Medical device
Based on the official FDA remedy
What to do — step by step
Check Product Code
Identify if your swab package has product codes 12241, 12243, or 12251.
Verify Lot Numbers
Check the lot numbers against the list provided in the recall notice to confirm if your swabs are affected.
Where it went and when
Where it was distributed
Distributed nationwide, and outside the U.S.
Nationwide
Not listed
FDA distribution: “Worldwide distribution - US Nationwide and the countries of Canada, Germany, Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Great Britain, Israel, and India.” States read from FDA’s own wording; “not listed” means the notice does not name it.
Distributed nationwide, and outside the U.S.
Recall timeline
FDA terminated this recall 18 months after the firm started it.
1Firm started the recall
2FDA classified it Class II
3Published in FDA’s Enforcement Report
4FDA terminated the recall
Dates from the agency record only; steps without a date are left out.
The facts (hazard, remedy, dates, manufacturer) are pulled from the official FDA recall record. The plain-language summary and step-by-step checklist are written by GovInfoNow to make the official notice easier to act on — they don’t replace it.
Official source: FDA Recall #Z-1406-2023 (February 3, 2023) — FDA publishes no per-recall page; this is the official machine-readable enforcement record. Search FDA recalls for Z-1406-2023 to see it in context.
Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on August 18, 2026, from the official record above. Not reviewed by a person — if it conflicts with the FDA notice, the notice is correct. Report an error on this page.
GovInfoNow is an independent service and is not a government agency. We republish official FDA recall data; we don’t issue, amend or administer recalls.