Senior News Line: Recalls to note

Once again we have a long list of recent recalls, ranging from food to medical appliances to dog treats.

In a recent month, the number of recalls jumped up 44%. And for our own safety, we need to pay attention.

Here are just a few:

• A blood glucose monitoring system left a tiny piece of information out of the user manual — if the monitor gives an E-5 error code at the same time the user has symptoms of high glucose, get immediate medical attention.

• An anti-anxiety medication was recalled for failure to dissolve, potentially making them ineffective.

• A drug manufacturer was flagged for not having “good manufacturing practices” and had 40 drugs recalled, ranging from blood pressure to cholesterol drugs.

Then there is the long list of snack mixes that tested positive for salmonella, distributed under different names at different stores. With 2027 expiration dates, it’s possible these snacks are still on home shelves.

And continuing that theme, we have salmonella in pork rinds, beverage mixes, frozen pizza, dog treats, hot cocoa mix and potato chips.

Then there are all the undeclared ingredients that make their way into our foods: undeclared almonds in cream cheese, egg in a dietary supplement, milk in iced tea and fruit punch, hazelnuts in candy, milk in potato chips and wheat in barbecue sauce.

Even more serious, we have pesticide in soup mix, toxins in baby formula, microbial contamination in alcohol prep pads and chloroform in nail polish remover. And metal in ground beef.

To keep track of recalls, spend an hour once a week looking at the government website that covers all the various recalls: recalls.gov. You can sign up for email notices in any or all of the categories they cover.

As an alternate to the government sites, keep an eye on health.com and put “recalls” in the search box.