I’m sure a lot of you have already noticed, but this summer has been really crazy when it came to recalls. The great majority of them had to do with flour. Kellogg’s and General Mills had lots of recalls involving peanut protein and E.coli in their flour. Of course, most of it has died down now, but when all of the recalls had started, my family was kind of in panic mode.

We were basically afraid to buy any new food for a while. We weren’t sure when the next in a large chain of recalls would come up again.

If you ask me, I find recalls especially scary. Usually (USUALLY), you can do pretty well at avoiding something you are allergic to by checking the label of whatever product you are buying. With recalls, this can’t happen. Companies don’t plan recalls, they are an accident, so if you get a recalled product, there would be no way of knowing that it isn’t safe!

My mom checks for recalls on www.foodsafety.gov, www.fda.gov, and www.fsis.usda.gov and if she is still unsure if something is safe she will call the company directly.

This is precisely why my family always checks the internet for any news of recalls. If you or a friend have allergies, I encourage you to do the same, because it could really be the difference between life and death. However, even if there isn’t a recall on something you are eating, always be prepared for the worst. Let’s face it, recalls are scary, but caution and awareness goes a long way. Always have your epi-pen with you.

Until next time!

Gary