Beloved ice cream brand Blue Bell is still expanding its distribution again after last year’s Listeria contamination and massive recalls. The company issued an update last night about its production facilities with some potentially frightening information: that because “Listeria is commonly found in the natural environment,” and “no manufacturer can ever assume it can be entirely eradicated,” Blue Bell has “identified locations where suspected Listeria species may be present” in its facility. However, they assure the ice cream-eating public that its ice cream isn’t contaminated. [More]
Quality & Safety
Blue Bell Working To Eliminate Possible Listeria Sources In Factories; Says Ice Cream Is Safe
By 1.8.16
Walgreens “Nice!” Orange Slices Recalled Because Glass Shards Have No Nutritional Value
By 1.7.16
If you shop at Walgreens, you’re probably familiar with its “Nice!” line of house-brand products, which includes bottles of mandarin orange slices. Unfortunately, some of those bottles might contain something that isn’t very nice: pieces of glass. [More]
Chipotle’s Sales Took A Deeper Dive Than Previously Expected Amid Food Safety Issues
By 1.6.16
It’s safe to say that Chipotle’s year is off to a rough start. Today, the company announced that it had received a subpoena from a grand jury looking into the circumstances surrounding a norovirus outbreak in California, and then it disclosed another bit of not-so-great news to investors: sales this quarter are down even more than analysts predicted in November. [More]
Man Claims Burger King Sandwich Was Covered In Ants
By 1.5.16
It wasn’t a dead mouse or a dishrag, but a Pittsburgh Burger King customer claims to have found something just as disgusting on his burger: ants.
[More]
Black Angus Burgers Sold At Walmart May Contain Pieces Of Wood
By 1.5.16
Do you have any boxes of Walmart house brand Black Angus beef burgers with Vidalia onions lurking in your freezer? If so, time to check labels: almost 90,000 pounds of that specific burger type (about 44,784 boxes) has been recalled because there may be “extraneous wood materials” in the meat. [More]
Take Your Christmas Tree Down Before It Burns Your $#&^! House Down
By 12.30.15
In the weeks leading up to Dec. 25, you were probably pretty good about keeping your Christmas tree watered, hoping to maintain the lush greenness you paid for. But now that you’re in that post-Yule, pre-New Year’s limbo and just haven’t gotten around to ditching the tree on your neighbor’s curb, you might have forgotten to add water to that doomed tree. If so, you could be risking a disastrous and potentially deadly fire. [More]
DOJ Investigating Blue Bell Listeria Outbreak, Could Result In Criminal Charges
By 12.30.15
Is it a crime to knowingly ship food to customers that may be contaminated with deadly foodborne pathogens? Earlier this year, executives from the Peanut Corporation of America were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in an outbreak that made thousands of people sick, killing nine. The beloved ice cream brand Blue Bell may be back on store shelves, but federal investigators are currently asking whether anyone should be held criminally responsible. [More]
Macy’s Recalls 121,000 Martha Stewart-Brand Frying Pans For Shooting Metal Discs At Cooks
By 12.29.15
When cooking a meal on the stove, there’s always the possibility that a little bit of grease or oil will splatter on you. Something you probably aren’t prepared for, though, is the chance that a piece of the pan will shoot off, burning your arm, face, or other body part. [More]
Hoverboard Catches Fire At Texas Mall, Federal Safety Officials Record 22 Explosions In 17 States
By 12.29.15
Even as the holidays wind down, so-called “hoverboards” continue to be a hot ticket at retailers and shopping malls around the country. One such busy mall happened to be in Texas where a self-balancing scooter caught fire, marking it just one of dozens of fires reported to federal safety officials in recent months. [More]
Yet Another “Hoverboard” Catches Fire While Charging, Singes Carpet In New Jersey Home
By 12.28.15
As expected, so-called “hoverboards” – that don’t actually hover at all – were a hot commodity under the Christmas tree. But for one New Jersey family, the holiday gift quickly turned from exciting new device to dangerous fire-starter after it burst into flames while charging. [More]
FDA Recalls Several Weight Loss Supplements Containing Unsafe Ingredients
By 12.23.15
Earlier this year, the owner of a dietary supplement company was sentenced to 30 months in prison for selling “all natural” products that secretly contained harmful active ingredients that shouldn’t even be available to U.S. consumers. Today, the FDA announced recalls for more than a dozen additional products containing these same, unsafe ingredients. [More]
Boston Market-Branded Pork Products Recalled Due To Possible Plastic Or Glass Shards
By 12.22.15
It’s a logical move for chain restaurants to expand into frozen meals. A brand like Boston Market already has recognition among consumers, who see the name and logo and think, “comfort food containing meat.” The boneless pork rib (shaped patty)
from the Boston Market line of frozen meals is less comforting right now, though: it’s been recalled because there may be pieces of hard plastic or glass inside the meal. [More]
Health Officials Investigating Chipotle For Different E.Coli Strain, Five Illnesses
By 12.21.15
While Chipotle CEO Steven Ells was busy riding the apology train, issuing regrets for a recent E.coli outbreak that sickened more than 50 people in nine states and a norovirus outbreak in Boston involving 140 students, the fast casual chain was being linked to five separate illnesses in three more states. [More]
FDA Ends Across-The-Board Ban On Blood Donations From Gay, Bisexual Men
By 12.21.15
Exactly a year ago this week, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it was going to eventually change its guidance on blood donations that had barred any man who had been intimate with another male at any time in the previous three decades from donating. Today, the FDA finalized that change, which still requires that all male donors abstain from same-sex intimacy for a year before donating. [More]
Seasonal Bags Of Dove Chocolate Recalled Due To Surprise Snickers, Allergy Concerns
By 12.21.15
Food allergies can be a life-threatening condition, which is why the maker of Dove candies has recalled a winter-themed assortment of chocolates available only from one nationwide food retailer and distributed to 35 states. Which nationwide food retailer is that? Mars didn’t bother to include that information, which might have been helpful. [More]
Chipotle Facing First Lawsuit Linked To Boston Norovirus Outbreak That Sickened 140 People
By 12.18.15
It was bound to happen: the first lawsuit has been fired — er, filed against Chipotle in connection with the recent norovirus outbreak that sickened 140 people who ate at one of the chain’s Boston locations. [More]
