WASHINGTON, D.C. – When the public needs to know about unsafe food, the federal government releases announcements about contaminated foods on its website, FoodSafety.gov. The information comes from the two agencies that inspect food, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

FSIS is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and tracks meat, poultry and processed egg products produced in federally inspected plants. FDA, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, issues notices for other food products.

The Food Safety Alerts & Tips widget, seen at right, combines all the food  recalls, market withdrawals and safety alerts from the FDA and FSIS, as well as tips and research.

Food Safety Widget. Flash Player 9 is required.

Healthcare providers often receive their alerts from a recall service, such as the RASMAS. For consumers concerned about the safety of specific food items, below are the main pages where the most recent food safety cases are listed:

• Current Recalls and Alerts from FSIS
• FSIS Recall Case Archive (searchable by year)
• FDA Food Recalls and Safety Alerts

Find out more

You can the latest news on health safety and recall from RASMAS’ Bill Klein on Twitter at twitter.com/RASMASrecall. Or you can follow our headlines via RSS feed.

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FALLS CHURCH – Curious about the safety or official recall status of a drug or product? A half dozen agencies handle recalls in the U.S., depending on the type of recall.  Across the globe, other agencies post their recalls and safety alerts online.

The first place for consumers to go in the U.S. to find out about the official status of a government recall is Recalls.gov, which is a search page of the entire U.S. government’s recall sites. The site, (snapshot seen at right) includes links to separate databases at the following agencies:

• The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) handles recalls of toys and consumer products
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides alerts, recalls and warnings on foods, drugs, medical devices and cosmetics
• The United States Coast Guard’s (USCG) recall section includes all marine and boating products, including engines, life jackets and other water related items
• The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA’s) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) initiates food recalls
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions recalls are for notices related to pollution standards
• The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) pesticides site includes pesticides and agricultural products
• The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) website includes recalls of vehicles, car equipment, child restraint devices and tires

International Recall Sites

As supply chains have become increasingly complex and interconnected, some recalls have been international in scope. Below are some official recall sites from around the world:

Canadian Recall Sites

• Public Health Agency (PHA) of Canada has a Road Safety Recalls Database that handles auto recalls
  
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) search page
• Health Canada’s Product Safety Programme (PSP) has a page for Consumer Product Recalls. It is searchable by keyword and year.

European Union

• RAPEX is the European Union’s rapid alert system for all dangerous consumer products, with the exception of food, pharmaceutical and medical devices
• The European Medicines Agency (EMA) of the E.U. has a web page with links to individual European state government pharmaceutical agencies

Asia/Oceania/Australia

• Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) regulates drug recalls and notices
• The Australia Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), regulates consumer products in Australia; search on their Product Safety Recalls Australia page
• New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) tracks food recalls in New Zealand
• Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety monitors food recalls in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Are there other official agencies we ought to list? Please add them in the comments section below.

FALLS CHURCH – Top medical news headlines from Noblis Health Innovation for Tuesday, August 17. Click on the underlined item for the actual link to the story:

• Recalls Surge in 2009: CNN’s Parija Kavilanz reports that drug recalls hit all time high in 2009.
• Study: Texting improves medication adherence in teens with diabetes: A small pilot study at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, found that sending text reminders to adolescent diabetes patients about their insulin treatments improved treatment adherence and blood glucose levels.
• Pennsylvania ramps up incentive payment system: Pennsylvania’s Office of Medical Assistance Programs (OMAP) will launch an application it hopes will streamline and secure the tracking of payments to Medicaid providers that meet criteria for financial incentives outlined in new federal meaningful use rule.
• Communication problems suggest patients, doctors often aren’t on the same page: When it comes to communicating with patients, doctors aren’t doing as well as they give themselves credit for, according to findings from a study published in the August Archives of Internal Medicine.

Follow our RSS feed or catch the latest news on health safety and recall from RASMAS’ Bill Klein on Twitter at http://twitter.com/healthrecall.

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NEW LONDON, CT – Founded in 1912, Lawrence & Memorial Hospital is a non-profit, community-focused hospital in New London, Connecticut, just off Long Island Sound. The 280-bed hospital with approximately 2,300 staff adopted RASMAS in 2007.

The hospital’s regional footprint includes a stand-alone emergency room, the Pequot Health Center, hospital-owned physician practices, a dialysis clinic, an outpatient surgical center and a sleep center operated in conjunction with the local Hilton. Specialty practices at the hospital include the Community Cancer Center and a location of the Joslin Diabetes Center, affiliated with Harvard Medical School. (more…)

HOUSTON – Prior to 2008, Texas Children’s Hospital, a 560-bed facility, managed all product alerts and recalls through its quality and safety group, and recall notices were distributed via e-mail.

In June, 2009, RASMAS became operational at Texas Children’s Hospital. Texas Children’s has approximately 63 responders and a total of 10 coordinators, who are all involved in the overall alert process. These individuals ensure appropriate recall management responsibility across all product domains.

The hospital reports that staff receives recall notices in a more timely and comprehensive fashion than before. Accountability also has improved by assigning designated individuals to specific product domains.

For more details about the case, click here or on the RASMAS Case Study logo at top right.

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