Food-borne illnesses have become a concern for many Illinois families. There are a number of cleaning products on the market that can be used to ensure that kitchen surfaces do not contaminate food products. Additionally, most frozen items have specific instructions regarding the safest way to defrost them. The average consumer depends upon food companies, distributors and stores to provide him or her with a food product that is safe to eat. If a problem is discovered, it is expected that the company will quickly react by issuing a product recall.
Recently, Kraft Foods realized that one batch of Velveeta cheese had a problem. It did not contain the proper amount of one of the preservatives. This omission could cause the cheese to spoil faster than indicated on the packaging. If the product were to spoil before this date, an unsuspecting consumer could eat it and become sick from a food-borne illness.
Fortunately, the problem was limited to only one production line and was only shipped to three distribution centers owned by Walmart. As a precaution, Kraft issued a recall in all 12 states that could be affected. Additionally, they provided the consumer with the specific packaging details for the items in question.
Illinois families expect that the products they purchase will be safe and not cause them harm. In this case, Kraft Foods reacted quickly to resolve the situation by issuing a product recall. At times, however, companies do not respond quickly and try to avoid the negative publicity that could come as a result of a defective product or product recall. This could lead to consumer injury or illness. Illinois residents who feel they have been the victim of a defective product or lack of product recall have legal rights that they may wish to pursue.
Source: Chicago Tribune, “Velveeta recall: Kraft recalls 260 cases saying not enough preservative“, Samantha Bomkamp, June 20, 2014