While you might be such a foodie that you scoff at those who freak out when they hear “horse tartare,” the fact is that serving horse meat at a restaurant is currently illegal in the U.S. And the federal government is advising one Pittsburgh-area restaurant to not put this item on the menu again. [More]
Quality & Safety
FDA, CDC Warn Families About Inaccurate Readings In Some Lead Tests
By 5.17.17
It’s easier than ever for parents (and parents-to-be) to get their lead levels tested, but federal officials are now warning American families that certain popular lead tests may provide inaccurate results, increasing the risk for lead poisoning in certain young children and adults. [More]
The Honest Company Recalling Possibly Moldy Baby Wipes
By 5.15.17
While we wouldn’t put it past some companies to market pre-dirtied baby wipes as some kind of publicity stunt aimed at millennials, that is not what The Honest Company is doing with a recent product recall. Nay, these wipes may come with mold, but not on purpose. [More]
Supreme Court Throws Out State Rule Protecting Nursing Home Residents From Having Rights Signed Away
By 5.15.17
A lot of people in nursing homes have adult children or other trusted people with authority to make financial, legal, and medical decisions on their behalf. However, can folks with power of attorney also sign away someone else’s right to have their day in court? According to the U.S. Supreme Court, yes. [More]
What You Should Know About America’s High Rate Of Maternal Mortality
By 5.12.17
When you think about fatalities during childbirth, your mind may immediately leap to infant deaths. But although it’s much safer to give birth in America now than say, 100 years ago, women are dying from pregnancy or childbirth-related causes at a higher rate than any other country in the developed world. [More]
1.25 Million Ram Trucks Recalled For Software Error Linked To Fatal Crash
By 5.12.17
If you own a Ram pickup truck, pay attention: Fiat Chrysler is recalling more than one million Rams to address a software error that can affect the truck’s safety systems, and has already been linked to one crash-related death and two injuries. [More]
BMW Owners Say Their Parked Cars Are Going Up In Flames
By 5.11.17
When you park your car, turn the engine off, and walk away, you have a reasonable expectation that when you return the vehicle will be in the same spot and in the same condition as when you left. But some BMW owners say they’ve returned only to find their car in flames. Now, these owners and fire officials from across the country are asking why. [More]
Publix Recalls Artichoke And Spinach Dip For Possible Glass Pieces
By 5.10.17
An artichoke and spinach dip is a tasty addition to a party that you can almost pretend is healthy, because there are vegetables in it. One seasoning that you should leave behind, though, is tiny pieces of glass. That’s why supermarket chain Publix is recalling house-brand dips sold in the deli departments of its stores in six states. [More]
Raw Dairy Products Cause 840 Times More Illnesses Than Pasteurized
By 5.10.17
Unpasteurized cow’s milk — and the cheeses made from it — have a small but growing number of fans who prefer it to the pasteurized products that make up the overwhelming majority of what’s available. However, those “raw” milk products are responsible for nearly every case of dairy-related foodborne ailments in the U.S. [More]
Customers Urged To Return 16.9-Ounce Bottles Of Pepsi Over Metallic Flecks
By 5.9.17
After more than a dozen consumers in Michigan reported tasting something more in their bottles of Pepsi than they bargained for, the state’s health department issued a warning that customers should return certain 16-ounce bottle of the soda that may contain flakes of metal. [More]
Cotton Swab Injuries Send 12,500 Kids To Hospital Each Year
By 5.8.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
We all know that we’re not supposed to stick things in our ear, but we’re also told that ear wax is icky and should be removed post-haste. This contradictory set of priorities might explain why thousands of kids show up at the hospital each year with swab-related ear injuries. [More]
Perdue Recalls Organic Chicken Sausage Due To Plastic Pieces
By 5.8.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
Perdue’s Harvestland chicken sausage advertises that it’s made from chicken that’s never been exposed to antibiotics, and that it doesn’t contain nitrates, nitrites, or animal byproducts. Now the product is being recalled because of a problematic additive: Customers have found pieces of blue plastic in their sausages. [More]
Bootlooping Issues With Nexus 6P Lead To Runaround From Manufacturer Huawei
By 5.8.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
Imagine you’ve spent hundreds of dollars on a new smartphone, and after only five months your device gets stuck in an endless cycle of rebooting. You’d hope the manufacturer would rush you a new phone and apologize for the inconvenience… only to end up caught in an endless loop of inept customer service. [More]
Pinnacle Foods Recalls 20 Varieties Of Pancakes And Waffles For Possible Listeria
By 5.8.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne bacteria that can cause serious complications, and that can survive freezing temperatures. That’s why Pinnacle Foods, maker of Aunt Jemima brand frozen waffles and pancakes, is recalling 19 varieties of frozen products after finding Listeria in the plant where they were manufactured. [More]
Nearly 6,000 Pounds Of Meat Recalled Over Potential E.Coli Contamination
By 5.5.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
If your weekend plans involved eating a bit of veal, beef, or pork products, you might want to check to make sure the meat in your fridge isn’t included in a recent E.coli recall. [More]
Measles Outbreak Linked To Lack Of Vaccinations Grows In Minnesota
By 5.5.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
Dozens of people in Minnesota have been diagnosed with measles in recent weeks, leading health officials to consider imposing a mandatory isolation and quarantine order on some people who have been exposed. [More]
Jury Awards Woman $110.5M In Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Lawsuit
By 5.5.17
More than a year after a Missouri jury ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $72 million to the family of a woman who died from ovarian cancer linked to the company’s talcum-based products, another jury in the state awarded a Virginia woman a record-setting $110.5 million in a similar lawsuit. [More]
City Of Flint Charged Resident $1,090 In Back Payments For Contaminated Water
By 5.5.17
It’s jarring enough to receive a large bill when you don’t expect it, but to be asked to pay hundreds of dollars for a tainted product you don’t even want to use is even worse. After last year’s lead poisoning crisis in Flint, MI, state officials say that city’s water now meets governmental guidelines for lead. But although many residents still don’t trust the water, now that the state has ended a subsidy program that reduced their water bills, Flint is asking people to pay up. [More]
