Posts Tagged ‘Recall’

Listeria, Cantaloupe, and Who to Call

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

If you have cantaloupe sitting in your house, check the updated FDA Recall Notice here.  If the source of your cantaloupe is in doubt, then it is recommended to discard the cantaloupe without consumption.  After doing so, you may wish to call the farm where the contaminated cantaloupe has been sourced–Jensen Farms in Colorado.  Jensen Farms set up a contact email and phone number to address questions Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.  Here is the contact information published on by ABC news:  email at email hidden; JavaScript is required or phone (800) 267-4561 Monday through Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Of course, if you or someone you know has suspects having contracted listeria or any other foodborne illness by eating contaminated food, never call the at-fault party directly.  Immediately call your doctor and your local health department to protect your health, and call a qualified personal injury attorney to protect your legal rights.

Defective Drain Covers Not Protecting Swimmers

Saturday, July 2nd, 2011

The heat of summer is in full swing.  As our children head into the pool to cool off, keep in mind that modern pool and spa drains generally contain direct suction.  Powerful suction can trap swimmers under water causing serious brain injury and death.  According to statistics reported in the Los Angeles Times, “Between 1999 and 2008, 12 people were killed in pool and spa entrapments and 72 were injured, according to a CPSC report released Thursday.”  Fortunately, at the end of 2008, federal legislation went into effect to prevent powerful suction from trapping swimmers at the bottom of pools and spas. In response, public and private pool owners invested in drain covers intended to mitigate the dangerous effects of direct suction drains.  However, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a massive voluntary recall just as the summer swimming season starts to heat up.  As reported by the Los Angeles Times on May 27, 2011, “About 1 million covers made by eight manufacturers, some among the largest, were being voluntarily pulled after a confidential report revealed the products had failed safety tests. Officials with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said public pools and spas with direct suction systems and recalled covers should close until replacement covers could be installed.”  http://www.latimes.com/health/fl-cpsc-recall-florida-pools-20110526,0,5231496.story.

Oregonians Should Check Their Freezers for Contaminated Ground Beef

Monday, August 9th, 2010

On Friday, the FDA recalled a substantial amount of ground beef, including some distributed in Oregon.  Although the recall just happened, the ground beef was sold between October 2, 2009 and January 12, 2010.  Thus, some of this ground beef could still be in freezers throughout Oregon and other states.  Fortunately, there is a simple way to check if your ground beef is subject to recall.  According to the FDA, if the ground beef is subject to the recall, the package will bear establishment number “EST. 8268” inside the USDA mark of inspection.

This is a troubling recall because it’s reportedly prompted by e-coli illness contracted by at least seven people to date.  E-coli is extremely dangerous and can cause permanent organ damage and death.  It is highly recommended that Oregonians check the USDA labels for “EST. 8268” before defrosting any ground beef.  You can view the complete FDA recall notice here.

Recall of Infant and Children’s Medication Issued Late in the Day Friday

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

Today’s news outlets are buzzing with warnings about a massive recall of infant and children’s over-the-counter medication.  However, the company’s “voluntary recall”  occurred late Friday afternoon–too late for many parents to notice before shutting off computers and televisions to embark on weekend plans.  If you are one of the unsuspecting parents who gave a child recalled medication, please note any changes in behavior or other symptoms and report immediately to your pediatrician or emergency physician.

When a large-scale recall occurs, there is a lot of information that becomes available on the internet.  As an attorney and parent concerned with obtaining accurate information about recalls, I always start by reading the original recall notice published by the regulating government agency, which in this case is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  Frequently, the government will issue updates as new information becomes available.  With this particular recall, the government’s notice refers consumers to the recall notice issued by the medication manufacturer for additional information.

Baby Cribs Pose Risk of Injury and Death

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

On Thursday, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) announced the “voluntary recall” of approximately 217,000 Graco cribs due to significant safety risks that came to the public’s attention after several reports of the drop side rail of cribs failing.  The CPSC recall notice warns that the rail failure poses a “risk of suffocation and strangulation” as well as risk of the child falling to the ground.  The recall period covers cribs sold from February, 2007 to March, 2010.  The recall notice includes cribs sold “nationwide”.   Thus, if you are an Oregon resident who purchased a Graco crib during this time period, please assume the recall applies to you.  For more details about the recall, including photographs of recalled cribs, please read the April 29, 2010 Recall Notice.

If your child has already suffered injury or death as a result of a crib-related incident, please call an attorney immediately so that the claim can be properly reported to the CPSC and your family’s rights can be fully protected.  Even if the incident occurred in a crib other than those affected by the current recall, it is still possible that the crib was defective.  Therefore, a complete investigation should be undertaken by an attorney and appropriate experts.

McCormick Seasonings Recall (update)

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

McCormick has expanded its March 5th recall of several seasonings due to increased concerns about consumers getting salmonella poisoning.  Please read the official full recall list at the Food and Drug Administration website.

Which Toyota Vehicles Have Been Recalled?

Monday, March 8th, 2010

Today, many of us listened to the national news stations replay the 911 call from a Prius driver in San Diego, California who couldn’t slow down his speeding car because the accelerator apparently stuck during a normal driving maneuver.  So, the public seems to be generally aware that Toyota’s are experiencing some significant safety problems.  But for current and potential Toyota owners, the information about what specific vehicles in the Toyota fleet give rise to safety concerns is confusing.  As of today, Toyota has voluntarily recalled the following vehicles:

Expect the recall list to grow. 

McCormick Seasonings Recall

Friday, March 5th, 2010

Several seasoning packets distributed to grocery stores in the United States and internationally have been recalled due to risk of salmonella contamination. The company selling the mixes and stuffing subject to recall is called McCormick and Company and the product label on store shelves should contain the word, “McCormick”. According to the Food and Drug Administration, the consumer health threat stems from an ingredient, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), supplied to McCormick by Basic Food Flavors of Las Vegas, Nevada. Read the full recall notice on the FDA website.