Tag Archives: recall

General Safety Issues

HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS?

Without bacteria, please.  More than one-half billion eggs distributed through the United States have been recalled recently, because of contamination of the disease salmonella.  Salmonella comes from eggs of salmonella-infected hens that carry the bacteria and pass it to eggs as they are being formed.  Other causes can be that the eggs are not cleaned properly or kept cold while being transported.  More than 1,000 persons in the U.S.  have been affected.  Symptoms are diarrhea, cramps, and/or developing fever within 72 hours of eating contaminated products.  For persons with weakened immune systems, this can be life-threatening. 

The majority of reported salmonellosis outbreaks involving eggs or egg-containing foods have occurred in foodservice kitchens and were the result of inadequate refrigeration, improper handling and insufficient cooking. If not properly handled, Salmonella bacteria can double every 20 minutes and a single bacterium can multiply into more than a million in 6 hours. 

The source of the “bad eggs” in this case is a company that sells eggs to stores throughout the country, and those eggs come in containers that hold six, twelve, and eighteen eggs.  The carton markings that include the plant number and day of the year have been posted on numerous websites, so be sure to check those numbers.  Wright County Egg is a major egg producer with plants located in Iowa.  They are a major employer in their area.  According to public records, the company has paid millions in reprimands, penalties, and complaints.  Although locals say the company has improved conditions in the past few years, the FDA will be investigating them thoroughly. 

To avoid food poisoning from eggs, the CDC recommends taking these steps:

  • Never eat recalled eggs or products containing recalled eggs.
  • Keep eggs refrigerated at least to 45 degrees F at all times.
  • Avoid restaurant dishes made with raw or undercooked, unpasteurized eggs.  Hollandaise sauce or Caesar salad dressing should contain pasteurized eggs.
  • Do not eat raw or undercooked eggs.
  • Discard cracked or dirty eggs.
  • Wash hands, cooking utensils and food preparation surfaces with soap and water after handling raw eggs.
  • Change your eating habits to well-done eggs, if you prefer “over-easy.” 

Along with state representatives, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are developing new national standards with the aim of reducing and eventually eliminating egg-related salmonellosis. The strategies will include a scientific, risk-based, farm-to-table plan covering production, processing, transport, storage, retail handling and delivery. The plan will also include education on the responsibilities of consumers, inspectors and food handlers at all levels. 

With this said, the safety of consumers should be taken very seriously.  Better oversight by the FDA hopefully will eliminate this problem.  We take for granted that the food we purchase will not harm us.  Not too long ago, contaminated peanut butter was the cause of widespread food-borne illness.  It is the responsibility of the producers to have regular inspections to ensure that food products are processed  in clean, safe environments to assure the public that they won’t become ill from eating their products.  Government entities owe it to the public to furnish constant oversight to places where the production of the food we eat is involved.  Then, it is up  to the consumer to keep the food at safe temperatures and prepare it in a healthy way.  Speaking from experience, you don’t want  “food poisoning,” it’s no fun at all.

General Safety Issues

PAY ATTENTION TO RECALLS

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Back in 1966, the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act was enacted, giving the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the authority to issue vehicle safety standards.  They also have the right to require manufacturers to recall vehicles that have safety-related defects or do not meet Federal safety standards.  Since that time, more than 390 million cars, buses, recreational vehicles, trucks, motorcycles, and mopeds have been recalled to correct safety defects.  Also, 42 million child safety seats, 46 million tires, and 66 million pieces of motor vehicle equipment have been subject to recall as well.

You probably remember back in 2000, when Ford Explorers were prone to rollovers if a tire blew out on them.  There was much dispute between Ford and Firestone.  Firestone tires were put on new Ford Explorers at the factory.   Firestone had to recall 14 million tires that year.  Now, there is the dilemma of Toyota, which has resulted in being fined the largest civil penalty the government can assess – 16.4 million dollars. The penalty was given for failure to warn NHTSA of a dangerous pedal defect for almost four months.  Approximately 2.3 million Toyota vehicles have been recalled.  Toyota feels they did not deceive the public; however, they will be facing lawsuits from individuals affected by accidents as a result of the malfunction.

Approximately 42,000 lives are lost annually on America’s roads.  Traffic crashes are the primary cause of debilitating injuries and the #1 killer of U.S. citizens under the age of 34.  We must get unsafe vehicles off the roads in order to improve safety and save lives.  Registered vehicle owners receive a notice when a manufacturer issues a recall.  After the manufacturer discovers post-production safety concerns, efforts are made to locate every affected vehicle to correct the problem, at no cost to the owner.  Most of these recalls are voluntary; however, others may be influenced by NHTSA investigations or ordered by NHTSA via the courts.

If you receive a recall on your vehicle, tires, or child safety seats, don’t ignore it.  The safest and smartest thing to do is follow up on it, to ensure you and yours stay safe on the roads.  Some minor adjustment may need to be made and can be done quickly.  It is unknown exactly how many vehicles are on the highways today that have been recalled for some reason.  Many times, they are sold to other owners, who have no idea there was a recall on that particular vehicle; some people simply throw the card in the trash.  Used car purchasers would be wise to ask the person or business where they are buying the car if it has been subject to a recall.

Let’s keep America safe by paying attention to recalls or other warnings we may receive.  For more information, some good resources on the subject are at Recalls.gov and Safercar.gov.
Drive friendly, and stay safe!