Remember that spinach and peanut butter that got recalled? Turns out the FDA knew of the dangers to the food supply for years but, understaffed and underfunded, they only took tiny steps to address the problems.
recalls
Tainted Pet Food Hits Human Food Supply
By 4.23.07
California officials quarantined 1,500 animals at the American Hog Farm and are tracking who purchased nearly 100 hogs from the farm this month, when the animals’ feed included pet food that had been tainted with melamine.
Year-Old Frozen Hamburger Recalled Due To E. Coli
By 4.23.07
Yes, even freezing meat for 1 year will not dampen the power of e. coli. From the LA Times:
The meat was produced by Richwood Meat Co. on April 28, 2006, dated either “4-28-06” or “118-6,” for the 118th day of the year, said Mike Wood, the company’s president. Although the product was manufactured a year ago, the patties still may be present in freezers at home or in stores, officials said.
CPSC Recalls Magnetix Magnetic Building Sets, Warns "Small Magnets Are Injuring Children"
By 4.23.07
Mega Brands is recalling 4 million Magnetix Magnetic Building Sets over concerns that children may ingest small magnets that can detach from the sets.
To date, CPSC and Mega Brands are aware of one death, one aspiration and 27 intestinal injuries. Emergency surgical intervention was needed in all but one case. At least 1,500 incidents of magnets separating from the building pieces have been reported.
The recalled sets contain over 250 plastic building pieces. Sets manufactured after March 31, 2006 bearing a warning about the magnets are not included in the recall.
Pet Food Recall: Second Tainted Ingredient Found, Recall Expanded Again
By 4.19.07
“This has exposed that the safety standards for pet foods are not in place in any significant way and the kind of drumbeat, day after day, of recalls has shaken consumers’ confidence in the pet food industry’s adherence to food safety standards,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive officer of the Humane Society of the United States.
Sony Recalls Broken DRM-Filled DVDs
By 4.18.07
Sony’s latest bright idea was to issue DVDs with DRM that made them unplayable in their own DVD players. Yes, they’re just that committed to you, their valuable customers. Anyhow, they’ve decided to recall the discs. From IMDb:
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has discovered the source of a problem in their recent DVD releases that prevented them from being played on some players, including some manufactured by the consumer electronics division of Sony itself. The company said the problem was caused by an update of its copy-protection system, which it continually updates in order to derail potential hackers. Among the DVD movies affected were the new James Bond film Casino Royale, The Pursuit of Happyness and Stranger Than Fiction. Sony said that anyone who had purchased one of the discs and has experienced problems playing it may receive a replacement disk free of charge by phoning 800-860-2878.
Reader Mick will be happy about this, as he started a blog about the issue. The recall is probably due in part to his reporting. Good job, Mick! —MEGHANN MARCO
Vending Machine Jewelry Poses Lead Poisoning Risk
By 4.17.07
If your child bought a vending machine necklace for $0.25 this past year, you might want to take it away from him or her and throw it away. According to the CPSC the paint on some of the jewelry (about 900,000 necklaces and bracelets) contains high levels of lead and should not be handled by children.
Recall: There's Botulism In the Olives
By 4.16.07
The olives are sold under the following brands:
Borrelli, Bonta di Puglia, Cento, Corrado’s, Dal Raccolto, Flora, Roland and Vantia, and have codes that start with the letter “G” and are followed by 3 or 4 digits. All sizes of cans, glass jars and pouches of Cerignola, Nocerella and Castelvetrano type olives are affected.
Recalled Pet Food Still On Shelves
By 4.13.07
Potentially deadly pet food affected by a massive recall remains on store shelves, the FDA announced yesterday after conducting a nationwide survey of 400 stores.
Recall: Listerine Agent Cool Blue
By 4.12.07
Johnson & Johnson recalled all bottles of Listerine Agent Cool Blue after tests revealed contamination by microorganisms.
Menu Foods Exec Sold Half His Shares 3 Weeks Before Recall
By 4.11.07
The CFO of Menu Foods, Mark Wiens, sold about half of his shares in the company three weeks before the poisoned pet food recall was announced, Canadian insider trading reports show.
Contaminated Pet Food Linked To 30% Increase In Feline Kidney Failure
By 4.10.07
The veterinary hospital chain saw 1 million dogs and cats during the three months when the more than 100 brands of now-recalled contaminated pet food were sold. It saw 284 extra cases of kidney failure among cats during that period, or a roughly 30 percent increase when compared with background rates. It’s not clear if those animals ate the contaminated food, though it seems likely.
Walmart Pulls Tainted Pet Food By Day, Restocks It By Night
By 4.7.07
Walmart is recalling tainted pet food during the day, only to restock it again at night. This egregious display of corporate ineptitude was detailed to The News & Observer by Walmart merchandise supervisor, Johnnie Walker.
Walker said he had removed the products earlier in the week, but clerks restocked the shelves overnight, unaware that the pet food had been recalled. “At night they didn’t know better,” Walker said. “It’s just confusing.”
Though the pet food recall has expanded to over 100 brands, Walmart has been unable to implement a recall strategy that extends beyond blocking the purchase of tainted items at the register. If your pet wants food, consider shopping somewhere other than Walmart. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
FDA: Dog Chews Contaminated With Salmonella
By 4.6.07
The FDA is warning that certain dog chews have been contaminated with salmonella. The product in question, American Bullie A.B. Bull Pizzle Puppy Chews and Dog Chews, were manufactured by T.W. Enterprises of Ferndale, Washington.
Leaky Roof Blamed For Salmonella Peanut Butter
By 4.6.07
Childs said the company traced the salmonella outbreak to three problems at its Sylvester, Ga., plant last August.
Walmart Disney Princesses Easter Basket Recalled For Choking Hazard
By 4.5.07
A Disney Princesses Easter basket sold exclusively at Walmart has been recalled by the CPSC today. The silver beads and ribbons attached to the basket can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children. Parents can return the basket to Walmart for a full refund.
Signs Your Pet Ate Contaminated Food
By 4.2.07
As the contaminated pet food recall expands, it’s important to know what signs to watch out for in case your pet gets sick.
Pet Food Recall Expands To DelMonte Dry Food
By 4.2.07
Del Monte issued a voluntary recall for several kinds of dry pet food, expanding the scope of the contaminated pet food recall crisis. Recalled brands included Jerky Treats, Pounce Meaty Morsels, Gravy Train Beef Sticks, and certain dog snack and wet dog food products.
