Weekly FDA Enforcement Reports

Curious as I am I have come across interesting information on the FDA website where each week they publish a report of recalled food and drug products. It provides the product name and code, recalling firm or manufacturer, the reason for the recall, the volume of the product in commerce, and where it was distributed (country or states). The interesting thing is that these are fairly common and daily occurrences, are these items recalled before they get to the consumer? I hope so. You'll find recalls like black licorice candy that contained lead in excess of the 0.1 ppm maximum level recommended by FDA, distributed in 16 states, MA included. Hm, Hershey's Cookie 'n' Cream candy bars recalled due to the possibility that they contain small metal fragments. How about blood that was donated but recalled because the "donor traveled to an area considered endemic for malaria." Contaminated influenza vaccine anyone? Then there is all the food products that get recalled because there are undeclared ingredients not listed on labels. For example, a 'natural' cheese alternative that did not declare milk as an ingredient, ironic, huh? How do you know what you are getting if this vaccine labeled as preservative free was recalled because it in fact contained thimerosal?

It is great that they do enforce this, even though in many cases it is not the FDA but the manufacturers themselves who report the recalls to avoid liability issues if some product indeed does damage a person's health. But the question stands above this, do people/manufacturers create their own problems that in turn negatively impact the health of those around them? Often driven by greed, but sometimes with actual good intentions. Industrialization brought us so far from safety and simplicity, there is really nothing that can be done.

This leads to a simple decision to lead a simple lifestyle that does not depend on these items that are so often recalled or contaminated, processed foods and drugs. We have the choice to consume foods that strengthen our immune system, renew our energy, and nourish our bodies. While government agencies can't handle all the millions of products and guarantee us safety, we can depend on our own common sense and choose to invest in nutrition. With so many processed foods devoid of nutrients, our bodies are begging for food that is alive and brings health to every living cell.

Please share your thoughts and comments on this subject.