The FDA is warning consumers about the potential for botulism in GFS Fancy Blue Lake Cut Green Beans manufactured by New Era Canning Company. Clostridium botulinum produces a toxin that can be life threatening. The green beans were distributed with lot numbers 19H7FL and UPC code 93901 11873, in large institutional-sized, 6 pound 5 ounce (#10) cans. New Era Canning Company has issued a...
Quality Plus Products, Inc., of Bellingham, Washington is recalling its 7 ounce packages of "Jackson's Quality Plus Smoked Wild Salmon Spread" because the top ingredient label does not mention eggs however; it is listed on the side label of ingredients. Those with allergies to eggs or egg products run the risk of adverse health risks if the product is consumed. This is just another in a recent...
US Marshals have seized 12,682 applicator tubes of Age Intervention Eyelash because it is an unapproved and misbranded drug that claims to increase the length of eyelashes but may decrease vision. The product, sold and distributed by Jan Marini Skin Research, may increase the risk of optic nerve damage. Damage to this nerve can lead to decreased vision and blindness. The drug has been...
Robert Dziekanski had just landed in Vancouver on his first-ever flight. He was forty years old and about to start a new life in British Columbia with his mother. According to one witness who videotaped the event, Dziekanski was acting erratically but not violently. No drugs or alcohol were involved. Yet, the police confronted him and 46 seconds later tasered him to death. He was hit with...
The Bush Administration has signaled that it may give the go-ahead for more regulatory powers to such agencies as the FDA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission in the wake of numerous food and toy recalls recently. The move would be a reversal of sorts for the Administration but comes at a time when consumer confidence is faltering as news continues about defective toys and contaminated...
Thanks to two University of Arizona researchers, we may now have a better understanding of how our foods become contaminated with salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7, better known as E. coli. Their research suggests that "most of the pathogens that have been collected from outbreaks came from sources such as animal husbandry operations, contaminated water and proximity of urban centers,"...
The USDA is pointing its finger at a defunct Canadian company for the recent outbreak of E coli contaminated beef in the US. The company, Ranchers Beef, has been linked to E coli O157:H7 bacteria which has been linked to nearly 100 illnesses. This type of bacteria can cause diarrhea and dehydration, even death. The governmental agency has cautioned meat packing companies not to use products...
In the last few years, we've seen a number of food recalls including peanut butter, spinach, lettuce, ice cream, and ground beef patties. These food products were either contaminated with salmonella or E coli bacteria. Recently, consumers have had to face another food safety issue dealing with the mislabeling or incorrect labelling of food products. There's been a spate of recalled foods due...
Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA), Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has written a letter to the FDA requesting documents about their monitoring and evaluation of Medtronic's Sprint Fidelis defibrillator. The Sprint Fidelis was voluntarily recalled after Medtronic disclosed that the Sprint Fidelis leads were prone to fracture causing defective operation of the...
Five orthopedic implant makers, including embattled Medtronic, have received letters from the Securities and Exchange Commission indicating the SEC intends to investigate claims that the companies may have made improper payments to foreign officials. The companies who've received the letters are Medtronic, Zimmer, Biomet, Smith & Nephew, and Stryker. Medtronic, known for its cardiac...