FitSugar

Another Reason Not to Eat Junk: Pringles Recall

FitSugar — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:10:02 -0800

As if junk food wasn't bad enough because of the high calorie content and unpronounceable ingredients, here's another reason to avoid it. Procter & Gamble has announced the recall of two flavors of Pringles: Restaurant Cravers Cheeseburger and Family Faves Taco Night. The culprit is the widely used flavor enhancer hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) made by Basic Food Flavors, Inc. Investigators found dirty equipment and poor drainage at the Las Vegas plant and smelly, standing pools of liquid where the HVP was made. What's even worse - the liquid tested positive for salmonella. Um . . . eww.

Pringles isn't the only food to worry about. Hot dogs, chili, stews, gravies, sauces, soups, salad dressings, and other snack foods also contain HVP made from this company. For a full list of products contained in this recall, check out FoodSafety.gov. Will you be tossing anything from your kitchen cabinets?

Tylenol Recall Expanded

FitSugar — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:00:02 -0800

A sickening, moldy smell emanating from bottles of Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplets prompted a recall a couple weeks ago, but last Friday the recall expanded. Here's a list of some products to avoid:

Tylenol Caplets
Tylenol Gel Caps
Tylenol Arthritis Treatments
Tylenol Rapid Release
Tylenol Extended Release
Rolaids Extra Strength
Motrin IB
Benadryl Allergy Tablets
St. Joseph Aspirin
Simply Sleep Caplets

These affected products were sold in the Americas, the United Arab Emirates, and Fiji. Johnson & Johnson says the musty odor, which is leading to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea in consumers, is caused by small amounts of a chemical associated with the treatment of wooden pallets.

If you're concerned about products in your medicine cabinet, check out the complete list of recalled products. Type in the lot number printed on your bottle to find out whether or not the medication you have is safe.

Brace Yourself For a Bigger Pistachio Recall

FitSugar — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:30:00 -0700

It's amazing that tiny nuts could cause so much trouble. Last week Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc. recalled more than two million pounds of roasted pistachios shipped since last Fall, and now the recall has been expanded to include all raw nuts and all roasted nuts from the producer's 2008 crop.

It's seen as a proactive move because there have been no confirmed illnesses, but health officials don't want to take any chances this time around and the FDA has indicated it will issue more sweeping decisions like this going forward. Dr. David Acheson, associate commissioner for foods at the FDA commented, "We’re going to try to stop people from getting sick in the first place, as opposed to waiting until we have illness and death before we take action."

Check the FDA website for its list of products affected by the recall, and if you don't see a pistachio-containing product that's in your pantry, don't eat it for a few weeks until there's more news about specific items. So far the list contains items such as trail mix, ice cream, and candy. Food safety first!

Source

Pistachios Subject of Newest Salmonella Scare

FitSugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:00:00 -0700

Nipping on the heels of the ongoing peanut butter salmonella outbreak is a new scare in tainted nuts, and this time salty fingers are being pointed at pistachios. Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc. has recalled more than two million pounds of roasted pistachios shipped since last Fall, just fraction of the 55 million pounds processed by the company last year.

Because the nuts in question were shipped in bulk to wholesalers who repackaged the nuts for consumers, the effects of a pistachio-driven outbreak could be far-reaching. While growers aren't happy about the safety implications, the FDA recommends steering clear of any product containing pistachios until they have more information about the situation. That means avoiding everything from ice cream and cake mixes to trail mix and energy bars.

While eating pistachios is a decidedly delicious way to lower the LDL (bad) levels of cholesterol in your body, rely on other sources for improving heart health like olive oil and your morning oatmeal until there's more detailed news available.

Source

Yet Another Recall? Beef From Whole Foods

FitSugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Sorry to spread the bad news, but we have yet another recall to deal with. Whole Foods voluntarily recalled more than 1.2 million pounds of ground beef that has come from Coleman Natural Beef's Nebraska Beef processing plant. It pains me to say it but E. coli strikes again. Over 31 illnesses in 12 US states and Canada have been linked to this contaminated meat, but officials have yet to name the states (not sure what's up with that). Apparently this recall comes after the same company recalled 5.3 million pounds of meat a month ago, that was linked to at least 49 cases of E. coli. Geez.

The beef in the 24 Whole Foods locations in Northern California are not involved, since their meat comes from Country Natural Beef in Oregon, a supplier not listed in the beef recall. Another chain, Fred Meyers, is also pulling meat from their shelves. The ground beef in question was sold between July 2 and Aug. 6. If you're concerned about the beef at your local Whole Foods or natural grocery store, it's best to contact the store directly.

The USDA is still investigating, so I'm sure more info will be coming. It's just so upsetting that these recalls continue to plague our food system. Does this latest recall inspire you to start eating veggie burgers?

Source

Recall: 286,000 Pounds of Meat and Poultry

FitSugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 08:15:00 -0700

If you're thinking about grilling this week or have a freezer packed with convenience foods, check your meat. Gourmet Boutique, a food company based in Queens, NY, is recalling 286,000 pounds of meat and poultry. The recall is voluntary and includes more than 30 types of fresh and frozen products produced by the company, which may be contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. The USDA reports that the contamination was discovered in sampling done by federal food safety inspectors and Florida agriculture officials.

The recall includes fresh meat and chicken salad produced between April 19 and 24, 2008. The frozen products were produced between Oct. 23, 2007 and April 23, 2008. Some of the products to look out for are Gourmet Boutique Curry Chicken Salad, Gourmet Boutique Turkey Club Twister, and Jan’s Buffalo Bob tortilla wrap sandwiches. Frozen foods include Archer Farms mini beef burritos, pulled-pork burritos, and chicken burritos.

There haven't been any cases of illness yet, but the bacteria could potentially cause Listeriosis, which involves a high fever, headache, and nausea. More seriously, people with weak immune systems could suffer from fatal infections. Consumers with questions about the recall can call Gourmet Boutique's recall hotline at (347) 887-0083.

Source

Treadmill RECALL!

FitSugar — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:30:00 -0700

A voluntary recall of Cybex or Trotter Treadmills has recently been announced. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed, details of the recall are below.

Units: 4,700 (33,719 units were recalled on October 8, 2003)

Manufacturer: Cybex International, Inc., of Medway, Mass.

Hazard: During repairs associated with the October 8, 2003 recall, wire nuts were installed improperly, causing the treadmills to overheat and posing a fire hazard to consumers.

Description: This recall involves the treadmills "Cybex 400T," "Cybex 410T," "Trotter 510," "Trotter 525", "Trotter 535", and "CXT+" that were recalled on October 8, 2003 and later repaired. The treadmills are black with gray coloring, have rectangular uprights, and measure 69 inches long and 30 inches wide. The brands and models are written on the display panel. The “CXT+” model does not bear the brand Cybex or Trotter.

Remedy: Consumers whose treadmills were included in the 2003 recall and were repaired should immediately unplug and stop using the treadmills. Consumers with recalled units will be notified directly by Cybex. Consumers should call Cybex directly to schedule a free repair.

Consumer Contact: Call Cybex toll-free at (888) 678-3846 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's Web site at cybexintl.com.

Source

Dole Salad Mix RECALL

FitSugar — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 09:30:00 -0700

I have not been reporting on each and every recall lately because, quite frankly, there are way too many. However, this one was just too mainstream to not let you guys know so here is the deal...

Packages of Dole salad mix have been recalled in at least nine U.S. states and in a number of Canadian provinces after a package in Canada tested positive for E. coli bacteria, the Associated Press reported.

The recall covers all packages of Dole's Hearts Delight salad mix with a "best if used by" date of Sept. 19, 2007, and a production code of "A24924A" or "A24924B." They were sold in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime provinces in Canada, and in Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee starting around Sept. 8.

This recall comes one year after an outbreak of E. coli linked to bagged baby spinach sold under the Dole brand killed three people and sickened hundreds in the United States. For more information, consumers can call the Dole Consumer Center toll-free at 800-356-3111.

Recall Round Up: Part Three

FitSugar — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 17:15:00 -0700

Good or bad, recalls are all the rage these days.

So get ready to check your goods -- Here's what's being recalled now:

About 18,900 pounds of Chinese fresh ginger contaminated with a toxic pesticide have been recalled by the Christopher Ranch food company of Gilroy, Calif. The ginger was shipped to more than a dozen wholesale and retail clients in California, Louisiana, Michigan, Oregon and Washington state between July 10 and July 26.

California officials said the ginger may contain potentially harmful levels of the pesticide aldicarb sulfoxide, the San Jose Mercury News reported. As of Monday, there had been no reported cases of illness linked to the imported ginger.
Toy maker Mattel has recalled nearly one million toys in the United States because they are covered in lead paint. The recall covers 83 different kinds of toys -- many of which feature Sesame Street and Nickelodeon characters -- that were made in China.
By halting product shipments from its distribution centers and by contacting retailers last week, Mattel said it prevented more than two-thirds of the 967,000 affected toys from reaching consumers, The New York Times reported. However, more than 300,000 of the lead-tainted toys have already been purchased by US consumers. The affected toys, made between April 19 and July 6, may have a date code from 109-7LF to 187-7LF on the product or packaging, said the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Lakeside Foods, Inc., is recalling 15,000 cases of its 14.5-ounce French style green beans because some of the cans may have been under-processed and some may have leaked. This could have lead to the beans being contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning. No illnesses have been reported, and no botulinum toxin has been found in any cans tested to date.
The cans with the following code in the top line should be returned to place of purchase: EAA5247, EAA5257, EAA267, EAA5277, EAB5247, EAB5257, ECA5207, ECA5217, ECA5227, ECA5297, ECB5207, ECAB5217, ECB5227 and ECB5307. Details: by phone at 800-466-3834 ext. 4090; by Web at Lakesidefoods.com.

There's been a lot of other recalls recently, review them all here

Recall Round Up

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 07:30:00 -0700

The time has come where there are just so many freakin' recalls underway that I felt the need to inform you guys in a recall round up of sorts.

So get ready to check your goods -- Here's what's being recalled now:

Castleberry's Food Company has recalled about 90 types of canned chili, beef stew, corned beef hash and other meat products (including dog food) due to the potential risk for botulism. This recall is so big that Castleberry's has shut down their plant entirely. The company says consumers should dispose of any questionable goods from Castleberry's in doubled plastic bags. Consumers can get full refunds simply by calling the company. Bring product labels into the grocery store so that you can get a refund. Call 1-888-203-8446 of visit the recall site for more information.
Nissin FoodsCo., Inc. announced a voluntary nationwide recall of selected shrimp-flavored noodle products as a safety precaution after it was discovered that the seafood-flavored powder used in these Nissin products also contains cod and lobster. Individuals who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to cod or lobster may run the risk of a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these specific shrimp-flavored products. Customers will receive a refund and a supplemental coupon if they then send the UPC Code only directly to Nissin at 2001 W Rosecrans Ave, Gardena, CA 90249. For more information, customers are urged to call Nissin Foods at 1-866-548-2945 or visit NissanFoods.com.
CVS pharmacies are recalling some 84,000 of Playschool "No Spill" cups made in China, because toddlers can chew through the plastic spouts, posing a choking hazard. They have serial number 382814, which is printed on the back of the packaging. Consumers should stop using the products immediately and return them to the store where purchased for a refund. For more information, contact CVS at 866-434-0098.