US Food and Drug Administration -

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has answered to many requests and will finally start a year-long nationwide initiative to test all pet foods for salmonella contamination according to various news sources. The samples have already started to be taken since early October, according to reports from the FDA.

There’s an alleged preoccupation related to salmonella being transmitted through pet food and/or products while being handled by humans. It is known that salmonella can only be transmitted via ingestion of contaminated food supplies but according to studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the contamination may also occur when contaminated objects or hands are in contact with the subject’s mouth.

As a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer I urge you and your loved ones to wash your hands every time you handle your pet food at home. While the alleged evidence related to dog food infected by salmonella is still under investigation by the FDA, you should be protected from any eventual risk posed by dog food infection.

Don’t let the threat of salmonella be a risk to your own, be alert and have the contact of a personal injury lawyer at hand to help you through your case.

Media sources reported that a third or more of the honey eaten in the US is likely to have been smuggled from China and is potentially tainted with illegal antibiotics and heavy metals. Research shows that millions of pounds of honey that has been deemed unsafe in dozens of countries are being imported and sold in record amounts.

Experts stated that some of the most recognized US honey packers knowingly buy mislabeled, transshipped or potentially altered honey so they are able to sell it at a lower cost than companies that require safety, quality and rigorously inspected honey.

Washington Legislative Chairman of the American Honey Producers Association Richard Adee said, “It’s no secret that the honey smuggling is being driven by money, the desire to save a couple of pennies a pound. These big packers are still using imported honey of uncertain safety that they know is illegal because they know their chances of getting caught are slim.”

After examining international and government shipping records, it was found that customs documents and interviews with North America’s top honey importers revealed the rampant honey laundering and record amount of Chinese honey being purchased by major US packers today.

The US Food and Drug Administration is working to resolve the issue.

As a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer, I’m glad to learn that this issue has been addressed and officials are working to ensure the safety of our nation’s food sources. If you’ve been injured through the consumption of an unsafe food product, it may be in your best interests to call a product defect lawyer in your city.

In a press release, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning of life-threatening injury for the ShoulderFlex therapeutic massager, produced by King International LLC, after the device killed one person and almost strangled another.

The report requests that healthcare providers cease their recommendations of the device and urges consumers that have purchased the personal massager to dispose of the device in separate pieces, in separate places, so that it cannot be reassembled and used. The FDA is currently evaluating the company’s plans for an official recall.

The warning states, “The FDA is concerned that the ShoulderFlex Massager presents serious health risks. Hair, clothing and jewelry can become entangled in the massage device and cause serious injury or death.”

The warning was issued in direct relation to an incident where a necklace and piece of clothing became entangled in the device’s rotating massager. The FDA also stated that they’ve received two more reports of hair and clothing getting caught in the device.

As a Los Angeles personal injury attorney, I’ve seen recalls of this nature before and am glad that the issues facing this device are being addressed accordingly. If you’ve been injured through the use of a defective product, contact a product liability lawyer in your city to discuss the legal avenues open to you.

News sources reported that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shut the American border to Mexican papayas Thursday because 15.6 percent of the imported fruit was found to be positive for Salmonella between May 12 and August 18.

According to the FDA, the samples that tested positive were taken from 28 separate firms from nearly all major papaya producing regions in Mexico. This imports alert’s denying admission of Mexican papayas in the US means that importers with have to prove that their product isn’t contaminated with Salmonella. This alert and ban come in the wake of reports from multiple states that over 100 people in the US were infected with Salmonella Agona. The Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified Mexican papayas from one importer to be the likely source of the pathogen.

The agency’s import alert announcing the ban stated, “Using the information provided by the cases, trace-backs were conducted in multiple states. FDA also collected samples of papaya to test for the outbreak strain. Based on information from the outbreak investigation, the outbreak has been associated with papaya from at least one grower and its shipper in Mexico.”

As a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer, I’m happy to learn that the agency is taking steps to ensure the food safety of our nation. If you’ve been injured through the consumption of a contaminated food product, it may be in your best interests to speak with a product defect lawyer.

In a press release, H&P Industries Inc, a manufacturer of over-the-counter drug products, announced the voluntary recall of all lots of Povidone Iodine Swabsticks, Prep Solutions, Scrub Solutions and Prep Gels in cooperation with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) due to the lack of oversight infrastructure at the time of production.

The recall of these Povidone Iodine products is being initiated because H&P Industries produced them without having a system in place for microbial testing at the time of release, having a system in place to test incoming components and without having procedures set and in place to prevent objectionable microorganisms in these products. The company has conducted an extensive investigation and testing and has not found any evidence of contamination.

The Povidone Iodine products have been labeled as antiseptic for preparation of the skin prior to surgery and also for the use in the prevention of infection in minor cuts, scrapes and burns. The main use of the Povidone Iodine Scrub Solutions is as a surgical hand scrub for medical professionals. Patients having medical and surgical procedures performed, including those that are immunocompromised, have a high risk of infection from antiseptic surgical preparations that have been prepared, packaged or held in unsanitary condition and are considered injurious to health.

The company, to date, has received no reports of adverse effects or contamination in relation to this recall.

As a Los Angeles personal injury attorney, I’ve seen recalls like this in the past and know that pharmaceutical manufacturers rigorously test their products prior to distribution. Still, mistakes are possible in even the most strenuous production processes. If you’ve suffered adverse effects from a contaminated drug product, it may be in your best interests to speak with an experienced product defect lawyer.

News agencies reported that Del Monte Fresh Produce filed a suit against the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claiming that “erroneous speculation, unsupported by scientific evidence” resulted in the March recall of Guatemalan cantaloupes associated with an outbreak of Salmonella Panama.

The complaint was filed in the US District Court in Maryland and seeks to repeal an FDA restriction so that the company may resume importing cantaloupes from Guatemala. The faults the FDA’s import alerts, which let the agency detain, without the need of physical examination, products that either violate or may potentially violate the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Del Monte is the largest importer of cantaloupes in the US and approximately 27 percent of their cantaloupes are imported from the Guatemalan supplier in question.

In the company’s press release, Del Monte stated that the FDA and many state health agency officials were at fault in saying that cantaloupes from a Guatemalan farm and packing facility were probably contaminated with Salmonella when “in fact, neither the FDA nor any state health agency in the US has offered evidence or data to support the FDA action.”

As a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer, I’m glad that these issues are being resolved within are food safety evaluation process. If you’ve been injured through the consumption of a defective food product, contact a product defect lawyer in your city to learn more about the legal options open to you.

Media outlets reported that the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen has formally petitioned the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the recall of all non-absorbable synthetic surgical meshes used in the repair procedure of pelvic organ prolapse (POP).

Public Citizen is asking the FDA to recall and ban all marketing of all non-absorbable mesh products designed and labeled for the use in transvaginal repair of POP on the grounds that they offer no significant benefits over absorbable mesh and expose female recipients to serious complications and potential injury. The group is also asking that future versions of these products be labeled as Class III medical devices, which are required to undergo much more stringent testing in humans before being approved for widespread use.

These requests come in the wake of the release of a safety statement made by the FDA in July that said that mesh complications during transvaginal POP repair are “not rare.” The report also stated that it is “not clear” whether performing the operation with mesh is more effective than the traditional surgery that does not use mesh, and that using the mesh may actually expose patients to greater risk.

From 2008 to 2010, the FDA received over 1,500 reports of complications related to surgical meshes used in POP procedures, including vaginal mesh erosion, infection, pain and incontinence. Public Citizen added that, in some cases, the complications included vaginal scarring and mesh erosion, which resulted in discomfort for the patient and significant decrease in their quality of life.

As a Los Angeles personal injury attorney, I’m familiar with these types of surgical product defects and know the damage they can cause in the lives of patients that have to live with them everyday. If you’ve been adversely affected by a defective surgical product, contact a product liability lawyer in your area. You may be entitled to compensation for your pain.

News sources reported that Ajinomoto Frozen Foods of Portland, OR announced the recall of their Ajinomoto Brand Vegetable Gyoza Dumplings due to the presence of undeclared shrimp and fish.

This recall was initiated after a box of Seafood Gyoza Dumplings contained some mislabeled trays of the vegetable dumplings. The recalled dumplings come in 8.47oz trays have a lot code of 231751 printed on the side of the packaging. The company stated that this recall only affects their Ajinomoto Brand Vegetable Gyoza Dumplings and not the other varieties that they offer. The recalled items were distributed between June 30 and August 4 of this year to retail outlets and restaurants across the nation.

Consumers of this product that have an allergy or severe sensitivity to shellfish and fish are at risk of serious or life threatening allergic reactions if they consumer this product. To date, the company has received no reports of illness in association with this recall. Individuals that have purchased this product are being urged to return it to the place of purchase in exchange for a full refund.

As a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer, I’ve seen recalls like this before and understand that food companies rigorously test their products for quality and safety before distribution. Still, mistakes can sometimes be made under even the most watchful eye. If you’ve been injured through the consumption of a defective food product, it may be in your best interests to speak with a product defect lawyer in your city.