Defective & Dangerous Products

• Another Salmonella Contamination Recall

  Staff Writer | August 30, 2007 1:32 PM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  68,000 pounds of bagged fresh spinach are being recalled after a sampling of the spinach tested positive for salmonella. The contaminated spinach was packed by Metz Fresh in California and involves spinach packed on August 22nd. The recall involves only fresh spinach packed under the Metz Fresh label, in packaging marked with tracking code 12208114, 12208214 or 12208314. The spinach was packed...

• Toys "R" Us Recalls Coloring Cases for Lead

  Chrissie Cole | August 30, 2007 2:02 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Toys "R" Us announced a recall of 27,000 Imaginarium coloring cases that were made in China. The ink printed on the outer packaging of the coloring cases contain lead. The black watercolor paint also contains excessive levels of lead.The recall includes the Imaginarium Brand 213 Piece Wooden Coloring Case which has colored pencils, crayons, pencils, paint, paintbrush and more.Consumers that have...

• Dismissal of Tobacco Lawsuit Upheld in Appeals Court

  Chrissie Cole | August 27, 2007 2:25 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  The First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in Boston, upheld the dismissal of a tobacco lawsuit filed by a group trying to strong arm tobacco companies to repay $60 billion spent by Medicare to treat smoking-related illnesses.The group believes the tobacco companies should be held accountable for expenditures to treat illnesses that arise from smoking.The original lawsuit was dismissed in August...

• Peanut Butter Class Action Lawsuits

  Staff Writer | August 19, 2007 6:03 PM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  The Judicial Panel on MultiDistrict Litigation has granted the motion to centralize peanut butter cases and has selected the Northern District of Georgia as the transferee court. The Judicial Panel granted the motion to centralize the cases and selected the Northern District of Georgia because three class actions (and two tag-along actions) are pending there, because common defendant ConAgra...

• Nokia Recalls 46 Million Cellphone Batteries for Overheating

  Courtney Mills | August 15, 2007 9:40 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  The Nokia Corporation, the world's largest manufacturer of cellular phones, announced on Tuesday that lithium-ion batteries in nearly 46 million phones would need to be recalled after reports of 100 incidents of overheating. There have been no injuries to date.Nokia specified that the company's faulty BL-5C battery, a product of the Matsushita Battery Industrial Company, was placed in nearly 46...

• Stent Sales Down, Investigations Up

  Staff Writer | August 14, 2007 7:26 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  With cardiac stent sales faltering, doctors and patients worried about their safety, and new investigations cropping up, the industry appears to be in a downward spiral. Now, Congress wants to investigate the manner in which the stents are manufactured. According to a story in the Wall St. Journal, "The House Committee on Energy and Commerce sent out letters today to Johnson & Johnson and the...

• Breast Implants Lead to Increased Suicide Risk?

  Brenda Fulmer | August 09, 2007 10:58 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Women with breast implants are three times more likely to kill themselves than women who have not undergone the operation, a study released yesterday revealed. Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center linked breast implants to suicide in the study which examined more than 3500 women who go implants between 1965 & 1993."Such findings warrant increased screening, counseling and perhaps...

• FDA Warns Consumers to Avoid Red Yeast Rice Products

  Chrissie Cole | August 09, 2007 1:02 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a safety alert warning consumers not to buy or consume three different types of red yeast rice products sold and promoted online. The products may contain an unauthorized drug that can be harmful. The product is promoted as a dietary supplement used to aide high cholesterol.The potentially harmful products are: Red Yeast Rice and Red Yeast...

• Maui Man Suffering from Botulism Poisoning after Eating Recalled Castleberry Product

  Chrissie Cole | July 28, 2007 7:37 PM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  A 33-year-old Maui man is suffering from what appears to be botulism poisoning after eating a recalled Castleberry product, according to the State Department of Health.The Cattledrive Chili was purchased at Costco in Kahului and made by Castleberry's Food Co. At the time of purchase, he was unaware of several recalled Castleberry products. Wednesday night he ate the chili and became ill hours...

• Senate Wants Graphic Warning Labels on Cigarettes

  Staff Writer | July 27, 2007 6:15 PM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  A Senate committee has added an provision to a bill to place more graphic warning labels to packages of cigarettes. Canada already has a similar law to stop people from smoking cigarettes. The aim is to show the potentially deadly side effects of cigarette smoking. The amendment was accepted as part of overall legislation that would give the Food and Drug Administration authority for the...