Late last year, an outbreak of Listeriosis traced to caramel apples killed seven people and caused one miscarriage, and hospitalized dozens of people. These treats are most popular during the fall, which is Halloween season and apple-harvesting season, which is why consumers might be understandably worried that it could happen again this year. Microbiologists have found one possible cause of the contamination: sticks. [More]
Quality & Safety
Whole Foods Recalls Organic Cheese Over Possible Listeria Contamination
By 10.9.15
Here at Consumerist it’s no secret that we love our cheese: cheddar, Swiss, Gruyere, Brie… there’s really no end to that list. So we hate to bring news that might sour anyone on cheese, but we have some bad news: Whole Foods has issued a recall of Papillon Organic Roquefort cheese over concerns it may be contaminated with listeria. [More]
Group Suing FDA For Failing To Cut Excess Sodium In The Food Supply
By 10.8.15
A nonprofit food safety and nutrition watchdog group is taking the Food and Drug Administration to federal court, claiming the agency hasn’t reduced sodium in packaged and other foods. This puts Americans at risk for stroke, heart disease and other health problems, the lawsuit claims. [More]
VW Fix Could Take Two Years Or More; Dealer Profitability Is Main Focus
By 10.8.15
Executives for Volkswagen’s U.S. operations told lawmakers during a hearing on the company’s deceptive emission systems, that he’s confident the 500,000 so-called “clean diesel” vehicles secretly set up to cheat on emissions tests can be fixed with little disruption for owners. [More]
Volkswagen’s U.S. Chief To Be Grilled On Capitol Hill Tomorrow
By 10.7.15
Several weeks after Volkswagen admitted that millions of its so-called “clean diesel” vehicles were secretly set up to cheat on emissions tests, U.S. lawmakers are getting their first chance to directly question the carmaker about the scandal. [More]
Volkswagen Recall Repairs Could Start In January, Might Take All Year To Complete
By 10.7.15
The new head of embattled car manufacturer Volkswagen says the company might not be able to start recalling diesel cars that cheat on emissions tests until January, and that it might take most of 2016 for all repairs to be completed. [More]
Aspen Foods Recalls 561,000 More Pounds Of Stuffed Chicken Breasts
By 10.5.15
After what we’re guessing were a fraught couple of weeks of discussions between Aspen Foods and the U.S. Department of Agriculture after the government agency warned consumers not to eat the company’s products, stuffed chicken breasts produced since August have officially been recalled. This recall of 561,000 pounds of chicken breasts follows the recall of almost 2 million pounds earlier this year. [More]
CPSC: 129,000 Dishwashers Recalled Over Power Cords That May Burst Into Flames
By 10.2.15
Because washing dishes shouldn’t result in a fiery inferno, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is recalling 129,000 dishwashers in the U.S., after reports that power cords used for multiple brands can overheat and burst into flame. [More]
How Drug Companies Use “Product Hopping” To Fight Off Affordable Generic Drugs
By 10.1.15 — Updated: 2.7.17
You’re probably used to the idea of your doctor prescribing you a brand-name drug and your pharmacist automatically substituting a lower-cost generic equivalent that saves you, the drugstore, and your insurer money. But there’s a practice in the industry known as “product hopping” that brand-name drug makers can use to repeatedly delay generic versions from reaching consumers. [More]
Two More Peanut Company Employees Sentenced To Prison For Deadly Salmonella Outbreak
By 10.1.15
A week after a court sentenced the former owner of Peanut Corporation of America to 28 years behind bars for knowingly distributing salmonella-tainted food products tied to nine deaths and potentially thousands of illnesses, two more PCA staffers have received federal prison sentences for their part in the conspiracy to defraud and sicken consumers. [More]
Thirteen Manufacturers Recall 1.3 Million Bikes Over Quick-Release Lever Crash Hazard
By 9.30.15
Thirteen companies are recalling nearly 1.3 million bicycles equipped with front disc brakes and quick-release levers that can cause the front tire to lock up or completely separate from the bike, posing an increased risk of injury to riders. [More]
Local Authorities Warn Public Not To Eat Cheese From Overturned Truck On The Highway
By 9.28.15
Listen. I know how tempting free cheese is — grocery stores put away their samples when I come sniffing around — but no matter how badly you want to save cheese from the horrible fate of going uneaten, don’t do it. Officials in Alabama had to warn local residents not to scoop up cheese strewn across the road after a truck overturned on the highway. [More]
Sanderson Farms Recalls 554,090 Pounds Of Chicken That May Be Contaminated With Metal Fragments
By 9.25.15
Sanderson Farms is recalling more than 554,090 pounds of chicken products because they may have been contaminated with metal shavings, due to a malfunction with an ice-making machine somewhere along the line. [More]
Salmonella-Contaminated Cucumbers Have Killed 3 People, Hospitalized 112
By 9.24.15
Salad is supposed to be beneficial to your health, but hundreds of people across the country have become sick due to their taste for fresh cucumbers. While the veggies’ supplier and one distributor have recalled affected batches of vegetables, and reports of new infections have slowed down, the outbreak has still made 558 people sick, sent 112 to the hospital, and now three people have died. [More]
Ousted Volkswagen CEO Might Still Get $67M Payday, Plus Company Car
By 9.24.15
If I got fired — sorry, had to resign — from a CEO job because my company’s stock value had tanked in the middle of a worldwide product recall scandal, the most I’d expect to walk away with is my fancy CEO nameplate and the framed picture of my teacup basset hound “Drooly” that I keep on my desk. But the recently exiled CEO of Volkswagen could be wiping away his tears with a payout worth upwards of $67 million. [More]
Tempered Glass Shower Doors Are Shattering For No Reason
By 9.23.15
The appealing feature of tempered glass is that it is supposed to not break into giant jagged shards that can injure you, but it’s not supposed to shatter in the first place. That’s what makes it an appealing material for, say, shower doors. Yet there’s a rare and terrifying problem: shower doors spontaneously shattering, sometimes while a person is showering, resulting in wet, naked, injured people. [More]
New York Is Now Investigating Volkswagen Recall
By 9.22.15
While federal regulators have yet to publicly confirm a reported criminal investigation into Volkswagen’s alleged attempt to deceive consumers and emissions tests, New York state is letting it be known that it plans to hold the carmaker accountable. [More]
NHTSA Chief: Regulators “Questioning Everything” About Vehicle Recalls, Safety Issues
By 9.22.15
Recent high-profile recalls from the likes of Volkswagen, General Motors and other automakers have changed the way federal regulators view safety issues within the auto industry. Instead of viewing some recall initiatives as isolated incidents, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is now going to take a closer look at issues.
[More]
