Romaine lettuce the latest produce to get recalled due to listeria. // PHOTO: Los Angeles Times

Eating fruits and vegetables are essential to any healthy diet and the benefits have long been necessary for a properly functioning system. But now, consumers have grown wary of eating produce due to the recent listeria recall injuries arising from Jensen cantaloupes.

The tainted batch of cantaloupes made headlines after causing what the Los Angeles Times called the nation’s deadliest food-borne outbreak in the last decade after causing 18 deaths and 100 illnesses throughout 20 states, including some areas like Iowa where distribution was not even recorded.

Then, after Romaine lettuce was recalled due the same deadly strain of bacteria, consumers understandably grew wary of consuming vegetables altogether. Fortunately, there have been no reported incidents of illness from the lettuce outbreak. But despite the seriousness of the issue, Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University reminds consumers the incidence of listeria on produce is rare: “Remember that [the outbreaks] are very unusual events,” he explained. “That said, I do have to admit it is a provocative coincidence.”

Understanding Listeria

The cause for concern lies in the seriousness of the bacteria. Ingesting Listeria monocytogenes can become a life-threatening  illness, especially for those with lowered immune systems, and especially pregnant women. In fact, the listeria outbreak associated with the cantaloupe recall has even caused an unfortunate miscarriage in Iowa and has infected 2 other women who are being closely monitored.

Listeria is found in soil and typically transmitted via animal urine and feces. Common foods that may contain listeria may include vegetables, but it is more commonly found on processed foods like hot dogs, deli meats, unpasteurized milk and cheeses, especially soft cheeses like Brie and Mexican cheeses, raw meats, and even products like ice cream and fish products.

Ways to prevent illness via listeria

You can take charge of your health and safety by being a proactive consumer. Follow the guidelines below for increased safety, and remember, while not every personal injury or illness can be entirely prevented, taking strides by following these guidelines can help you stay healthy.

Register at Recalls.gov

Simply enter your email address at Recalls.gov to stay on top of recall information for all food products. Parents are especially encouraged to sign up since children can be especially sensitive to food recalls.

Wash produce with more than just water

Consider using a fruit and vegetable wash and use a kitchen brush to clean your produce prior to eating. Removing soil, pesticides and even perspiration from your fresh produce can help to eliminate harmful bacteria from your food. For smaller or bulk vegetable items like grapes or lettuce, making a small bath using the vegetable wash and warm water will work to remove harmful foreign substances from your favorite foods.

Cook foods thoroughly

When at all possible, cook your foods thoroughly. Of course, with food items like salads and fresh fruit, this isn’t entirely possible, so be sure to clean these items thoroughly before consuming. However, for prepared foods, be sure to cook items up to 165 degrees for two minutes (steaming hot) depending on the foods you are cooking. The Center for Disease Control has recommended temperatures for your favorite food products.

If you have been injured by listeria contamination

Listeria is a serious condition that often requires medical intervention to prevent further illness. If you or a loved one has been infected by the listeria recall, call the Law Offices of Michael Pines at 1-800-655-6585 for a free and confidential legal review of your case. Our experienced personal injury lawyers can help you understand your legal options, and will guide you with expert care throughout the entire claims process. Call now, or submit your case online.

About Michael Pines

Michael Pines is a former insurance company attorney who specializes in car accident injury. While he was an insurance attorney, he learned from behind the scenes on how insurance companies work and how they decided to pay injured people. Now that he works against insurance companies, Michael's inside knowledge has resulted in significant benefits to his clients injured in car accidents.

This year, the spike in product recalls ranged from household products like toys and cleaning supplies, to the very foods and medicines we depend on: cereal, microwave dinners, Tylenols, fast foods at our favorite restaurants, and even hip replacements have all been compromised by product recalls. The list of recalls this year alone has been enough to put any consumer on high alert.

Unfortunately, it isn’t just this year that product recalls have been an issue for Americans. Nearly four years ago, lead found in toys and e. coli on our spinach caused unsettling feelings for many U.S. consumers, and put Chinese-born foods and products on alarm. Today, consumers are vigilant to stay educated and on on-top of product recalls, but even the most discerning consumer can sometimes be at risk for eating or using an unsafe product.

As an example, it wasn’t too long ago that Starbucks issued a pressing recall for its food items sold at their coffee spots nationwide. The culprit? A breakout of Listeria monocytogenes, a harmful bacteria which can be fatal in adults, including children and the elderly. Starbucks rushed to remove all affected products from their shelves, but by the time the recall was disseminated across all Starbucks carrying the food products, the chance for an unsuspecting consumer to have purchased the product could have been very likely.

Of course, the reality of product recalls can be daunting, but before you take drastic measures and stop the use of your favorite products, there is a better alternative to keeping in the know.

According to reports by Forbes magazine, a company specializing in product recall management will now analyze aggregate product recall data for consumer purposes. The data research group will aim to survey trends on an ongoing basis, combining data from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

What can consumers expect as part of the new data research? A lot. The most recent aggregate data indicates a correlation between the recession and “ the volume of goods and services on the market and the likelihood of safety problems.”  As an example, the reports suggest that as a result of our down economy, more undeclared allergens like Salmonella, Botulism and even Listeria as mentioned above have been a cause problem for food recalls this year.

Stay safe, stay in the know

The ongoing reports will help to create a more proactive approach in maintaining the integrity of the products we enjoy every day. As America improves its strive for better products, free from potential personal injury, you can enact yourself as a proactive consumer today. Here’s how.

Stay on top of product recalls with alerts

You can register at http://www.recalls.gov for a wealth of information on your favorite products. Most importantly, you can also register your email for alerts when your favorite foods and products are recalled. Why not sign up today to avoid an injury tomorrow?

Consider removing old products from your home

Old products can often prove dangerous since safety regulations have only gotten better over the years. For instance, you may consider putting vintage toys up for display as opposed to allowing your children to play with them since many of old toys may have been made with lead paint, depending on what year the toy was manufactured. In addition, even household items that require electricity can cause fire hazards, or short fusing, resulting in potentially dangerous home environments.

Report unsafe products

If you encounter a product that has injured you in any way, report it immediately. Many products end up being recalled from people just like you who report unsafe conditions. Log onto http://www.recalls.gov to report a faulty product  – also, don’t forget to report unusual allergic reactions to cosmetics, foods, and medicines.

About the Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC

The personal injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Michael Pines are experienced in handling cases arising from faulty products. Since many product recall cases can be complex, it’s important to speak to an attorney who can help you seek fair financial recovery from your claim. For a free legal consultation on your case, call us today at 1-800-655-6585.

About Michael Pines

Michael Pines is a former insurance company attorney who specializes in car accident injury. While he was an insurance attorney, he learned from behind the scenes on how insurance companies work and how they decided to pay injured people. Now that he works against insurance companies, Michael's inside knowledge has resulted in significant benefits to his clients injured in car accidents.

In these tough economic times, many consumers have come to expect a certain degree of belt-tightening at the supermarket. However, the latest round of government budget cuts may soon affect consumer food supplies far beyond the price tag – including risk to personal injury.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Congress is currently threatening to eliminate the Microbiological Data Program – the only regulatory initiative that regularly screens domestic produce for deadly pathogens such as the E. coli strain that recently killed 40 and sickened over 4,000 throughout Germany. Driven by pressure from the agricultural industry and a pressing need to cut spending, the House approved a bill last month to end the program’s $4.5 million funding; and if the measure passes in the Senate, testing and subsequent recall measures to prevent salmonella and E. coli infection will come to a screeching halt.

Consumer risk vs. government spending – and how to stay safe in the crossfire

Currently, the Microbiological Data Program tests approximately 15,000 samples of pathogen-prone produce every year – enough to prompt 19 recalls in the last two years and keep a close and consistent watch on vulnerable items like sprouts, cilantro, spinach, tomatoes, lettuce and cantaloupe as it makes its way to supermarket shelves. Proponents of the budget-trimming measure argue that other provisions exist to test for contamination, and that the program’s funding could be “better utilized elsewhere.”

But according to safe food advocates, no other government agency offers comprehensive tests akin to those provided by the Microbiological Data program; and as Ken Cook of the Environmental Working Group puts it, “since when does it make sense not to check food for potentially deadly pathogens?”

Caught between activists like Cook, members of Congress and agribusiness giants looking towards the bottom line, consumers may begin to feel helpless when it comes to ensuring food safety at home. After all, most shoppers rely heavily on the government to keep food supplies safe and nutritious – and without confidence in regulatory bodies, a simple trip to the supermarket can feel like a minefield.

Fortunately, there are steps we as responsibly consumers can take to prevent contaminated food and keep our friends and families safe – even in the midst of congressional debate over testing procedures:

Check for product recalls: keep an eye on the local headlines for recall announcements, and go online to www.recalls.gov for the latest updates and details regarding unsafe food and other consumer goods.

Make smart purchases: when buying fresh produce, choose items without any bruising or damage and only select portioned items (such as bagged greens or halved watermelons) that have been refrigerated or stored over ice.

Separate meats and produce: When transporting and storing groceries, keep raw meat, poultry and seafood products separate from fresh produce items – especially those that will be consumed raw.

Fortunately, even budget cuts won’t stop those dedicated to food safety from petitioning for proper testing procedures. Check back for updates as we keep a close watch on Congress’ assessment of the Microbiological Data Program; and if you or someone you know has already been affected by a food-borne illness, contact a personal injury attorney at the Law Offices of Michael Pines today for a free consultation on how to proceed.

About Michael Pines

Michael Pines is a former insurance company attorney who specializes in car accident injury. While he was an insurance attorney, he learned from behind the scenes on how insurance companies work and how they decided to pay injured people. Now that he works against insurance companies, Michael's inside knowledge has resulted in significant benefits to his clients injured in car accidents.

Kellogg’s is synonymous with household comfort foods: cereal, cookies, wholesome snacks, and… flies? According to the FDA, the famous cookie and snack-maker is summoned to clean up their act after bacteria and flies were found swarming the food plant. And, in addition to the filthy surfaces, the letter from the FDA addressed to Kellogg’s found that pipes were dripping an unknown substance directly into a mixer bowl.

Kellogg’s, known for its Keebler brand and Famous Amos cookie company,  has received previous letters from the FDA of similar violations. For instance, in 2009, inspectors found listeria bacteria on food surfaces, which later contaminated the brand’s Eggo buttermilk waffle brand.  And now, it appears that history is repeating itself as Kellogg’s makes headlines for the same snafu.

Recall Alert: Kellogg’s pulls food off grocery shelves

Just announced today, the famous cookie and cereal brand will now voluntarily recall several food items from “due to an uncharacteristic off-flavor and smell coming from the liner in the package.” Brands that are being recalled included:

• Kellogg’s Corn Pops
• Kellogg’s Honey Smacks
• Kellogg’s Froot Loops
• Kellogg’s Apple Jacks

Symptoms

In their press release, Kellogg’s told consumers the may experience health concerns, albeit non-threatening ones. Symptoms may include:

• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Headache

Kellogg’s made no mention of the recent warning letter issued by the FDA, and in fact did not further explain or warn customers about possible implications from their “filthy” working environment. But, Kellogg’s did issue a public apology. The apology was directed toward the recall, but not toward the contaminated factory.

“We apologize to our consumers and our customers and are working diligently to ensure that the affected products are rapidly removed from the marketplace,” said David Mackay, president and chief executive officer, Kellogg Company.

Staying safe in wake of food recalls

We realize how hard it may be stay on top of food recalls since they happen suddenly. By the time the recall is announced on television, radio or newspapers, it may be too late. We recommend registering for the FDA RSS feed for food safety recalls and warning letter reports. Most email clients support RSS feeds and set up is just as easy. Simply copy and paste the following URL into your RSS feed and you’ll be instantly notified if and when a food recall occurs.

http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/ContactFDA/StayInformed/RSSFeeds/Recalls/rss.xml

As Americans, we generally extend a certain level of trust toward national brands like Kellogg’s. When the public learns the brand has not extended its promise of excellence to its consumers,  it can be disheartening, if not altogether alarming. Many of us wouldn’t expect Kellogg’s to run a “filthy” factory, with potentially serious personal injury a possibility. We encourage consumers to stay on top of food recalls and sign up for the FDA RSS feed.

About the Law Offices of Michael Pines

The Law Offices of Michael Pines are dedicated to preventing injury and accidents throughout the San Diego area and across the United States. As San Diego’s Safety Ambassador, Michael Pines has issued numerous public safety alerts for vehicle, bike helmet, stroller, food product, consumer goods, and numerous other potentially hazardous recalls. If you have been injured by food or product recalls, call Michael Pines today at 1-800-655-6585 for a free and private legal consultation.

About Michael Pines

Michael Pines is a former insurance company attorney who specializes in car accident injury. While he was an insurance attorney, he learned from behind the scenes on how insurance companies work and how they decided to pay injured people. Now that he works against insurance companies, Michael's inside knowledge has resulted in significant benefits to his clients injured in car accidents.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission opened its doors this week to a new, state-of-the-art testing lab just outside Washington, D.C., designed to improve the speed, quality and affordability of product testing in order to better serve and protect American consumers.

The Miami Herald reports that the facility, at 32,000 square feet, is 2 ½ times the size of the old and increasingly decrepit lab CPSC technicians have used for the last several decades. Now, thanks to the updated lab design and amenities, the federal consumer protection agency will have more power and pull when it comes to preventing consumers from purchasing and using unsafe products.

“This brand new testing facility…is an investment in the safety of American families,” said Inez Tenenbaum, the head of the CPSC, at the lab’s opening on Monday. “Every test they run, every result they record, every hazard they detect, is about one thing in the end – keeping children and consumers safe.”

Equipped with nine labs, 75 engineers and other scientists and nearly twice the number of employees originally employed at the old lab facility, the new CPSC lab will allow testers to specialize their testing procedures to suit both imported and domestic goods that cause severe injury and death to unsuspecting consumers each year.

Sample tests include everything from effectiveness studies on bike helmets to flammability tests on children’s pajamas and mattresses to vehicle road stability tests – and amazingly enough, the improvements and updates to the CPSC’s testing processes will result in taxpayer savings rather than expenditures, thanks to increased levels of efficiency and in-house management.

“America’s families can sleep better at night knowing that the consumer safety cops are on the beat and in the lab,” said supporter Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois.

Help the CPSC do its job: stay up-to-date on product recalls to ensure consumer safety

As consumers, we depend to a certain extent on the scientists and lab technicians at the CPSC to help us make safe purchases. Most everything we buy — from small appliances to toys to household fixtures to vehicles – is subject to government recall; and the work performed by the so-called “safety cops” is intended to aid us in making the right choices.

However, it is also our responsibility to keep the system going: and in order to make the CPSC’s tests truly effective, we need to remain aware of any recalls issued based on their lab data.

Let’s do our part to keep our families, friends and San Diego community safe this summer by logging on to http://www.recalls.gov/ and learning which products have been recalled recently. If you own any recalled products, follow the instructions on the government website and discontinue use of the hazardous products immediately.

The Law Offices of Michael Pines has continuously worked to educate the public on safety and accident prevention. Legal consultations are free – if you have been injured, call the Law Offices of Michael Pines today at 1-800-655-6585 for a free and confidential consultation.

About Michael Pines

Michael Pines is a former insurance company attorney who specializes in car accident injury. While he was an insurance attorney, he learned from behind the scenes on how insurance companies work and how they decided to pay injured people. Now that he works against insurance companies, Michael's inside knowledge has resulted in significant benefits to his clients injured in car accidents.