People who pay close attention to food recalls may have noticed a recent increase in reports of food products that have been recalled because there are metal pieces in them. Are they linked? Should we run magnets through all of our food just to be sure? The answers are “maybe,” and “no.” [More]
Quality & Safety
NHTSA Taking A Road Trip To Remind Motorists To Fix Recalled Vehicles
By 8.10.16
If you don’t remember to get your recalled vehicle fixed, what if some kindly bureaucrats came to the lot where you’re parked to remind you? That’s what employees of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and some auto manufacturers are doing this week. They’re on a tour that’s like a political campaign, but not asking people to vote: they’re asking motorists to repair their vehicles and install their child safety seats correctly. [More]
Turmeric Sold At Target, Big Lots, Supermarkets Recalled For Possible Lead
By 8.9.16
Turmeric is a spice that’s essential in South Asian Cuisine, and sometimes also used to make foods look more yellow or orange. If you’ve bought a jar of turmeric recently, heads up: bulk turmeric from distributor Gel Spice, Inc. that was repackaged under multiple brand names, including bottles sold at national retailers like Big Lots and Target, has been recalled because it may be contaminated with lead. [More]
Probably Avoid These Skin Care Products If You Don’t Want Mercury Poisoning
By 8.5.16
Mercury poisoning doesn’t sound fun, but it also doesn’t necessarily sound like something the average consumer runs into a lot in modern cosmetic aisles, what with federal regulations banning dangerous levels of the stuff. However, there are a slew of illegal skin care products for sale out there that contain mercury, and the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t want folks slathering them on their bodies. [More]
Starbucks Recalling 2.5M Stainless Steel Straws Because They’re Cutting Kids’ Mouths
By 8.2.16
While it might be refreshing to drink a refreshing cold beverage delivered by an equally cold metal straw, it’s much less enjoyable when that straw becomes a stabby thing that can cut your mouth. [More]
Lawmaker Calls For Overhaul Of Food Recall System
By 8.1.16
Nearly two months after a preliminary audit found the Food and Drug Administration’s food recall process lacked effective and efficient processes to ensure the safety of the nation’s food supply, one lawmaker is calling for an overhaul of the agency’s systems. [More]
Health Department Imposes $850K Fine On Blue Bell For Listeria Outbreak, Company Only Paying $175K For Now
By 8.1.16
The state health department in Texas has taken an unusual step in while punishing Blue Bell Creameries for manufacturing and distributing Listeria-laden ice cream: The state has imposed an $850,000 fine on the company for the Listeria contamination in ice cream that sent 12 customers to the hospital and is blamed for the deaths of three people who were served the ice cream while in the hospital for pre-existing conditions. [More]
Florida Officials Investigating 4 Cases Of Zika That May Have Been Transmitted By Mosquitoes
By 7.29.16
For the first time in the U.S., health officials believe local mosquitoes may have transmitted the Zika virus to humans. [More]
Hoverboard Owners Report Issues Getting Refunds After Recall
By 7.27.16
Nearly a month after the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled half a million (non-hovering) hoverboards over safety concerns, urging owners to stop using the self-balancing scooters and seek refunds, some customers say they’re having a difficult time doing so. [More]
Meijer Recalls Fresh Salads, Sandwiches Over Possible Salmonella Contamination
By 7.27.16
If you recently stocked your fridge with fresh salads and sandwiches from Meijer in hopes of grabbing an easy lunch, you might want to find other plans — unless you want a side of Salmonella. [More]
Anyone Can Make & Market A Dietary Supplement, Including Consumer Reports
By 7.27.16
When you see ads for dietary supplements, there are often scientists in lab coats looking at beakers and flasks, saying science-y things. In the real world, just about anyone with a credit card can make and market a supplement, even one that contains potentially unhealthy ingredients. Just ask our colleagues at Consumer Reports, the creators of the new (totally fake) weight-loss supplement Thinitol. [More]
Company Recalls Children’s Water Bottles Sold At L.L. Bean For Containing High Levels Of Lead
By 7.20.16
A company called GSI Outdoors is recalling about 6,700 kids’ insulated water bottles sold exclusively at L.L. Bean stores. Why? Because children shouldn’t be handling toxic lead. [More]
FDA Investigating Hair Loss Claims Linked To “WEN By Chaz Dean” Products
By 7.19.16
Haircare products are supposed to do just that — care for your hair. So when consumers start reporting hair loss, balding, itching, and rash associated with using a certain product, the Food and Drug Administration is going to take those reports seriously. [More]
ConAgra Expands P.F. Chang’s Recall To Include 6 Additional Frozen Meals
By 7.18.16
After a long day, it can be nice to come home and grab a frozen meal from the fridge for a quick and easy dinner. If you’ve been stocking up on P.F. Chang’s frozen meals, you might want to double-check they aren’t included in a recently expanded recall of more than 195,000 pounds of frozen dinner product that may contain metal fragments. [More]
IKEA Recalls 80,000 Safety Gates & Extenders Over Fall Hazards
By 7.15.16
On the heels of its recall of 29 million dressers linked to three toddler deaths, IKEA announced this week that it would also call back 80,000 safety gates and safety gate extensions due to potential fall hazards.
Polls Show Chipotle’s Customers Still Haven’t All Come Back
By 7.15.16
Burrito eatery Chipotle needs something very important to recover financially from its recent food safety crisis: it needs all of its customers to come back, and keep coming back. Since eradicating foodborne pathogens from its restaurants, Chipotle has tried offering everyone free burritos, buy-one-get-one promotions, and a loyalty program to bring customers in. It’s sort of working. [More]
IKEA Recalls 1.7 Million Topple-Prone Dressers In China After Media Frenzy
By 7.12.16
Swedish home-goods merchant IKEA is a global retailer, which unites all of humanity in having the exact same dressers in our bedrooms. While the Malm and other dressers that are especially prone to toppling over were recalled in the United States and Canada, the company sold the products in its stores all over the world, and they weren’t recalled in other markets, notably the European Union and or China. Now, after two weeks of state-controlled media fuss, IKEA in China has recalled the dressers. [More]
Rainbow Chip Cake, Carrot Cake, Blueberry Pancake Mix Recalled Due To Possible E. Coli-Laden Flour
By 7.11.16
The massive flour recall due to E. coli contamination at a General Mills flour plant has expanded, and has now reached the shelves of cake and pancake mixes. Potentially contaminated products include Krusteaz blueberry pancake mix, and Betty Crocker rainbow chip and carrot cake mixes. Yes, those Betty Crocker rainbow chips. [More]
