Several weeks after a lawsuit filed in California claimed that thousands of dogs became ill or died after eating Purina’s Beneful kibble, two senators are urging the Food & Drug Administration to open an investigation into the allegations. [More]
Quality & Safety
Senators Urge FDA To Investigate Allegations That Purina’s Beneful Dry Kibble Includes Toxins
By 3.12.15
Honda Starting New Campaign Urging Consumers To Repair Recalled Vehicles
By 3.12.15
After recalling 6.2 million vehicles for a Takata airbag defect that can spew pieces of shrapnel at passengers and drivers, Honda now plans to launch a multi-million dollar campaign urging consumers to take those recalled vehicles to a dealer for much-needed repairs. [More]
Toyota Recalls 112,000 Top-Selling Vehicles For Loss Of Power Drive, Steering
By 3.11.15
When driving a vehicle down a busy highway, one of the last things you want to happen is for the car to lose power steering. But that’s exactly what can happen in nearly 112,500 Toyota vehicles being recalled this week. [More]
FDA Warns That Chantix May Decrease Users’ Alcohol Tolerance
By 3.11.15
Smokers using the prescription drug Chantix (varenicline) to help them through the quitting process may want to sip their beers slowly, as this week the FDA approved new warnings that the drug can change the way users react to alcohol. [More]
Maker of Infant’s & Children’s Tylenol, Motrin To Pay $25M For Selling Meds With Metal Particles
By 3.10.15
Nearly five years after McNeil Consumer Healthcare – a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson – began recalling over-the-counter Infant’s and Children’s Tylenol and Children’s Motrin, the company has acknowledged that it knowingly sold the cold medication that contained metal particles and agreed to pay $25 million to resolve the case. [More]
March Recall Roundup – Plummeting Chandeliers And Ceiling Fans
By 3.9.15
In this month’s Recall Roundup for non-edible items, fans and chandeliers might plummet from the ceiling, handlebars on kids’ bikes and amphibious vehicles for grown-ups fall apart, and cocktail glasses shatter for no reason. Also, there are 40,000 portable heaters out there that could spray hot oil on their owners at any time. [More]
Father Of Teen Poisoned By Caffeine Powder Files Lawsuit Blaming His Death On Supplement Makers, Amazon
By 3.6.15
The father of an Ohio teen who died in 2014 after ingesting a powdered caffeine marketed as a dietary supplement has filed a lawsuit against Amazon.com and the product’s distributors, claiming that they failed to provide proper warnings about the dangers of using the substance. [More]
FDA Approves First “Biosimilar” Drug. Could Drive Down Cost Of Most Expensive Medications
By 3.6.15
Biotech drugs — which are generally derived from a living organism, as opposed to traditional purely chemical medications — are currently among the most expensive medicines available. But today, the Food and Drug Administration issued its first approval of a drug that is “biosimilar” to an existing biotech medication; a development that could possibly result in billions of dollars in savings. [More]
Report: Injuries Related To Bounce Houses, Other Inflatable Attractions, On The Rise
By 3.6.15
Is it every kid’s dream to go flying through the air, light as a bird, only to land safely on a soft surface? Perhaps. But that doesn’t mean that all of those inflatable bounce houses, castles, slides and other amusements are necessarily safe for children, and a federal agency is pointing to a rise in injuries on such attractions to make sure parents are aware of the risks. [More]
Appeals Court: Insurance Doesn’t Have To Pay For 2008 Burrito Recall
By 3.4.15
You might remember the Foster Farms Salmonella outbreak last year, which made hundreds of people sick. The company’s insurer, Lloyd’s of London refused to pay for their losses from the outbreak and following recall because the company waited a very long time before officially recalling any meat. The federal government was able to shut down poultry plants, but not recall the meat, since it wasn’t “contaminated” by any substances that you don’t normally find in chicken. [More]
FDA Warns: If Your “Low T” Is Just From Getting Older, Don’t Use Prescription Testosterone
By 3.4.15
In recent years, makers of prescription testosterone treatments like AndroGel began throwing around the term “Low T” in TV ads, blaming low levels of the hormone for various problems — sex drive, flagging energy, moodiness — that have long been associated with simply growing older. But the FDA is now acknowledging that these drugs pose “a possible increased risk of heart attack and stroke” and are warning against their use for the treatment of anything other than very specific medical conditions. [More]
California Suing Wine Bottle Maker Over Claims That It Uses Glass Containing Toxic Materials
By 3.3.15
While acknowledging that a California glass company isn’t necessarily posing any threat to consumers with its actions, state officials are suing a Modesto business that it says recycles hazardous materials illegally and includes them in new wine bottles. [More]
Takata To Double Airbag Replacement Production To 900,000 Kits By September
By 3.3.15
After facing increased scrutiny by federal regulators in recent weeks regarding an investigation into the massive airbag recall and lack of new safety devices, Japanese auto parts maker Takata announced it will double production of replacement airbags in the next six months. [More]
CBS Reports That Lumber Liquidators Is Selling Formaldehyde-Laden Laminate Flooring
By 3.2.15
Lumber Liquidators is one of those stores that does exactly what it sounds like: they sell wood and other building supplies at a discount. A report that aired this weekend on the CBS program 60 Minutes shared some scary findings from independent lab tests performed on samples of flooring purchased from the chain. The company counters that these tests are inaccurate, and that the people behind these allegations aren’t out to protect consumers. [More]
Mrs. T’s Recalls Pierogies That May Be Stuffed With Potatoes And Plastic Shards
By 3.2.15
Pierogies are one of the world’s most perfect foods. That’s why it’s sad news that a new flavor of Mrs. T’s frozen pierogies has been recalled because the pasta pillows may contain pieces of plastic. While no one has encountered one on their plate yet, the company is recalling affected products just in case. [More]
Report: Teens Buy E-Cigarettes Online With Little Difficulty Despite Industry Safeguards
By 3.2.15
Back in February 2014, Ohio became the first state to prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. Since then, 40 other states and cities have followed suit. Despite those regulations, a new study found it’s increasingly easy for teens to skirt the rules by purchasing the products online. [More]
Chrysler Adds 467,000 Vehicles To 2014 Recall Of Jeep, Durango SUVs With Fuel Pump Issues
By 2.27.15
Nearly five months after Fiat Chrysler issued a recall of 230,000 Dodge and Jeep SUVs for fuel pump issues that could lead to a vehicle stall, the company expanded the number of affected vehicles by more than 467,000. [More]
Can New McDonald’s CEO Turn Tide Against Antibiotic Abuse In Farm Animals?
By 2.27.15
Since the Food and Drug Administration won’t set down hard-and-fast rules on non-medical antibiotic use in farm animals, it’s up to the farmers and the companies who buy the most meat to make a change that will cut down on the use of drugs that result in bigger cows, pigs, and chickens, but also put us all at risk for drug-resistant pathogens. [More]
