Product safety is a basic expectation of our guests, and a priority for Target. We ensure our Target-brand products meet regulatory, safety and quality standards by testing at or above mandatory requirements. We expect our vendors and factories to utilize best practices, ensuring product safety and consistent quality for our guests.

Assessing our Target-brands

Our risk-based product safety and quality program is incorporated at every stage in the product lifecycle; from development through the life of our Target-brand product. During the process, we require independent third-party testing to validate safety and quality before our guests purchase Target-brand product.

Our vendors are expected to employ best practices, including clearly defined and well-documented manufacturing and quality processes, including staff training and record keeping. With our Quality Program Assessment process for imported products and our Factory Assessment Processes, we are able to evaluate our vendors' and factories' ability to deliver consistent, safe and quality results. In some highly-regulated product categories, we require the industry standard Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) audit as a minimum requirement for production facilities.

Target uses a risk-based approach to production management and may require a Production Readiness Meeting involving a Target employee or third-party agent visiting the factory and validating the production planning information, including approval samples, production plan and quality plan (including any internal testing and inspections).

We have established a risk-based multi-stage Product Testing Program to ensure products are tested through the entire production run. Our program builds in periodic testing from independent, third-party laboratories validating that safety and regulatory standards have been satisfied, including but not limited to: analytical tests (chemical), performance tests (durability/functionality), label validation and flammability standards.

See our annual Corporate Responsibility Report to learn more.

General merchandise investigation and removals

If we learn about a problem with one of our products, we investigate and, when necessary, quickly remove it from our stores and Target.com. If a product is recalled, we ensure it isn't sold by issuing a lock on the item number at the cash register and online. We also contact any known guest who purchased a recalled item by phone and/or email and Target app push notification. Guests can always find up-to-date recall information posted on in-store Help Centers, Target's Facebook page and in the "recalls" link on Target.com.