Parent Guide to Food and Product Recalls: Know Where to Look

During early summer, news of several food recalls hit the press. Kellogg's sought to recall 28 million boxes of Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, Froot Loops and popular cereals because of waxy taste and smells. Campbell's had to recall 15,000,000 pounds of SpaghettiOs due to under processing. McDonald's recalled 12 million Shrek glasses because of toxic cadmium contamination. While these recalls may seem to cover minor issues, they are part of a trend of recalls that impact many of the brands that parents know and trust. For parents curious about whether certain foods or other items are safe for their kids, they need to know how to check current recalls.

With a mission of protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from consumer products, the United States Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) maintains information on a range of consumer recalls. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for protecting the public health. In upholding its duties, the FDA assures the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation's food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. Each of these divisions has the power to seek recalls for unsafe food or products.

When looking for recalls, there are several federal websites that are useful. The federal government maintains the www.recalls.gov site. The CPSC has its own recall site which can be found at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html. The FDA also has a recall site which is found at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/default.htm. And, while it makes sense for the CPSC to handle recalls on car seats, it's actually the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration that monitors safety of car safety seats. For notices about car seat recalls that occur after 1990, check out http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/childseat.cfm. These sites allow consumers to search for recall items by categories, dates of recalls and manufacturers.

While the general belief is that most products are safe, its important to remember that recalls are a simple indicator that there could be an issue with the quality or safety of a product. Other than food items, important recalls have impacted pacifiers, clothing, cribs, car seats and even blankets.

Given the millions of products subject to recalls on a weekly basis, some people would like to see a change in the recall notice system. Parents may have a hard time keeping up with the various items from which they need to guard their family members. There are many consumer and special interest groups that can help parents stay abreast of these important notices, but ultimately, parents will have to be proactive in order to keep up with the hundreds of recalls that are announced each week.