It seems like only yesterday we were eying every cantaloupe with suspicion in the midst of the listeria epidemic that sickened at least 100 and killed 33 people in 2011. It’s been two years since the Food and Drug Administration said it believed the outbreak was due to dirty equipment at cantaloupe farms, and now those melon farmers are pleading not guilty on charges linked to the outbreak. [More]
Quality & Safety
Jury: No Damages For Allegedly Rat-Infested Lemonade
By 9.26.13
How does a dead, decomposing rat end up in a can of frozen lemonade? It doesn’t, argued Coca-Cola, parent company of Minute Maid, defending itself in a civil lawsuit in New Hampshire this week. A woman claimed that the frozen lemonade she bought for a party contained a rat with a side helping of maggots, and the experience has left her unable to buy frozen food. [More]
Lawsuit: Dead Rat In Frozen Lemonade Gave Customer PTSD
By 9.25.13 — Updated: 9.26.13
Two years ago, a woman in New Hampshire preparing for a party poured out a can of frozen Minute Maid concentrated lemonade and found a festive flavoring aid already inside the can. It was a dead, decomposing rat and a bunch of its maggot buddies. A rat? How does a rat end up in a container of frozen lemonade? The woman’s case went to trial this week, and now it’s up to a jury. [More]
New York Hopes Designated Highway Texting Stops Will Make You Put Phone Down
By 9.24.13
How many times have you seen a “Rest stop ahead – 10 miles” sign on a long car trip and felt relieved to know that there was coffee and bathroom facilities within reach? New York State is hoping that you will keep your phone at your side and feel similar relief when you see a sign telling you the distance to the next designated texting spot. Will the new signs change drivers’ habits? [More]
40 Attorneys General Agree: E-Cigarettes Need To Be Regulated Like Tobacco
By 9.24.13 — Updated: 12.5.13
The use of electronic cigarettes is growing rapidly, not just among tobacco users seeking a smoke-free alternative, but also among those who’ve never smoked but still want to experience the effects of nicotine. Concerned about this relatively unregulated (at least compared to tobacco) market, the attorneys general of 37 states — plus AGs for Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands — have written to the FDA asking for more regulatory controls on the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes. [More]
September Recall Roundup: The Training Wheels Are Off
By 9.24.13
In this month’s Recall Roundup, board books attack children, toy spiders grow in human stomachs, and motorcycle training wheels fall off mid-ride. [More]
New Law Would Modernize Nutrition Labels, Clarify Terms Like “Healthy” & “Natural”
By 9.19.13
While food production has gotten more sophisticated and complex, and we now know much more about how the human body is affected by a wide variety of ingredients, there haven’t been any changes to the food labeling provisions of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act since 1990, and some sections of the law have not been updated since 1938. So in an effort to bring nutrition labeling into the 21st century, lawmakers in both the House and Senate have introduced legislation that would require clear front-of-package labeling while clarifying when companies can use marketing buzz words that may be misleading. [More]
CDC: 2 Million Americans Get Sick From Antibiotic-Resistant Infections Every Year
By 9.16.13
While livestock farmers around the country continue to feed medically unnecessary antibiotics to their animals for the sole purpose of encouraging growth, millions of Americans are falling ill — and thousands dying — every year from bacterial and fungal infections that are resistant to current medication, claims a new report from the Centers for Disease Control. [More]
Gree Electric Appliances Recalls 2.2 Million Dehumidifiers Because Fire Is Worse Than Humidity
By 9.12.13 — Updated: 3.25.16
China’s Gree Electric Appliances Inc. and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission are announcing a big recall of 2.2 million dehumidifiers in the U.S., ranging across 12 brands and encompassing 80 different models. The devices have caused dozens of fires and millions of dollars in damage, the CPSC says. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have a humid room than one that’s on fire. [More]
Scotland Distributes Free Cupboard Latches To Keep Kids Away From Detergent Pods
By 9.12.13
Here in the United States, land of free enterprise, we’re trying to solve the problem of children snarfing detergent pods by selling them in opaque containers and maybe making them look less like candy. In Scotland, authorities are taking a different tactic: distributing free cupboard latches to new parents and educating them about the dangers of delicious-looking detergent pods. [More]
Is Climate Change Making Oyster-Eaters Sick?
By 9.11.13
Climate change and global warming have been blamed for a lot of things, but one possible link between warming sea water and food-borne illnesses could be awfully depressing to folks who enjoy chowing down on raw oysters. [More]
89 People Reported Illnesses From Moldy Chobani Yogurt To FDA
By 9.10.13
We have good news and bad news regarding the fungus-related recall of a large amount of Chobani brand greek yogurt. Affected products were distributed nationwide, causing reactions among consumers that ranged from “that tastes a little weird” to “HONEY, THE YOGURT EXPLODED!” The company has named the mold, but according to the FDA 89 people so far have reported becoming sick from the yogurts. [More]
Don’t Drive Anywhere Without Stashing These Things In Your Car Trunk
By 9.9.13
When I bought a car from a family friend, I was delighted to open up the trunk and find a pair of gloves, tire-changing tools, and a can of Fix-A-Flat nestled on top of the spare tire. There were tissues in the center console, a stocked changepurse, maps, and even a disposable camera. Not everyone is so lucky…but what should you stock your car with when starting from scratch? [More]
Baby Jogger Recalls 30,000 Stroller To Car Seat Adaptors
By 9.6.13
It’s very convenient to take your child’s car seat and mount it directly on a stroller…unless the adaptor that lets you do so is faulty. There have been 47 reports that adaptors for Baby Jogger strollers have failed: specifically, the part that connects the bars that support the car seat to the stroller frame comes loose, and the car seat hits the floor. [More]
FDA Tests Confirm Presence Of Arsenic In Rice Products
By 9.6.13 — Updated: 4.1.16
Almost exactly one year after our cohorts at Consumer Reports found arsenic in a wide range of rice products — from instant rice to baby food to rice milk to cereal — the Food and Drug Administration has released the results of its own research on the topic, effectively confirming CR’s findings and suggestion that consumers vary the types of grains they eat. [More]
Case Of Bud Light Comes With Free Dead Snake
By 9.6.13
Getting something extra in your case of beer sounds pretty appealing…but maybe not when that extra something is a dead snake. It’s not clear how a small snake ended up inside an 18-pack of Bud Light, but the customer who bought it decided not to take any chances. He won’t drink it, mostly because of the dead-snake stench. [More]
Not All Neti Pots Explain How To Avoid Brain-Eating Amoebas
By 9.5.13
A neti pot is a little pitcher that you use to gently blast warm saline solution through your sinuses to remove dust, pollen, mucus, and other nastiness. This all seems very gentle and healthy, until you learn that incomplete instructions that come with some pots may lead to you delivering pathogens to your brain rather than sweet relief to your congested sinuses. [More]
