Is what you are eating safe? A detailed look at recalls, advisories, and safety alerts

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“Oh! That doesn’t taste right!”

It is an unfortunate part of being a consumer; sometimes products are placed onto store shelves and sold to us even though they are unsafe or contain manufacturing defects. This is why recalls happen, and once again, I want to shed light on the importance of being aware of what you are feeding your family, or putting in your home.

A product recall is a procedure where defective or dangerous products are retrieved from consumers. In some cases, these recalls can lead to product liability lawsuits.

They are usually issued when a defect is discovered that may hinder the product’s performance, injure consumers or cause potential legal problems for the manufacturer.

The Canadian government or the manufacturer will usually issue a public recall of the defective product. The government may also announce a mandatory recall if the product constitutes a significant risk to its users.

I want to note that manufacturers issue most recalls. Their voluntary recalls are intended to prevent legal liability and negative publicity. Recalls may also be issued after a consumer watch group discovers a product defect.

As some of you may know, I volunteer a few hours a week to a food bank that I assisted in establishing in April 2020. Working with ELMC has opened my eyes to exactly what is happening with our food, and why we need to be more aware. I learned about the website https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en, from one of our partners in the community, and below I have shared a couple of the most recent recalls that you should know about.  I would encourage readers to subscribe to these notifications to shield you and your family from any potential harm.

Distribution of a New Presentation of SPIKEVAX (elasomeran) COVID-19 Vaccine (0.10 mg/mL in 2.5 mL multidose vial) with English-only Vial and Carton Labels

Last updated

2022-06-06

(https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/distribution-new-presentation-spikevax-elasomeran-covid-19-vaccine-010-mgml-25-ml)

Affected products

SPIKEVAX (elasomeran) (0.10 mg/mL), dispersion for intramuscular injection,

multidose vial (2.5 mL), royal blue vial cap.

DIN: 02527685

Manufacturer: ModernaTx, Inc.

A new presentation of SPIKEVAX (elasomeran) with a concentration of 0.10 mg/mL in a 2.5 mL multidose vial was authorized on June 01, 2022. In order to provide rapid access to the new presentation of SPIKEVAX (0.10 mg/mL, 2.5 mL multidose vial), Moderna will distribute vaccine product with English-only carton and vial labels for a period of time. As a result, important Canadian-specific information is absent from these labels (see the Information for healthcare professionals section).

Affected products

Infant formula – manufacturing plant by Abbott Laboratories in the United States.

(https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/shortage-infant-formulas-babies-food-allergies-what-you-should-know-and-do)

Issue

The closure of a large infant formula manufacturing plant by Abbott Laboratories in the United States, manufacturer of Similac^®  Alimentum^®, has resulted in a global shortage of infant formula. Canada is experiencing a shortage of infant formulas designed for babies with food allergies and certain medical conditions.

There are two types of formulas for babies with food allergies: extensively hydrolyzed infant formulas and amino acid-based formulas. In certain provinces, the supply of these products is not meeting demand.

This can be a distressing situation for parents and Health Canada says that they are doing everything they can to mitigate the situation and provide parents with safe and healthy alternatives.

This is only two of thousands of recalls found on the Canada.ca website. Thankfully, now you have this information and will be able to use it to help you navigate as a consumer.