Hydrolyzed vegetable protein is a flavor enhancer, similar in composition and tastiness to the much-maligned monosodium glutamate, that is seemingly unavoidable. Thanks to salmonella contamination in the HVP paste at Basic Food Flavors, Inc. in Las Vegas, the FDA has recalled every food containing the product, ranging from salty snacks to salad dressings to soup and gravy mixes. The list of recalled foods containing the product is still growing, and encompasses familiar brand names ranging from Walmart’s Great Value brand to McCormick to Trader Joe’s. Now we now get to find out exactly how complex our food supply is and how widely used an additive HVP is. [More]
recalls
Think Your Recalled Toyota Is Fixed? Maybe Not
By 3.3.10
As Toyota continues to slog through the millions of cars and trucks on it massive recall list, several drivers whose vehicles have been to the dealer and back are saying that there cars are still experiencing problems with sudden acceleration and bad braking. [More]
Nissan Recalls 540,000 Cars
By 3.3.10
Due to potential problems in brake pedal pins and fuel-gauge components, Nissan is recalling 540,000 cars, 179,000 of which are in the US. [More]
Data Shows Toyota Might Be Crashiest Cars On The Road
By 3.2.10
Toyota might be getting a pity party at home in Japan for the skewering the car company is receiving over their recall of 8 million vehicles, so this latest report will probably turn them into saints. A new look at almost 13,000 speed-related complaints over the last decade shows that Toyota led the pack in with the most complaints involving a crash. [More]
GM To Recall Chevy Cobalts, Various Pontiacs Due To Steering Problems
By 3.2.10
GM has announced that it is recalling 1.2 million vehicles to address a power steering problem that has been linked to 14 crashes and one injury. [More]
American "Overreaction" To Recall Is Winning Toyota Sympathy At Home
By 3.1.10
Apparently the Stateside uproar over the recall of 8 million Toyotas — and worries that the company may be attempting to conceal potential defects — has had the inverse effect in the car company’s homeland. According to a new report, the Japanese public thinks America is overreacting to the situation. [More]
Please Stop Sending Us Photos Of This Recalled Keychain
By 2.27.10
For some reason, this Tinkerbell keychain from yesterday’s Recall Roundup caught people’s attention and they keep pointing it out to us. Please stop. [More]
Congress Accuses Toyota Of Deliberately Withholding Documents
By 2.26.10
Last week, the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform issued a subpoena for documents from former Toyota lawyer Dimitrios Biller as part of their investigation into exactly when the car giant knew about possible defects in their now-recalled vehicles. And now that they have their hands on Mr. Biller’s papers, they are accusing Toyota of deliberately holding back important information. [More]
Recall Roundup: Product Recall Merit Badge Edition
By 2.26.10
The past few weeks in product recalls: lots and lots of lead and salmonella. Not in the same products. As far as we know. [More]
Out-Of-Control Lexus Still On Road, Apparently No Longer Out-Of-Control
By 2.26.10
If you’ve been following the hearings this week about the Toyota recall debacle, you’re probably well aware of Rhonda Smith, who spoke before the House Committee on Energy & Commerce to share her harrowing story of trying to stop her suddenly accelerating Lexus ES350 back in 2006. Well, NHTSA now says that that car is still on the road — and that the new owners haven’t experienced any problems. [More]
Toyota's Toyoda Tears Up After Testimony
By 2.25.10
While Toyota chief Akio Toyoda did his best to withstand over three hours of non-stop questioning in front of the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform yesterday, he didn’t fare as well when he spoke in front of Toyota employees only a short while later. [More]
Toyota Knew About Sticking Pedals In Europe A Year Before U.S. Accidents
By 2.24.10
Today’s Toyota hearings featured a lot of amusing defensive yelling by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and, of course, the long awaited testimony by Toyota President Akio Toyoda. In addition, Yoshimi Inaba, CEO of Toyota North America, revealed that the company knew of the sticking pedal issue in Europe a year before accidents in the US. [More]
NY AG Makes Toyota Come To Your House And Get The Damn Car
By 2.24.10
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced today that his office had negotiated improved “accommodations” for owners of recalled Toyotas. In short, Toyota agreed to come to your house and get the car if you’re too freaked out to drive it. [More]
VIDEO: Owner Describes Surviving Out Of Control Lexus
By 2.23.10
During today’s House Committee on Energy & Commerce hearing on the Toyota recall debacle, Congress heard from Rhonda Smith, a former Lexus owner who detailed her 2006 brush with death — and the even more horrid tale of her repeated attempts to get either Toyota or NHTSA to listen to her. Perhaps most chilling, Rhonda even tried to put the car in neutral while hurtling down the road, but not even that could stop the “possessed” Lexus. [More]
Toyota Boss Risks Own Life By Testing Toyotas
By 2.23.10
A full day before he’s scheduled to appear before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to answer questions about the massive recall of 8.5 million Toyotas, the car giant’s President and CEO Akio Toyoda has released the text of his prepared statement. And amid all the “Sorry about that, but we’re workin’ on it,” stuff you’d expect, comes an interesting bit of tid — Toyoda claims that he does some of the testing himself. [More]
Toyota Boss Akio Toyoda Feels Your Pain
By 2.23.10
As his company continues to circle the drain, Toyota President and CEO Akio Toyoda wants everyone to know that it’s not just Toyota drivers that are getting hurt, it’s a little bit of him too. [More]
Transportation Secretary LaHood & Toyota's Lentz Defend Themselves To Congress
By 2.23.10
Both Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Toyota U.S. President James Lentz are scheduled to appear before the House Committee on Energy & Commerce this morning, but in prepared remarks released before the hearing, these two fine chaps attempt to shrug off many of the accusations hurled at both sides of the Toyota recall debacle. [More]
Congress Rips NHTSA A New One Over Toyota Debacle
By 2.22.10
Following this weekend’s revelation that Toyota bigwigs were bragging to each other about saving $100 million by convincing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to drop an investigation into a recall of the company’s Camry and Lexis vehicles, Congressmen Henry Waxman, Chair of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce and Bart Stupak, Chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations, broke out their typewriters to voice their opinions in no uncertain terms to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. [More]
