Roaches just ran through the restaurant? Here’s what you can do
You just heard that snacks in your pantry have been recalled. At a restaurant, you see pests and filth.
What should you do?
Here’s a guide on what you, the consumer, can do if food or medicine in your home is under advisory or a restaurant or grocery store has issues:
Restaurants and food stores
If you notice vermin, flies, roaches or general filth at a restaurant you are visiting, you can contact the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation. The agency does inspections and can shut them down for severe violations.
Another state agency handles other businesses that sell food. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services conducts grocery, convenience store and bakery inspections and can cite businesses in violation of health and safety requirements. Inspectors can’t shut down a market like they can a restaurant, but they can take equipment out of service such as dirty deli slicers.
Undeclared ingredients in food at home
Some food recalls are issued because the ingredient list doesn’t match the ingredients inside the product.
If you have a food allergy, that can be dangerous, especially when undeclared ingredients include eggs or nuts. And for vegans, undeclared dairy or eggs can affect health or ethical values.
If you are allergic to undeclared ingredients, or someone in your household is, you should toss the product or return it to the store for a refund or exchange.
If you aren’t affected by an undeclared ingredient, the product is fine to eat.
Foreign substances in store-bought food
If food in your fridge or pantry has been recalled because material that isn’t food was found in other batches, beware. You don’t want to eat anything that could possibly put you at risk. Crunching glass or plastic, and possibly swallowing it, isn’t good for your teeth or gut.
So this is the type of recall you should act on. Return the product to the business for a refund.
Bacteria alert
Now this is when to really pay attention. You don’t want to put yourself at risk of getting sick, so if you see a recall that involves salmonella, listeria or E. coli, don’t delay: Toss the product or return it to the store.
Remember that even if a store has pulled an item from the shelves after a recall involving bacteria, it can still be in your fridge or pantry.
Most at risk for the worst effects of salmonella are older people, children under 5 and those with damaged immune systems. Most people get fever, vomiting, stomachaches and diarrhea after eating tainted food, symptoms that can run for four to seven days.
How to check if there’s a recall
You’ll need to do a little work to keep up with recalls. But here’s some help on where to go:
▪ Go to the Miami Herald recall page for news on the latest food, merchandise and medicine recalls and business inspections.
▪ U.S. Food & Drug Administration safety alert page.
▪ U.S. Department of Agriculture health alerts page.
▪ U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall page.
▪ Publix recall page.
▪ Walmart recall page.
Issues with medications
If you experience any medical problems, tell a medical provider. Then inform the FDA’s MedWatch program, either online or by downloading a form, then faxing it to 800-332-0178. If you can’t download a form, call 800-332-1088 to ask for a form.