Senior News Line: Stay aware of recalls

Sometimes the list of recalls mentioned on the evening news makes us wonder what else we’re not hearing about. Here are a few current ones.

There is a recall on 25-milligram blood pressure medication chlorthalidone tablets due to what the Food and Drug Administration says is “failed dissolution specifications.” Over 11,000 bottles across the country are affected.

And we have the 125,000 vehicles that are being recalled again because the repairs weren’t completed correctly the first time the vehicles were recalled. While there are a few issues in those recalls, the problem with the clutch might be the most important — it can leak fluid and cause a fire.

In some cases we really have to wonder how mistakes were allowed to get out the door. We have dark chocolate raisins that have undeclared peanuts in them. We have saline nasal spray with mold in it, ricotta cheese with listeria and vitamins with salmonella.

And the pancake mix we use for Sunday morning breakfasts? Undeclared soy and milk. How about the cheese bread and garlic croutons? Salmonella.

How about the fruit ice pops we give to the grandkids? Milk, pecans, pistachios and both yellow and red dye.

Our pets aren’t left out of the mistakes. One freeze-dried brand of cat and dog food has levels of vitamin B-1 that are too low.

Sometimes recalls don’t immediately make it to the evening news, and it’s up to us to stay on top of these things. Start a weekly habit of checking the various government recall websites.

Go to foodsafety.gov and click on “Recalls.” Or, see the food safety website at fsis.usda.gov/recalls.

Go online to recalls.gov and you have a choice of consumer products, vehicles, boats, food, medicine, cosmetics and environmental product recalls to review. You can click on recent recalls or do a search through the recalls.

Stay aware. And stay safe.