[THE INVESTOR] Products recalled for defects dropped last year while companies voluntarily recalling products rose, government data showed on Aug.16.

A total of 1,586 recall cases were reported in 2015, down 9.5 percent from a record 1,752 tallied in 2014, according to the data compiled by the Fair Trade Commission.

The 2015 figure is still higher than in previous years, the numbers of which had hovered around 900 between 2010 and 2013, added the FTC.

The recalled items included food, medical drugs and manufactured goods, as well as automobiles.

The corporate regulator said that 536 cases were voluntary recalls made by manufacturers, accounting for 33.8 percent of the total, while 890 were mandatory and 160 were recommended by the government.

The number of spontaneous recalls has been on a steady rise in recent years, having hit 263 in 2013 and 339 in 2014.

(theinvestor@heraldcorp.com)