FDA Recall information is now available on the Be Food Smart blog. Recall information is received from the FDA as soon as they issue a press release. Take a look at the recent recalls on the bottom right of the blog (in the yellow bar under the tags section). Check back often as mandatory and voluntary food recalls are, unfortunately, very common.

Food recalls may occur for a variety of reasons including:

• Undelcared ingredients – especially those which are common allergens such as sulfites, nuts, soy, dairy, etc.
• Health risks such as salmonella, listeria or E. coli
• The presence of certain chemicals which may cause adverse affects
• Problems with packaging, expiration dates, or manufacturing standards

As you can see from the first bullet, you really don’t know what’s in your food if it comes in a package. There very well may be nuts in a product that you specifically purchased because it was nut-free. If you or someone in your family has a food allergy or is very sensitive to certain foods, check the recall list often and try to reduce the amount of packaged foods you purchase.