Toyota will notify owners when the recall begins during May 2010.
Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Consumers may contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153) or at www.safercar.gov.
2003 Toyota Sequoia Recalled...
Honda will notify owners when the recall begins in May 2010. Owners may contact Acura at 1-800-382-2238 about Recall Number R35.
Consumers may contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153) or at www.safercar.gov.
2004-2008 Acura TSX Recalled...
By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.com
May 4, 2010
The Food Safety Modernization Act, which is headed for a Senate vote this week, enjoys bipartisan support, in part because of the recent rash of foodborne illness events over the last few years.
But a recent amendment to the bill, outlawing the chemical BPA in plastic food containers, has drawn opposition from the food industry, which has generally been supportive of the bill.
The amendment was offered by Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA), a long-time BPA foe. Feinstein says the National Toxicology Program in the Department of Health and Human Services has citied "some concern" that BPA may affect neural development in fetuses, infants and children at current human exposures. She says dozens of additional peer-reviewed scientific papers have also found evidence of adverse health effects such as increases in breast and prostate cancer risk, heart disease, liver abnormalities and diabetes.
The Food and Drug Administration's official stand, at least for the moment, is the amount of BPA found in food and beverage containers does not pose a threat to human health.
BPA is used in a wide variety of consumer products, including food containers, water bottles and baby bottles, although many retailers, including Wal-Mart, have dropped children's products containing the chemical.
The Act, which gained traction following several high profile Salmonella and E. coli outbreaks over the last three years, amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to expand the authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to regulate food, including by authorizing the Secretary to suspend the registration of a food facility.
It would also require each food facility to evaluate hazards and implement preventive controls on a regular basis. Food manufacturers would be assessed new fees to pay for recalls and facility re-inspections.
The House of Representatives passed its version of the bill last July, gaining bipartisan support in a 283-142 vote. Under the terms of the legislation, the FDA's proposed powers include creating a registry of food producers and importers that would be updated regularly, the ability to quarantine potentially unsafe food products from entering particular geographic areas, and levying a fee of $500 on food facilities to fund the new oversight and investigation procedures.
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By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.com
May 4, 2010
Levels of bisphenol A (BPA) in amounts shown to cause health problems in laboratory animals are present in most canned food, according to a new study released by The National Work Group for Safe Markets, a coalition of public health and environmental health groups.
The study, No Silver Lining, tested food from 50 cans from 19 U.S. states and one Canadian province for BPA contamination.
Over 90 percent of the cans tested had detectable levels of BPA, some at higher levels than have been detected in previous studies.
BPA is a widely used chemical in the container industry. It has properties that make plastic bottles more rigid and is also present in plastic liners of tin cans. The study said it tested canned fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, soups and tomato products.
One can of DelMonte green beans had the highest levels of BPA ever found in canned food, at 1,140 parts per billion, the report said.
While the Food and Drug Administration says current levels of BPA found in plastic containers are not harmful, some health advocates take a different view, pointing to studies suggesting the chemical ends up in the products within the containers.
In Washington, Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) embraced the report, saying it demonstrates that too much of the chemical ends up in food and beverages. She says exposure to even low doses of BPA, a synthetic sex hormone, has been linked to cancer, abnormal behavior, diabetes and heart disease, infertility, developmental and reproductive harm, and obesity.
Feinstein has introduced legislation that would ban BPA in cans, in addition to other food and beverage containers. The Senator said she is hopeful that the Food Safety Act will include language that protects consumers from BPA exposure.
"I was pregnant with my second child at the time of this study, and I hate to think I exposed her to BPA through the canned foods I ate, especially when there is evidence that even small amounts of this chemical can cross the placenta and impact prenatal development," said Bobbi Chase Wilding of Clean New York, report co-author.
Dr. George Lundgren, a family physician, was biomonitored and discovered BPA in his own body.
"Diabetes and obesity are increasing at such a rate in my own practice that diet and lack of exercise alone can't explain it away," Lundgren said. "The fact that there is no labeling on products that expose us to a chemical that may be linked to serious health problems is disturbing."
In the last two years many retailers have stopped selling some products, such as infant formula bottles, containing BPA. Now there are signs some manufacturers are following suit.
"General Mills announced it is removing BPA from its organic tomatoes' cans, so we know that companies that want to do the right thing, but we need the FDA to commit to an outright ban protect consumers," said Mike Schade, from Center for Health, Environment & Justice, also a co-author.
But the packaging industry is taking issue with the report.
"We are extremely disappointed that in their zeal to educate consumers, the workgroup pursued a clear agenda. In doing so, it failed to provide readers with the full story on BPA in canned foods," said Dr. John Rost, chairman of the North American Metal Packaging Alliance Inc.
Rost said the plastic coatings of cans, which contain BPA, provide an important protection against foodborne illness and, as yet, there is no substitute.
Bisphenol A Found In Most Canned Goods...
Parents and caregivers are being alerted to a sweeping recall of infants' and children's Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl products. McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a unit of Johnson & Johnson, is recalling the over-the-counter medicine because of a manufacturing deficiency, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA said the manufacturing deficiency could affect the products' purity, potency and quality and could cause some batches to contain more of the active drug ingredient than specified.
In a statement on its Web site, the company said that no adverse medical events had been reported. A complete list of the recalled products appears below.
"We want to be certain that consumers discontinue using these products and that they know what to do if they have concerns about a specific product," said Commissioner of Food and Drugs Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. "While the potential for serious health problems is remote, Americans deserve medications that are safe, effective and of the highest quality. We are investigating the products and facilities associated with this recall and will provide updates as we learn more."
Some of the products included in the recall may contain a higher concentration of active ingredient than specified. Others contain inactive ingredients that may not meet internal testing requirements and others may contain tiny particles. While the potential for serious medical events is remote, FDA advises consumers who have purchased these recalled products to discontinue use.
The FDA said there are a number of other products on the market, including generic versions of the recalled products, which are intended for use in infants and children and are not affected by the recall. FDA recommends that you check the labeling of these products. If you have any questions, you should discuss this with your pharmacist or other health care professional. FDA does not anticipate that there will be a shortage of alternative products.
One alternative that should not be considered, the FDA says, is substituting adult-strength versions of the recalled products. Consumers should not give drug products to infants and children that are not intended for those age groups. This could result in serious harm, the agency said.
Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of these products may be reported to FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail, or by fax.
The agency asks health care professionals and consumers to report any adverse reactions to the FDA's MedWatch Program by fax at 1-800-FDA-0178, by mail at MedWatch, FDA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787, or on the MedWatch website.
McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a unit of Johnson & Johnson, is recalling the over-the-counter medicine because of a manufacturing deficiency, according to the...