Understanding Food Safety Recalls

Food Safety Recalls

A news report posted on wwlp.com states that numerous serious food recalls are issued each year. Many of those food recalls involve products that can cause illness and death. That is why people need to be aware of food product safety recalls protecting their families.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in six people in the United States acquires a foodborne disease each year. The CDC states that 128,000 people end up in the hospital, and 3,000 tragically pass away from foodborne diseases.

The US PIRG Education Fund states that undeclared allergens are the number one cause of food product recalls.

When a recall is initiated, food retailers have several ways to alert consumers, including text messages, automated messages, social media, emails to customers with loyalty cards, and through their websites.

The U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act requires all grocery stores that have 15 or more locations to post FDA recall notices within 24 hours of receipt. The FDA also requires their notice to be posted in a conspicuous place inside the store for 14 days.

These places include:

• At or by check-out registers.
• The area the recalled food was sold.
• Recall information sent to customers who purchased the recalled food.
• Any method the FDA considers appropriate.

The FDA’s Food Recall Classifications:

• Class I: Recalls for products that can cause injury or death
• Class II: Recalls for products that can cause temporary illness or injury.
• Class III: Recalls for products that violate FDA regulations that won’t cause injury or illness.

How to Protect Yourself From Dangerous Products

The following actions can help consumers protect themselves from dangerous, recalled food products:

• Ask the customer service desks at grocery stores about open recalls.
• Sign up for alerts at your local grocery stores.
• Shop at stores that have excellent recall notification policies.
• Follow the Twitter accounts @FDArecalls and @USDAFoodSafety.
• Create Google news alerts for keywords such as E. coli, salmonella, and listeria, or certain undeclared allergens (like peanuts or wheat).
• Thoroughly cook your food.
• Sign up for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alerts.

CONTACT PARKER WAICHMAN LLP FOR A FREE CASE REVIEW

Were you or a loved one harmed by a defective product? Parker Waichman LLP helps families recover monetary compensation for harm caused by a dangerous product. For your free consultation, contact our law firm today by using our live chat or calling 1-800-YOUR-LAWYER (1-800-968-7529).