FDA Seeks Recall of Tainted Weight Loss Pills

The FDA has announced that 25 different products marketed for weight loss contain undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients that may put consumers at risk. The tainted weight loss products include:

Fatloss Slimming, 2 Day Diet, 3x Slimming Power, Japan Lingzhi, 24 Hours Diet, 5x Imelda Perfect Slimming, 3 Day Diet, 7 Day Herbal Slim, 8 Factor Diet, 7 Diet Day/Night Formula, 999 Fitness Essence, Extrim Plus, GMP, Imelda Perfect Slim, Lida DaiDaihua, Miaozi Slim Capsules, Perfect Slim, Perfect Slim 5x, Phyto Shape, ProSlim Plus, Royal Slimming Formula, Slim 3 in 1, Slim Express 360, Slimtech, Somotrim, Superslim, TripleSlim, Zhen de Shou, Venom Hyperdrive 3.0.

An FDA analysis found that the undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients in some of these products include sibutramine (a controlled substance), rimonabant (a drug not approved for marketing in the United States), phenytoin (an anti-seizure medication), and phenolphthalein (a solution used in chemical experiments and a suspected cancer causing agent). Some of the amounts of active pharmaceutical ingredients far exceeded the FDA-recommended levels, putting consumers’ health at risk.

FDA Information on Tainted Weight Loss Pills

Nestle Recalls Lean Cuisine Meals

Nestle Prepared Foods Co. has issued a recall for 900,000 pounds worth of Lean Cuisine brand frozen chicken dinners due to reports of the meals containing small chunks of blue plastic. The USDA considers the blue plastic to be a potential health threat and has ranked the recall as Class I, which is a “health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of a product will cause serious, adverse health consequences, or death.” So far three specific dinners have been found to contain the plastic: Cafe Classics Pesto Chicken with Bow Tie Pasta, Spa Cuisine Chicken Mediterranean and Dinnertime Selects Chicken Tuscan.

The following meals and production codes are included in the recall.

9.5-ounce packages of Cafe Classics Pesto Chicken with Bow Tie Pasta brand frozen meals. Printed on the side of each package is a production code of 8280595912 as well as a use-by date of “Best Before May 2010.”

10.5-ounce packages of Spa Cuisine Chicken Mediterranean brand frozen meals. Printed on the side of each package is a production code of 8231595912 or 8241595912 as well as a use-by date of “Best before Sept. 2010″; a production code of 8263595912, 8269595911 or 8274595912, as well as a use-by date of “Best before Oct. 2010″; or, a production code of 8291595912 or 8301595912 ” as well as a use-by date of “Best before Nov. 2010.”

12.5-ounce packages of Dinnertime Selects Chicken Tuscan brand frozen meals. Printed on the side of each package is a production code of 8234595911 and a use-by date of Best before Sept. 2009; a production code of 8253595911 or 8269595912 as well as a use-by date of Best before Oct. 2009; or a production code of 8292595911 or 8296595911 as well as a use-by date of “Best before Nov. 2009.”

Full Story – http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Diet/Story?id=6281008&page=1

Chicago Families get $11 million in Train Crash settlement

An Illinois train line has agreed to pay $11 million to the families of two women who were killed when a speeding train derailed in Chicago in 2005.

The fatal accident occurred when the train’s engineer sped through a 10 mph crossover at 69 mph. More than 100 of the 185 passengers on the rush hour train were injured.

If you or someone you care about was injured in a railroad accident, you should speak with the attorneys of Munley, Munley & Cartwright immediately. We have extensive experience in public transportation accidents and have a special transportation Website devoted exclusively to the topic. Call 1-800-318-LAW1 today.

Chicago Train Accident News Item

Mislabeled ReliOn Insulin Syringes Recalled

Tyco Healthcare Group LP has issued a recall on one lot of ReliOn sterile, single-use, disposable hypodermic syringes with permanently affixed hypodermic needles due to possible mislabeling.

The syringes may contain an overdose of as much as 2.5 times the intended dosage of insulin. This can result in hypoglycemia and even death.

The recalled lot number and product information is as follows: Lot Number 813900, ReliOn 1cc, 31-gauge, 100 units for use with U-100 insulin. The syringes are distributed by Can-Am Care Crop and sold at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Clubs.

Customers are asked to return the mislabeled syringes to the pharmacies to receive a replacement product.

So far only one injury has been reported due to the mislabeling.

Full Article – http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2008/NEW01911.html

Drug Lawsuits and Pre-Emption: A Closer Look

The issue of pre-emption in drug lawsuits was at the center of a case argued Nov. 3 at the U.S. Supreme Court. The case is of vital importance to consumers because it has the potential to limit many state court lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies.

This article explains the doctrine of pre-emption and looks at the facts in the case the U.S Supreme Court will decide.

If you or someone you care about was seriously injured by a prescription drug, you need the legal help of Munley, Munley & Cartwright. Contact our personal injury lawyers today at 1-800-318-Law1.

Effikal Recalls Automatic Gas Vent Dampers due to Carbon Monoxide Hazard

Effikal LLC. has recalled nearly 45,000 of its automatic gas vent dampers due to a possible failure which could lead to a carbon monoxide leak.

So far there have been no reported injuries or accidents associated with the product.

The recall involves Effikal RVGP-PC Gas Vent Damper size 4,5,6,7,8,9, or 10 which were sold with various gas boiler systems. Consumers should visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission website at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09008.html for a full list of affected boiler systems.

Consumers should stop using suspected boilers immediately if the weather permits and contact their installer to receive a free replacement if necessary.

Fraudulent Medical Certificates for Commercial Drivers Becoming More Common

As reported last week by the Associated Press, a recent U.S. safety study showed that hundreds of thousands of commercial drivers should not be behind the wheel due to medical conditions. The Government Accountability Office determined that approximately 563,000 commercial drivers were eligible for full disability based on health issues.

More disturbing information regarding the health and safety of U.S. highways has just been released regarding fraudulent medical certificates for commercial drivers. An article on Sci-Tech Today.com highlights the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s study which found that, due to a lack of regulations and enforcement, it is “relatively easy” to get around the required physical examination for commercial drivers.

The study was based on a sampling of 614 commercial drivers stopped at roadside inspections in California, Illinois, and Ohio. Only 407 of the 614 medical examiners listed on the certificates could be verified. These findings come despite suggestions made in 2001 by NTSB to regulate the Medical Certification process.

These recommendations include “that examiners who certify drivers as medically fit be qualified and know what to look for, that a system be set up to track medical certificate applications and prevent drivers from doctor shopping, and that a mechanism be provided for reporting drivers with potentially debilitating medical conditions.”

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s study is expected to be released at a hearing on Thursday.

Recommendations to Keep Sick Truckers From Behind the Wheel Still Not Completed

Frightening new information regarding the safety of highway travelers has come to light. The Associated Press recently obtained a new U.S. safety study showing that hundreds of thousands of tractor-trailer and bus drivers with commercial licenses, who travel our nation’s highways everyday, are actually eligible for full federal disability.

The threats facing highway drivers are still a continued presence despite warnings and eight recommendations made by U.S. safety regulators beginning back in 2001. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, responsible for correcting the issues, has failed to complete any of these eight recommendations.

Every year, medical rules for truckers are violated all over the nation. The most recent information collected by the Transportation Department in 2006, shows Pennsylvania as one of the states where medical rules for commercial drivers were most frequently broken. The other states include: Texas, Maryland, Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Alabama, New Jersey, Minnesota, and Ohio.

Despite Ban, Teens Using Cell Phones While Driving

According to a recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, despite states’ efforts to outlaw teen drivers from chatting on their cell phones, it is occurring at the same level as before the bans went into effect.

Earlier this week, researchers released the finding of an in depth look at North Carolina’s teen driver cell phone ban. They found that even though 95% of parents and 74% of teens support the ban, the new law isn’t reducing the number of teens using their phones while driving. Prior to the ban going into effect, researchers observed 11% of teens leaving high schools with one hand on the wheel, one hand on their phone. Then, after the ban was passed, researchers went back to the same high schools and observed 12% of teens chatting away while driving.

Researchers found that females were more likely than their male counterparts to be using cell phones while driving. Teens observed driving SUVs were more likely to be chatting than teens driving cars. However, teen drivers were less likely to be using their cell phones if they had friends in the car, compared with those driving alone.

So far, 17 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws banning the use of cell phones and other communication devices by novice, teen drivers. This is in response to the fact that auto accidents are the number one killer of teenagers in the United States, and that teens are three-times more likely to die in a car crash than all other drivers. With the passage of the bans, lawmakers were hoping to curb this upward trend by keeping inexperienced drivers’ attention on the road, rather than what Kimmie is wearing to the dance on Friday night. After all, distracted driving, including driving while talking on a cell phone, is proving to be as risky of driving drunk.

However, despite the good intentions, the laws have yet to make a measurable impact. Some argue that it is just too early in the process to determine whether or not they are working. Others, say the bans are just simply unenforceable. In North Carolina, 71% of teens and 60% of parents felt as if enforcement of the bans is rare or non-existent. Only 22% of teenagers and 13% of their parents believed the laws were being enforced fairly often or a lot.

For a list of state law governing cell phone usage by teen drivers, click here.

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

When I pulled up to my favorite restaurant last night, I noticed a sign on the door, “We, like many other restaurants, will not be serving fresh tomatoes due to the salmonella outbreak.” Now, I have heard about the outbreak in the news, but hadn’t realized its scope until I got my favorite entrée sans tomatoes.

Since mid-April there have been nearly 150 cases of salmonellosis, a rare type of Salmonella Saintpaul posioning, linked to raw red plum, red Roma and/or round red tomatoes (according to the FDA, grape and cherry tomatoes as well as those still attached to the vine are still safe to eat). At least 23 have been hospitalized and illnesses have been reported across 17 states, making this the biggest food scare since the tainted spinach fiasco of ’06. The source of the tomato contamination has yet to be identified.

In the wake of the FDA warning, restaurants and supermarkets across the country are pulling the summer staple trying to ensure the safety of their customers.

If you have any of these tomatoes at home, best advice is to toss them in the trash or take them back to the place where you purchased them. Salmonella is passed when human or animal fecal matter comes in contact with food. In case that visual isn’t gross enough, the severe, flu-like symptoms that follow are enough to keep anyone away from these types of tomatoes. But, if you decide to go against the FDA’s advice and all conventional wisdom by eating the tainted treats, remember to wash them thoroughly, remove the part that is attached to the plant and the button on the other side and cook them at a minimum of 145 degrees. No matter how much of a daredevil you are, don’t try to eat them raw- its just not safe.

This latest breakdown of safety in our nation’s food chain should serve as a good reminder to remain vigilant when dealing with food. Properly cooking meat, poultry and eggs, and washing produce are generally the best methods to prevent illness. Keep your hands and kitchen surfaces clean to prevent cross-contamination.

If even after you take these precautions, you get sick- report the illness to the FDA. This is a very important step to identifying the source of the sickness and preventing others from falling ill.