2022 Home Product Recalls and Safety Alerts

While the price of Thanksgiving dinner has been top of mind for many consumers this year, what about preserving all of those leftover meal items to last as long as possible? 

Food safety experts are sharing their best tips on how to ensure that your family and friends are only eating foods that are fresh and safe this holiday season. 

Pay attention to meat 

With turkey being the star of the show for Thanksgiving dinner, it’s important to make sure that the meat is safe and cooked at the right temperature. Experts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) encourage consumers to have a meat thermometer ready for Thanksgiving. 

Turkey should be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit in three key places: the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh, and the innermost part of the wing. Checking each part of the turkey with a meat thermometer will ensure that the meat is cooked thoroughly and not overdone.

This also goes for leftovers; be sure all food that is reheated is done so to the proper temperature. 

“It’s important to keep food out of the danger zone, which is the temperature between 41 and 135 degrees,” said Alexis Hamilton, a postdoctoral associate and incoming assistant professor of food processing microbiology at Virginia Tech. “It’s important that foods pass through this range as quickly as possible. Basically, keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.” 

When it comes to preparing the turkey, experts from USDA also recommend not to wash it, and only to thaw it in the refrigerator. Washing raw meat can increase the risk of bacteria, while defrosting in the refrigerator allows the meat to thaw all the way through at a consistent rate. 

Storing food

When it comes to storing food, there are several key factors to keep in mind. For starters, all hot food should be left to cool before being transferred to the refrigerator or freezer. 

On the other hand, leftovers can’t last forever, and it’s important to know when food has gone bad. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a chart that consumers can keep handy that details how long certain foods can last either in the refrigerator or in the freezer. However, should those foods go bad, consumers should look for: a weird taste, an odd texture, a bad smell, or mold. 

If you’re really unsure whether or not something is spoiled or safe to eat, the USDA has a FoodKeeper app that’s available for both iPhone and Android. In the app, consumers can learn about how to safely handle and store over 650 food items, and get specific storage timelines for individual foods. 

To prevent food from spoiling – and maximize your time with your Thanksgiving leftovers – the general rule of thumb is that most foods will last three to four days when properly sealed and stored in the refrigerator. That is unless they’re all eaten before then! 

This rule stands for cooked meats, fish, macaroni and cheese, or casseroles. However, storing food in the freezer can extend the lifespan by months. Thanksgiving dinner can last through the new year if properly stored in an air-tight container or wrapped in tin foil, plastic wrap, or freezer paper. 

“One trick I like to use is to put meals onto plates and place the amount for a few days in the fridge and put the rest in the freezer, where the foods will safely keep for a few months,” said Hamilton. “If you like Thanksgiving foods the best after a few weeks, I would suggest that you freeze the meal on Thanksgiving Day and defrost it when you want to eat it.” 

If you have a carbon monoxide (CO) detector in your home, better check the brand. If it’s a HECOPRO, a federal safety agency says you should replace it.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says tests have shown that this particular brand of CO detector failed to provide an alert when exposed to pre-determined concentrations of carbon monoxide at 400 ppm. That violates federal safety standards.

If a consumer installs a CO detector that does not alert to the presence of carbon monoxide, and carbon monoxide enters the home, the consumer will not be warned of the presence of this harmful gas, making injury or death very likely.

More than 150 people in the United States die every year from accidental, non-fire-related CO poisoning associated with consumer products.

CO can be produced from many sources, from a fireplace to a space heater. CO detectors emit a loud alarm – much like a smoke detector – when it detects dangerous CO levels.

As yet, no recall

So far, there is no recall of the product.

The HECOPRO CO detectors are made of white plastic and measure approximately of 4.1 x 1.8 x 4.1 inches. The devices feature a digital display on the front.

The CO detectors in question were sold on Amazon.com under ASIN B07T66J7KJ for between $9 and $13.

The CPSC warns consumers they should not purchase these devices or sell them secondhand. Consumers should replace the detectors and dispose of the defective ones.

The agency recommends that consumers install working CO detectors on each level of their homes and outside separate sleeping areas. CO alarms should be battery operated or have battery backup. Consumers should also test CO alarms frequently and make sure batteries are working.