Follow this link checking about once a week to see if any products you use are on a recall list. There is a delay of between 1 to 4 weeks for recall news to make it to the national news reporting. So stay ontop of recalls by checking yourself at https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/default.htm

If you want to look at past recalled products find an archive of recalled products here https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ArchiveRecalls/default.htm

We are surprised to see how many everyday items end up on the FDA recall

<p> lists every week or month in America.  This has evolved along with a money saving plan of deregulation that began in the 1980 through the 90s. We have been through a 20 year+ time span of dismantling of the Federal employment numbers that supported inspection of all these things. The laws are still in effect but there just aren’t enough people employed anymore to inspect all kinds of business that had been done prior to deregulation. The political idea was the private business owners are good people like you and I, therefore could be trusted to police themselves and would choose safety over profits. However, the Bankings and Saving & Loan breakdowns alone, has been proven this idea to be false.

The accumulation of over the years of missing oversight by enough Federal food safety specialists has lead to the frequent recalls now seen. We have the technology to make food in a safe way, but it adds a few cents to costs so food companies have dropped the past stringent safety measures in favor wait til a problem happens then pay the fines and cost of losses. Because it is still cheaper overall compared to improvements in manufacturing quality.

Without outside pressure by frequent surprise inspections, business will not be motivated to spend the the extra time or money to make products in a safer method. Quote from the chairman of board of one company “It is the duty to the shareholder to spend the least amount of money producing the product for sale.”This was said in an interview after a major food poisoning event sickened more than 50 adults and children and some died.

We all have a responsibility to vote for folks who will take food & drug safety seriously. Including truth in labeling and pricing.

The FDA website is full of resources to help you keep up to date on products that you care about. You can sign up for email alerts on certain products or type of products or be on general alert lists like: Food or Cosmetics or Pets.