Kansas City Personal Injury Lawyer - Defective Products

Warning About Pot Pies With Salmonella

Shannon Weidemann — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 09:40:40 GMT

Banquet is warning consumers about turkey and chicken pot pies that may have possible contamination with salmonella. The contaminated pot pies are made in a plant in Missouri. Salmonella can cause food poisoning.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a health alert Tuesday to warn about the possible link between the pot pies and the salmonella cases.
The USDA is advising consumers to discard the pies, said Amanda Eamich, of the agency's Food Safety and Inspection Service. ConAgra is not recalling the pies but is offering mail-in refunds and store returns.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been tracking reported salmonella cases since last Wednesday.

There have been 139 reported cases of salmonella around the country from people that have eaten the pot pies. The company maintains the pies are safe if cooked according to the directions.

If you would like to read more about defective products, please visit InjuryBoard's Defective Products Information page.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Barbie Toys Included in Latest Mattel Recall

Shannon Weidemann — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 10:56:56 GMT

Mattel has issued another toy recall for toys with lead based paint. This is the third recall in a month by Mattel. The toys were all found to have an excessive amount of lead. The toys were made in China.

The company is recalling 675,000 Barbie accessories, including Barbie Dream Puppy House, in which lead paint was found on the dog, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The recall also includes 8,900 Big Big World 6-in-1 Bongo Band toys and about 90,000 Geo Trax locomotive toys. The products were sold from September 2006 to last month.

Parents are asked to take the recalled toys away from their children. Mattel expects more toy recalls as they do testing on all of their toys. Some members of Congress are calling for a great oversight into the safety of products imported into this country.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Spinach Tainted with Salmonella

Shannon Weidemann — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:30:32 GMT

A large spinach recall is underway for 34 tons of bagged spinach that may be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can cause food poisoning if ingested. It is unknown how the spinach was contaminated. The distributor of the spinach is Metz Fresh of California.

The current recall involves a batch of spinach that was packed on Aug. 22 and distributed late last week to retail and food-service customers, such as restaurants or institutional kitchens, in the United States and Canada.
The salmonella was found during testing at a packing plant that was operating under contract with Metz Fresh, said Greg Larsen, a company spokesman.
In a statement, Metz Fresh said the salmonella was detected in a single sample of spinach at the processing plant. The company said it decided to recall spinach from three processing lines at the plant as a precaution, since all three lines were handling produce from the same field.

The company believes that 90 percent of the spinach never reached consumers. This is not the first time that spinach has been recalled. Last summer there was a large recall of spinach due to contamination by E. coli.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Toys R Us Baby Bibs Contain Lead

Shannon Weidemann — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:04:41 GMT

Baby bibs sold at Toys R Us and Babies R Us stores across the country contain lead and may be potentially harmful to children. The defective bibs have not been recalled and the company says they are in compliance with safety standards. The Consumer Product Safety Commission tested the bibs.

But their own recent tests of baby bibs on the market in the United States found that the lead, when present, was at levels low enough that a child chewing on or rubbing the bib would not get an unhealthy dose.
As a result, the agency urges parents to discard vinyl bibs only if they are ripped or otherwise deteriorated.
"There is a potential risk of lead exposure from babies swallowing pieces of cracked vinyl on used bibs," the agency said in a statement, after being presented with the test results on the Toys "R" Us bibs.

The baby bibs are made out of vinyl and sold under the Especially for Baby and Koala Baby labels. The bibs were made in China which has been the source of many product recalls this year.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Mattel Recalls Almost One Million Toys Due to Lead

Shannon Weidemann — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:04:46 GMT

A large recall has been issued by Mattel for almost one millions toys that have lead based paint on them. The toys were manufactured in China. Mattel was able to stop about 60 percent of the recalled toys from reaching consumers.

The recall, the second biggest this year involving toys, covers 83 products made from April 19 to July 6. Many of them feature Sesame Street and Nickelodeon characters -- including the Elmo Tub Sub, the Dora the Explorer Backpack, and the Giggle Gabber, a toy shaped like Elmo or Cookie Monster that toddlers shake to hear giggles and funny noises.

The recall involves toys with a product code of 109-7LF to 187-7LF that should be stamped on the toy or the package. The toys should not be played with as they pose a health hazard.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Altimas Recalled by Nissan

Shannon Weidemann — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 14:23:00 GMT

Approximately 140,000 2007 model year Altimas have been recalled by Nissan. The defective cars have faulty air filters that could catch on fire. Nissan will be sending notice to all of the owners of the affected cars.

The recall applies only to 2007 models with the 2.5 liter, four-cylinder engine. Nissan has taken four reports of engine fires since February.
A posting by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration on its Office of Defect Investigation Web site said Nissan dealers will replace the filters with non-flammable ones.

Nissan hopes to have finished the recall by October. You can contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261 or your local dealer for more information.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Toothpaste Made in China is Recalled

Shannon Weidemann — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 16:28:51 GMT

The FDA has issued a warning alert to consumers to be on the lookout for toothpaste made in China. Toothpaste found at two dollar stores, one in Miami and the other in Puerto Rico. The recalled product may contain diethylene glycol, which is antifreeze.

Officials said they are primarily concerned about toothpaste sold at bargain retail outlets. The ingredient in question, called DEG, is used as a lower-cost sweetener and thickening agent. The highest concentration of the chemical found in toothpaste so far was between 3-4 percent.
"It does not belong in toothpaste even in small concentrations," said the FDA's Deborah M. Autor.

All toothpaste made in China is suspect. You may find out more information on the FDA website. The toothpaste was manufactured by Goldcredit International Trading.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Rat Poison to Blame for Recalled Pet Food

Shannon Weidemann — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 12:35:22 GMT

Over 90 brands of dog and cat food made by Menu Foods of Canada was recalled last week. The pet food has been linked to kidney failure and death in 15 cats and one dog. Veterinarians and pet owners fear the number could be much higher. The pet food has been tested and rat poison has been found in the food.

Scientists at the New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University and at the New York State Food Laboratory tested three cat food samples provided by the manufacturer and found aminopterin in two of them. The two labs are part of a network created after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to keep the nation's animals and food supply safe.
"Any amount of this product is too much in food," Hooker said.
Aminopterin is highly toxic in high doses. It inhibits the growth of malignant cells and suppresses the immune system. In dogs and cats, the amount of aminopterin found - 40 parts per million - can cause kidney failure, according to Bruce Akey, director of Cornell's diagnostic center.

It is unknown exactly how the rat poison got into the pet food. The company does not believe the food was tampered with as it was produced at two seperate facilities.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Blood Pressure Drugs Linked to Birth Defects

Staff Writer — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 08:33:45 GMT

Thanks to Philadelphia personal injury lawyer Jamie Sheller for bringing to my attention a Public Health Advisory from the FDA. Last week, the agency announced a study in the New England Journal of Medicine has linked ACE inhibitors to an increased risk of birth defects when used in a woman's first trimester of pregnancy. ACE inhibitors are often prescribed to lower blood pressure - by blocking an enzyme which causes blood vessels to narrow and constrict - in patients suffering hypertension.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Medical Providers Sued for Selling Diluted Chemotherapy Drugs

Staff Writer — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 09:35:00 GMT

Several medical providers have been sued for selling patients diluted chemotherapy drugs in Boone County, Missouri.

As one may recall, a few years ago a local Kansas City pharmacist, Robert Courtney was sued for similar actions. Mr. Courtney was also indicted and is serving time in prison for his wrongful conduct.

You can read the full story in the Kansas City Star.

It is beyond my level of comprehension that a medical provider would knowingly engage in this type of activity. Clearly these types of individuals are motivated by greed and lack a moral compass.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer