Current Events in March 2022

The Royal Ice Cream Company is expanding an earlier recall to include all products manufactured at its of Manchester, Conn., facility.

The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. There have been no illnesses reported to date.

The following items, packaged in pints, half gallons, Sandwiches, and portion control slices containing manufacturing plant number “CT121” or “CT#121,” are being recalled:

• Batch brand pints, all flavors
• Royal Ice Cream Brand half Gallons, pints, cakes, all specialties.
• Ronny Brook Ice cream all flavor pints & 3-gallon tubs
• New Orleans Ice cream all flavor pints & 2.5-gallon tubs
• Maple Valley Ice Cream all flavor pints
• Art Cream all pint Flavors
• Sweet Scoops Yogurt all pint Flavors
• Gelato Fiasco all pint Flavors
• Biggy Iggy’s Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Munson Chip Wich Ice Cream sandwiches
• Giffords Ice cream Sandwiches all flavors
• Chewy Louie Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Snow Wich Ice Cream Sandwich
• Newport Creamery – Crazy Vanilla, Van & Choc, Vanilla & Coffee HG – only
• Dough Wich- Conn. 4 oz Cookie Dough sandwich -in flavors of , Vanilla, Chocolate and French Vanilla
• Doris Italian Markets- Florida- Spumoni wedge, Spumoni Half Gallon, Tartufo, Cannoli, Spumoni pie Slices.
• Highland Park Market brand ice cream, all sizes and all flavors
• Labriola's Italian Stores, Spumoni Ice Cream, 64 ounces

The recalled products were sold by retail stores in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New York, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, and New Hampshire.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled products should not consume them. Instead, they should return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at (860) 649-5358 Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EST).

Continental Tire the Americas is recalling 4,256 ContiScoot tires.

Cracks may develop in the tread grooves that are longer than 3/16 of an inch.

Cracks in the tread can lead to tread separation and increase the risk of a crash.

What to do

Continental Tire will notify owners and replace the affected tires free of charge.

Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on March 28, 2022.

Owners may contact Continental Tire customer service at (888) 799-2168 for more information.

Zeno of Weymouth, Mass., is recalling about 1,355 infant walkers.

The infant walkers fail to meet federal safety standards because they can fit through a standard doorway and are not designed to stop at the edge of a step.

The walkers also have leg openings that allow the child to slip down until the child's head can become trapped at the neck. Babies using these walkers can be seriously injured or killed.

No incidents or injuries have been reported.

This recall involves Zeno collapsible infant walkers with adjustable height settings. The walkers have a black, teal, pink, or gray frame, as well as a gray or black seat and a white, teal, or pink tray. Some styles have toy attachments and a push handle with “Babywalker” stitched on the seatback.

The walkers, manufactured in China, were sold online at Walmart.com from October 2018, through August 2021, for between $130 and $160.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled infant walkers and contact Zeno by e-mail to receive a shipping label to return the infant walker free of charge.

Upon receipt of the infant walker, consumers will be issued a full refund for the purchase price of the product. Zeno is notifying all known purchasers directly.

Consumers may contact Zeno by e-mail at cs@zeno999.com or sally@zeno999.com.

COVID-19 ‌tally‌ ‌as‌ ‌‌compiled‌‌ ‌by‌ ‌Johns‌ ‌Hopkins‌ ‌University.‌ ‌(Previous‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌in‌ ‌parentheses.)‌

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌confirmed‌ ‌cases:‌ 79,059,632 (78,940,748)

Total‌ ‌U.S.‌ ‌deaths:‌ 951,315 (948,438)

Total‌ ‌global‌ ‌cases:‌ 437,753,703 (435,623,857)

otal ‌global‌ ‌deaths:‌ 5,961,126 (5,950,866)‌

Vaccine failed to protect young children, study finds

A study conducted by the New York State Department of Health found that the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech provided very little protection for children between the ages of five and 11. In particular, researchers said it provided little help against the Omicron variant.

The researchers said the effectiveness of Pfizer’s vaccine against the virus dropped from 68% to 12% for children in that age group. The children were monitored from Dec. 13 through Jan. 24, when the Omicron variant was spreading quickly across the state.

The researchers conclude that there could be many reasons for the drop in effectiveness. Most likely, they say it is because of the much smaller dose of the vaccine that very young children receive.

Some test kits may contain toxic chemical

Poison control centers around the country are warning consumers that some COVID-19 test kits might contain a toxic chemical.

The Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center's Drug and Poison Information Center reports that there has been a sharp increase in calls about exposure to sodium azide, a substance reportedly found in some at-home test kids. Authorities say about 50 million U.S. households are believed to have received one of the kits.

According to White House officials, the U.S. government has sent about 200 million of the kits to U.S. homes, though it’s not clear how many of the kits contained the chemical.

The nose knows

One of the reported symptoms of COVID-19 is loss of smell. Scientists say their research suggests that it’s one of the first symptoms to appear and is an indicator that the patient is infected with the virus.

The Swedish research team says that finding is important because an early warning might prompt the patient to isolate earlier and therefore check the spread of the virus. A cough and cold-like symptoms were also identified as early predictors of COVID-19.

The researchers found that, on average, test subjects who tested positive for the virus showed a decline in their ability to detect odors about six days prior to the test result date. This confirmed that a decline in odor perception is an early indicator of COVID-19, the researchers concluded.

Around the nation

• Colorado: Colorado is moving on from COVID-19. During a press conference, Gov. Jared Polis said the health emergency is over and encouraged residents who are vaccinated to move into what he repeatedly referred to as "the next chapter."

• Illinois: Sports fans attending Chicago Bulls games won’t have to mask up. The United Center is easing its in-arena COVID-19 guidelines in the wake of the city of Chicago’s move to ease restrictions. The city has lifted its mask and proof-of-vaccination mandates for restaurants, bars, and other indoor establishments.

• Texas: Doctors in West Texas report that new cases of COVID-19 have fallen sharply in recent weeks. They told NewsWest9 that about 40% of people taking a COVID-19 test had a positive result a month ago. Today, they say that number is down to about 10%.

• Connecticut: A statewide mandate for masks in schools has expired. Gov. Ned Lamont says it will be up to local school districts to decide whether students and teachers will need to continue masking up. "Connecticut is seeing a dramatic decline in cases caused by the omicron variant, and children over the age of 5 have had the ability to get vaccinated for more than three months now," Lamont said.

• Maryland: The University of Maryland lifted an indoor mask mandate on campus for all faculty, staff, students, and visitors this week. That means fans attending University of Maryland home games will not be required to wear masks or show proof of vaccination. Unvaccinated fans are encouraged to continue wearing masks.

Last year was a tough one for property insurers and the consumers they cover. A wave of natural disasters and routine accidents resulted in skyrocketing claims.

According to the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Property Claims Satisfaction Study, insurance companies were challenged by slower settlement times, along with growing pains associated with the transition to digital servicing channels.

As a result, J.D. Power reports that overall satisfaction scores for property and casualty insurers declined to a five-year low.

“Insurers really struggled last year, partly due to circumstances beyond their control,” said Mark Garrett, director, insurance intelligence at J.D. Power. “Longer cycle times, material shortages, and personnel availability put added pressure on insurers to keep customers informed and expectations managed.”

The push toward digital communication

Increasingly, consumers were encouraged to use digital tools to communicate with their insurance companies. Customers were told to upload photographs and received estimates in return.

“Unfortunately, these digital tools are not always meeting expectations, resulting in support staff needing to get involved,” Garrett said. “That disconnect creates a major drag on customer satisfaction.”

Dean, of Scottsdale, Ariz., might be a prime example. He told us he recently switched to State Farm when a bathroom leak flooded a bedroom in December, resulting in a substantial claim.

“Claim still has not been resolved, the internal and field adjusters for State Farm are rude and unexperienced and I am beginning to think this is by design,” Dean wrote in a ConsumerAffairs review in mid-February. “I cannot get any answers on a small $13k claim or updates.”

In general, smaller claims appear to be handled more smoothly. David, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., filed a claim with Allstate when the dehumidifier on his furnace stopped working.

“I took pictures of the code that came up on it then I sent an email and Allstate responded to that,” David told us. “Within just a few days, I had the money in the bank. It was a good experience.” 

Problems are industry-wide

According to J.D. Power, the problems are industry-wide and not limited to one or two companies. Its study shows that every company’s score went down in 2021. It found that the claims process is more complicated than before, and it takes longer to settle claims.

On average, it took 17.8 days for claimants to have their repairs completed in 2021, up 2.9 days from a year earlier.

The study also found that many consumers don’t like the push toward digital communication and away from human interaction. The study found that consumers who fully embraced digital channels had faster claims settlements and reported a better experience.

Car and truck prices, both new and used, continue to move higher because of vehicle shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. For that reason, automotive experts suggest that consumers pay close attention to how well a vehicle holds its value.

When it comes to brands, the experts at Kelley Blue Book (KBB) say it’s hard to go wrong with a Toyota or its luxury brand Lexus.

You may know that a new car is worth thousands less the moment you purchase it, but some brands and models lose more money over time than others. In its analysis of the 2022 model year, KBB puts Toyota on top in this metric. To reach that conclusion, it projected retained value through the first five years of ownership.

"Toyota and Lexus, respectively, are the best vehicle brand and luxury brand for 2022 in terms of the highest average projected resale value across their full lineups,” said Janice Yoell, senior manager of valuations for Kelley Blue Book. 

Consumers tend to agree

Consumers posting reviews of Toyota at ConsumerAffairs tend to agree. The brand earns 4.2 stars in our 5-star rating system. Lawrence, of Florence, Ariz., told us that he’s driven Chevys, Fords, and Nissans but always comes back to Toyota for its value and reliability.

“Toyota is incredible for what you pay, as long as you take care of it maintenance-wise,” Lawrence wrote in his review.

“You can very easily run it for 300,000 to 500,000 miles, which is why I buy them, I got 350,000 miles out of my last Corolla and now I have a Tacoma that has 130,000 miles and still runs great and along with that everything still works on the truck.”

Trucks and SUVs retain more value

When it comes to individual models, Honda and Subaru also make a strong showing. When judged on its ability to retain value, the Honda Civic leads the compact category, while the Honda Accord is the top midsize sedan.

The Subaru Crosstrek leads the subcompact SUV category, with the Forrester leading the compact SUVs and the Outback holding the most value in the mid-size SUV group.

“Trucks and SUVs continue to dominate among the top 10 vehicles, including a brand-new Best Resale Value Award winner this year with the Ford Maverick compact pickup – which also was named Best New Model for 2022 by Kelley Blue Book,” Yoell said. “It's also notable that an electrified vehicle – the Tesla Model X – is among the top 10, another indication of how electrified vehicles are becoming more mainstream in today's marketplace."

Even though used car prices have risen in the last year, KBB says that trend may end with the pandemic. It says the average 2022 model year vehicle will only retain about 43% of its original value after a five-year ownership period. If you do the math, that means a $45,000 new car today will only be worth somewhere close to $19,350 after five years. 

When setting out on a road trip, getting to the destination as fast as possible is usually a driver's number one goal. Now, researchers from Texas A&M University are exploring how relying on GPS directions for the fastest route may not always lead to the safest route.

According to the findings, GPS devices are likely to give consumers a fast route to their destination that also has a higher risk of crashes. 

“As route guidance systems aim to find the shortest path between a beginning and ending point, they can misguide drivers to take routes that may minimize travel time, but concurrently, carry a greater risk of crashes,” said researcher Dominique Lord. 

GPS routes may compromise safety

For the study, the researchers analyzed route speed and safety from five major cities in Texas – Waco, Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Bryan-College Station, and Houston. The team took several factors into consideration, including the number of lanes, average traffic, historical crash data, lighting, and weather conditions. 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that there were differences between routes that were considered to be the safest and those considered to be the quickest. For example, the study showed that taking the fastest route from Dallas-Fort Worth to Bryan-College Station will cut travel time by nearly 10%; however, drivers’ risk of a crash on that route is up to 20% higher. 

The study points to poor lighting on roads, design flaws, collisions with animals, and issues with drainage as factors that contribute to safety concerns. 

Possible solutions

The goal for the researchers is to find ways to integrate safety measures into GPS routes. They hope navigation systems will be modified to consider factors that are likely to increase the risk for crashes so that drivers can arrive quickly and safely to their destination. 

“Our study revealed the potential of commonly used road navigation apps to misguide users toward using a road that carries a higher risk of crashes, which implies the need for considering safety in route-finding,” said researcher Soheil Sohrabi. “Developing such a system is, however, challenging. We proposed a system architecture for safe route-finding and highlighted the requirements for and barriers in incorporating safety in navigation apps.”   

The team explained that implementing these measures may be difficult because the necessary data from local and state officials isn’t always available. A system like this may also force drivers to choose between safety and speed. 

“Given the fact that crashes affect not only those involved but also other road users, leaving the choice between safety and time to the users may result in unethical decisions and unfair consequences,” said Sohrabi. 

Recent studies have revealed how eating less meat may be better for consumers’ health, and now a new study explored how meat consumption may affect cancer risk. According to the findings, eating less meat or cutting it out completely may reduce consumers’ risk of developing cancer. 

“In this large British cohort, being a low meat-eater, fish-eater, or vegetarian was associated with a lower risk of all cancer sites when compared to regular meat eaters,” the researchers wrote. 

Health benefits of eating less meat

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 472,000 British adults enrolled in the U.K. Biobank between 2006 and 2010. The participants reported how frequently they consumed meat and fish, and the researchers tracked their health over the course of 11 years. 

The study showed that the less meat the participants ate, the lower their risk was of developing cancer. Compared with those who ate meat five times or less per week, vegetarians and vegans were 14% less likely to be diagnosed with cancer. Those who ate fish were 10% less likely to be diagnosed with cancer. 

The team also looked at how the participants’ diets impacted the risk of specific cancers. The risk of breast cancer was nearly 20% lower in postmenopausal women who had cut out meat entirely. Similarly, men who were vegetarians were 31% less likely to develop prostate cancer. Those who ate fish but not other types of meat were 20% less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Those who ate meat five times or less each week were 9% less likely to develop colorectal cancer. 

While the team plans to do more work in this area to better understand how diet affects cancer risk, these findings highlight the effect that meat can have on long-term health outcomes. 

Chrysler is recalling 16,741 model year 2017-2018 Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles.

A fire can occur when the vehicle is parked, even with the ignition in the "Off" position, posing a fire hazard and risk of injury to people and property.

What to do

Owners are advised not to recharge their vehicles and to park outside and away from structures until they are repaired.

Letters notifying owners of the safety risk will be mailed once a remedy is available.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at (800) 853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is Z11.

Polaris Industries of Medina, Minn., is recalling about 11,00 model year 2022 MATRYX RMK, INDY, SWITCHBACK, VOYAGEUR, and NORDIC PRO snowmobiles.

The throttle release switch (TRS) can fail to disengage when the throttle lever is released. If a stuck throttle condition occurs when the TRS fails to disengage, it can lead to loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash.

Additionally, on certain MATRYX RMK snowmobiles, the throttle cable can be kinked during installation. This can lead to damage of the throttle cable during operation and impairment of the throttle function, posing a crash hazard.

The firm has received four reports of kinked throttle cables and three reports of a stuck throttle. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves certain VINs of Model Year 2022 MATRYX RMK, INDY, SWITCHBACK, VOYAGEUR, and NORDIC PRO snowmobiles.

The recalled snowmobiles were sold in the following color combinations: black/titanium, red/black, blue/white/red, black/gray/blue, gray/lime, red/black/white, navy/silver/white, white/black/plum, tan/black/orange, gray/black/lime, gray/black/red, orange, black, and jade.

Polaris and the snowmobile's model name are printed on the chassis on both sides of the vehicles. The model year and VIN are stamped on the right side of the tunnel.

The snowmobiles, manufactured in the U.S., were sold at Polaris dealers nationwide from December 2019, through January 2022, for between $13,300 to $19,700.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled vehicles and contact a Polaris dealer to schedule a free inspection. If needed, an adjustment of the throttle control assembly and/or a repair to replace the throttle cable (MATRYX RMK only) will be made.

Polaris has notified consumers to stop riding the snowmobiles, and it is contacting all registered owners directly to provide more details about the repair.

Consumers may contact Polaris at (800) 765-2747 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (CT) Monday through Friday or online at www.polaris.com. Consumers can click on “Off Road Safety Recalls” at the bottom of the company's webpage and enter their vehicle identification number “VIN” to see if their vehicle is included in any recalls.

Jan Fruits of Vernon, Calif., is recalling all cases of Enoki Mushrooms imported from Taiwan.

The product may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

The recalled product comes in a 7.05-oz clear plastic package marked “Taiwan Best Quality Enoki Natural Mushroom***Manufacturer: Changhua County Mushrooms Production Cooperative” and “Distributor Jan Fruits Inc.” in English.

There is also a green-lettered “Premium” Printed with two QR scan codes and UPC 8 51084 00835 8 on the backside of the package, but no lot code or dates appear on the package.

The mushrooms were sold at retail stores in California.

What to do

Customers who purchased the recalled product should not consume it. Instead, they should return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact the company at (323) 923-2879, Ext. 3, Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (PST).