Nestle Recalls Raisinets Due to Absence of Peanut Warning

Food manufacturing companies are required to produce or make foods that are safe to it. In addition, they should warn the public regarding foods or their certain ingredients which can cause harm to the consumers once consumed.

Nestle announced that it will conduct a voluntary recall on some “Raisinets Fun Size” bags which did not declare certain peanut contents. This move has been done to save people from possible sicknesses or deaths after eating the product

Reports said the company issued a statement informing consumers that it has called for a voluntary recall out of caution. This recall will affect 10-ounce bags of Raisinets that has “a production code of 02015748/UPC number 2800010255.”

According to the statement, people who are severely sensitive to peanuts or are allergic to it are in danger of life-threatening or serious allergic reaction once they eat the product.

The Raisinets that will be affected by were only distributed in the United States. To be more specific, the product was sold at Don Quixote, Shop Rite, and Target retail stores.

Nestle announced that it already received three complaints about the product. Fortunately, no other product was affected.

People with peanut allergies who have bought the affected product should discard it and call Nestle to ask for a refund.

Manufacturers have a big responsibility on their hands because people may die if they failed to do their duties properly. Like in this case, Nestle’s simple mistake could have caused a fatal accident if the consumer is deadly allergic to peanuts. Good thing the company took immediate action in order to prevent injuries or deaths caused by the product.

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Teen Crashes into House, Injures Toddler and Grandfather

An 18-month-old infant and his grandfather were in critical condition after a teen driver who appeared to be drunk made an unsafe turn in a residential neighborhood and hit them.

Authorities reported that the 17-year-old driver, whose identity is yet to be released, apparently sped off after spotting an officer on a motorcycle responding to a disturbance call.

The officer then made a U-turn and started tailing the SUV driven by the teen before he veered into Lake Boulevard where he struck a sign, injured pedestrians along the sidewalk, and crashed into the house.

Reports show that the man was walking his grandson on a stroller when they were hit by the speeding SUV. Rescuers were able to transport the 18-month-old boy and his 50-year-old grandfather to the hospital where they were treated for serious injuries.

The intoxicated driver was arrested on suspicion of hit-and-run and felony DUI as he tried to drive away from the scene. The three passengers of the SUV fled on foot but authorities were able to apprehend two of them.

The teen’s intoxication, his attempt to elude a police officer, and the unsafe turn he made while speeding can all be blamed for the accident. Teen drivers may feel invincible when they are behind the wheel. Nevertheless, they should keep in mind that their vulnerability to accidents is heightened by their inexperience and dangerous experiments while driving.

Hopefully, the man and his grandson will have a quick recovery and they won’t have to suffer from any permanent damages caused by a single person’s disregard for safety.

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Water Pollution: How the BP Oil Spill Affected the Nation

All life on earth is very dependent on water. Water is significant in every person’s everyday practices and activities such as personal hygiene, eating and cooking. For fishes and corals, different bodies of water also serve as their natural habitat. And in turn, these fresh fishes feed the mouths of many people. But as we have long probably noticed, the world is undergoing crises in water, and it is getting worse by the minute.

Pollution has been the most rampant problem in water. Some of the more prominent water pollutants include dirty sewage water being gushed down to other bodies of water, people dumping garbage on the shore, the discarding of industrial and radioactive waste by industrial facilities or factories, and the accidental leakage from underwater storages. However, lately it seems that oil leaks and spills have also become notorious not only in the US but in other countries as well.

One such incident of oil spill was the recent accident in the Gulf of Mexico that started off with what was known as the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion. In April 20, 2010, a drilling rig owned by offshore contractor Transocean and under lease to oil and gas company BP located at the southeast of Louisiana coast exploded and got burned down, causing the death of some employees and a massive offshore oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The leaking lasted for almost three months. After releasing about 185 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, the disaster became known as the largest accidental marine oil spill and environmental disaster in the history of petroleum industry. The government of the United States, as well as the concerned parties, did all they can to stop the leaking and disperse the oil, but it was too late as it had already affected the lives of many.

The weakening tourism of some states prompted tourism development councils to launch marketing campaigns for their beaches that were not affected by the spill to attract tourists. Along with this, businesses had to offer discounts and other deals for visitors. But more than tourism, it was marine life that suffered the most.

Commercial and recreational fishing areas of federal waters had to be closed down for the time being because the oil had reached it or to avoid cases of poisoning due to intake of affected fishes. Other species of marine animals like the endangered Kemp's Ridley turtle, Hawksbill Turtle, gulls, egrets, and blue herons became at risk, some of them eventually dying. Of course, who can forget the images of brown pelicans heavily covered by the crude, making them look chocolate-covered. The photos made it to the headlines and served as an eye-opener regarding the gravity of this oil spill.

According to Federal investigators, BP or at least one of the companies involved in the accident will likely face criminal charges because of what happened. More than the $75 million civil liability cap may have to be paid.

While the explosion may have been considered as merely an accident, it could have been prevented or acted upon as soon as possible to avoid further damage. Hopefully, other companies, not just those in the industry of petroleum, and ordinary citizens like us learned a thing or two about the importance of water from this tragedy.

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Roseville Pays Quadriplegic Record $6.4 Million due to Broken Bus Wheelchair Lift

Public transportation vehicles are covered under California’s Common Carrier Law and it requires drivers and companies who are in the business of transporting people to exercise a higher level of care compared to regular drivers.

Contrary to belief, though, this higher level duty of care does not start once the passenger is on board the vehicle but even before the passenger enters and boards the vehicle.

The city of Roseville learned that lesson the hard way as they had to agree to a record settlement of $6.4 million after a quadriplegic man sustained brain injuries after falling from a bus wheelchair lift.

According to the lawsuit filed against the city, Thomas Avery was boarding a bus, which was being operated by the city, through a wheelchair lift when it collapsed underneath him.

Avery fell and hit his head due to the accident.
It turned out that the wheelchair lift either has missing or loose bolts and Avery was the unlucky person to experience its collapse.

Avery suffered brain injury that resulted in short term memory loss and lost sense of taste and smell.

So because of some missing and loose bolts, the city had to pay $6.4 million.
Why?

Well they really do not have anything to hold against Avery to discredit his claim.
Under the common carrier law, the higher level duty of care starts when the driver accepts that a person will be his passenger and he is required to provide a safe access where passengers can enter and exit.

And the report says that they failed in fulfilling that duty.
So for public transportation companies, remember that you have to keep a passenger safe even before they boarded the vehicle and until you have brought them to their destination and left them in a safe location.

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