Food recalls have not slowed down. It’s as if we’ve learned nothing or that no one is doing anything; or enough. Fear of Salmonella or E. Coli are at the heart of the recent list of troublesome reminders about the safety of our foods. Just when we thought the Romaine Lettuce problem was over as we had passed many of the “Use-By” dates, we have another whole alert that seems far more widespread and with a product that is more readily available at a number of supermarkets. Just because a product has a Use-By or Best-if-used-By Date, does not mean that is the way our refrigerator protocol works. We buy and believe items are still good after those dates, maybe not as perky fresh, but still tasty. This particular recall should have you scrambling into the fridge to look for Use-by Dates of May 13-16 for Romaine-based products from Fresh Express. This link will guide you through the recall process.

Last weekend there was the ubiquitous alfalfa sprout recall. That’s a product you should consider growing yourself or finding a small farmer who specializes in the care and feeding of these sprouts. Their recall notices are almost legendary for their frequency. Maybe the best solution is to find a taste substitute or skip the sprout concept all together and spice up your taste buds with an alternative.

All that talk about soda taxes and helping local economies may be going down the drain. Major outreach  groups have formed, and it seems that the soda tax may be more wishful thinking than reality for a number of cities (Philly, another example). Anyway, the tax may not solve the problem which for many people borders on addiction or at least beverage dependency. Here’s another take on soft drinks:

–A new study blames the sugar in soft drinks, not the caffeine, for spiking blood pressure. Researchers found that eliminating a single soft drink daily produced a positive effect! That would seem a reasonable solution to help with blood pressure: Cut back by a single soft drink daily, and you’ll notice an improvement in blood pressure.

Wait: Let me see if I get this? We can do something to help our health! Yes, pay attention to the food safety recalls as that is our only line of defense at the moment. We can’t sit around and wait for FDA or any of its cousin agencies to solve these safety issues immediately. Secondly, we need to adjust our food intake accordingly and pay attention to the health news that impacts our lifestyle.

We can make these simple adjustments.