Quality
The Lead
Fisker Recalling Karma Sedans To Fix Fans
August 20, 2012 9:54 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | Comments
Electric-car maker Fisker Automotive is recalling about 2,400 Karma sports sedans to fix cooling fans that can catch fire. The recall comes after Fisker and a private fire investigation firm finished probing an Aug. 10 fire in a Karma in Woodside, Calif. The company said the probe found that the blaze started in front of the Karma's left front wheel where a cooling fan is located.
'Pink Slime' Maker Continues To Struggle
May 20, 2013 7:42 am | News | CommentsThe meat BPI separates from trimmings with heat and treats with ammonia to kill bacteria used to be widely used in hamburger, but consumers objected to it after media reports depicted it as unsavory. Many schools and retailers pledged to stop using BPI's products after the "pink slime" reports, and the company saw demand fall.
Shareholders Criticize J&J Management For Lapses
April 26, 2013 7:50 am | by Linda A. Johnson, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsCEO Alex Gorsky responded that J&J is making progress in improving quality standards and efficiency and returning to stores "a reliable supply" of recalled consumer health products such as Tylenol and Motrin. Some have been out of stores for a few years, cutting into revenue.
FDA Device Will Screen For Fake Medicines Overseas
April 24, 2013 1:20 pm | by Matthew Perrone, AP Health Writer | News | CommentsMore than a third of malaria-fighting pills used in Africa and Asia are either fake or bad quality, according to a study released last year. Rampant drug counterfeiting has undermined efforts to fight the mosquito-borne disease, which causes fever, chills and flu-like illness.
Indianapolis Pharmacy Recalls Compounded Drugs
April 23, 2013 12:22 pm | News | CommentsA pharmacy that makes specialty medications is recalling nearly 100 compounded drugs after federal regulators found potential safety problems during an inspection. Nora Apothecary Alternative Therapies of Indianapolis says it is recalling all sterile drugs that have not reached their expiration date.
Fla. Compounding Pharmacy Recalls Sterile Drugs
April 22, 2013 8:41 am | News | CommentsA Florida-based compounding pharmacy is voluntarily recalling all lots of its sterile non-expired drug products sold nationwide over concerns the products are not sterile and may contain bacteria, Food and Drug Administration officials said Sunday.
EU: Tests Show No Safety Issues With Horsemeat
April 16, 2013 11:05 am | News | CommentsThe tests also showed the veterinary anti-inflammatory drug phenylbutazone, or bute, was present about .50 percent of the horse meat. Bute is banned for human use because in rare cases it causes severe side effects, but veterinary experts say there is little risk from consuming small amounts of the drug in horse meat.
FDA Cites Sanitary Issues At Specialty Pharmacies
April 12, 2013 10:19 am | News | CommentsThe Food and Drug Administration says it has uncovered troubling sterility problems at 30 specialty pharmacies that were inspected following a recent outbreak of meningitis caused by contaminated drugs. The agency said its inspectors targeted 31 compounding pharmacies that produce sterile drugs.
Judge: University Must Shield 'Pink Slime' Data
April 10, 2013 11:15 am | by Ryan J. Foley, Associated Press | News | CommentsA judge has blocked Iowa State University from releasing documents about food safety research conducted for the maker of the beef product that critics call "pink slime." District Judge Dale Ruigh ruled last month that releasing the information would cause "irreparable harm" to Sioux Falls, SD-based Beef Products, Inc.
Dutch Recall 50,000 Tons Of Meat Across Europe
April 10, 2013 10:24 am | by Mike Corder, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority said Wednesday around 370 different companies around Europe and 130 more in the Netherlands are affected by the recall because they bought meat from two Dutch trading companies. The authority says that because the exact source of the meat cannot be traced, "its safety cannot be guaranteed."
Pork Found In Ikea's Moose Lasagna
April 8, 2013 10:26 am | News | CommentsIkea says it has withdrawn 17,000 portions of moose lasagna from its home furnishings stores in Europe after traces of pork were found in a batch tested in Belgium. Ikea spokeswoman Tina Kardum said the product had only been on sale for a month when it was pulled off the shelves on March 22.
Acura Recalling TSX Sedans For Corrosion
March 21, 2013 9:14 pm | News | CommentsAcura says that in places where road salt is heavily used, salt and water can saturate the carpet under the dashboard that covers the vehicle's electrical control unit. Salty water can corrode the metal case that houses the electrical unit. If that corrosion damages the wiring in the unit, the vehicle may stall.
Court: Can A Generic Drugmaker Be Sued Over Design?
March 19, 2013 2:22 pm | News | CommentsThe Supreme Court will soon decide whether generic drug manufacturers can be sued in state court for a drug's design defects after federal officials approved the brand-name version. The justices Tuesday heard arguments from generic manufacturer Mutual Pharmaceutical Co, Inc.
NHTSA Officials Probe Mercedes Fuel Leaks
March 19, 2013 9:11 am | News | CommentsMercedes has received 533 complaints from owners about a strong odor of gasoline, mainly after refueling, which could be due to a leak in the gas tanks in about 250,000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class cars.
Drug Makers, Interpol Ramp Up Fight Against Fakes
March 12, 2013 7:52 am | by Linda A. Johnson, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsInterpol's newly created Pharmaceutical Crime Program aims to help health agencies, police and customs bureaus in countries around the globe stem the supply of bogus brand-name and generic medicines, as well as identify and dismantle the organized crime rings distributing them.
Old Sausage Found At Polish Meat Plant
March 11, 2013 11:19 am | News | CommentsLast week, TVN24 showed footage of green-colored sausages at the plant, while an anonymous worker was heard saying they would be cleaned, dried and added to new products. Another man said that tons of old meat were added to products instead of being destroyed.
Nestle: Bars In China Were Intended For Italy
March 7, 2013 11:37 am | News | CommentsIn a statement issued Thursday, the Swiss food and beverage company said the Fitness Chocolate Hazelnut cereal bars were intended for Italy, where the ingredient sorbitol is approved for use. Chinese authorizes had said earlier this week that it destroyed the bars because they had sorbitol.
Food Fraud: Are Your Ingredients At Risk?
March 6, 2013 2:17 pm | by Lindsey Jahn, Associate Editor, Food Manufacturing | Articles | CommentsThe USP defines food fraud as a “collective term that encompasses the deliberate substitution, addition, tampering or misrepresentation of food, food ingredients or food packaging, or false or misleading statements made about a product for economic gain.”
Meat Inspector Furloughs Several Months Away
March 5, 2013 1:56 pm | by Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press | News | CommentsVilsack detailed how the Agriculture Department will move forward on the furloughs at a House Agriculture Committee hearing Tuesday. He said each meat inspector will likely be furloughed 11 or 12 days, instead of 15 days as the Obama administration earlier claimed.
China Destroys Ikea Cake, Nestle Chocolate
March 5, 2013 8:20 am | News | CommentsThe Shanghai quarantine bureau said this week that Kraft cream cheese and 2.7 tons of Nestle chocolate bars also were among dozens of imported products destroyed in its latest round of quality inspections. Chinese authorities have stepped up food inspections in recent years after a series of scandals over fake or shoddy goods.
Taco Bell Drawn Into U.K. Meat Scandal
March 1, 2013 12:03 pm | by Raphael Satter, Associated Press | News | CommentsFrom frozen food at supermarkets to fast food in restaurants and even school food in cafeterias, mystery meat appears to be everywhere. Authorities say the fraudulent labeling poses no health risk, but the scandal has drawn attention to complex and obscure supply chains for meat products.
Q&A: Chances Of A U.S. Horse Meat Scandal?
March 1, 2013 7:41 am | by Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe horse meat scandal that is hitting Europe has yet to spread to the United States, allowing American consumers to rest easier when buying ground beef or sitting down for a plate of meatballs at Ikea. The United States has rigorous meat inspections and horse meat isn't readily available.
Portugal Seizes 87 Tons Of Beef With Horse Meat
February 27, 2013 12:03 pm | News | CommentsPortuguese authorities say they have seized 79 metric tons (87 U.S. tons) of beef products containing traces of horse meat in recent days and opened criminal proceedings against five local companies. Horse meat has recently been found mixed into beef dishes sold across Europe, including in frozen supermarket meals.
Suits: More Water, Less Buzz In Bud, Michelob Beer
February 27, 2013 7:21 am | by MaryClaire Dale, Associated Press | News | CommentsBeer lovers across the U.S. have accused Anheuser-Busch of watering down its Budweiser, Michelob and other brands, in class-action suits seeking millions in damages. The suits, filed in Pennsylvania, California and other states, claim consumers have been cheated out of the alcohol content stated on labels.
FDA Seizes Illegal Dietary Supplements In Florida
February 15, 2013 7:44 am | News | CommentsThe Food and Drug Administration says U.S. marshals have seized illegal dietary supplements from a Florida company because some may contain a dangerous pharmaceutical ingredient. Several of the supplements from Globe All Wellness LLC contain the active ingredient in Meridia, a weight loss drug that was withdrawn from the market in 2010.
Report: Tracking System Needed To Fight Fake Drugs
February 13, 2013 10:55 am | by Lauran Neergaard, AP Medical Writer | News | CommentsThe call for a national drug tracking system comes a week after the Food and Drug Administration warned doctors, for the third time in about a year, that it discovered a counterfeit batch of the cancer drug Avastin that lacked the real tumor-killing ingredient.
