Product recalls in the global cosmetics, personal care and household industry are on the rise, according to a report by quality control company SGS.

Using the European Commission’s rapid alert system for product notification (RAPEX), SGS released its 2016 RAPEX Recalls report presenting the number of recalls by country and product category.

In the report it was revealed that there were 124 recalls in 2016, compared with 76 in 2015 – an increase of 63%.

The majority of recalls were caused by chemical and microbiology issues, which accounted for 117 of the 124 instances last year. The next most common issues were health risks, choking and burns. Other recurring reasons for recalls include labelling issues, such as not listing certain allergens or breach of labelling regulations; and confusing packaging, for example, when a product such as a bath soap is mistaken for food.