As we creep further into the holiday season, it’s more important than ever to take stock of our fridges and pantries and toss out any old or expired items. With the busy pace of the season, school and work still in session and plenty of group gatherings on the calendar, you can’t be too careful about keeping yourself and your family in good health.
While an inconvenience to some, food recalls are an important step in ensuring consumer safety on a large scale. This week, First and Last Bakery, LLC of Hartford, CT announced a recall of three of its popular tomato sauce products after a potential health risk was discovered. The sauces were reportedly made without proper safety procedures, creating a risk of botulism—a serious and potentially deadly illness.
According to the FDA notice, the health risk was identified by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection after the sauces were found to have been manufactured without an “approved scheduled process,” or evaluated to ensure the method was adequate. Per the FDA, failing to properly process acidified or low-acid canned foods can lead to the formation of Clostridium botulinum toxin, otherwise known as botulism…