Federal Government Unveils Product Recalls App
Product recalls–the feds have an app for that. The Products Recall app is available at the app store on the USA.gov site. It is only available for the Android smartphone now, but the apps for Blackberry and iPhone are soon to follow.
The Products Recall app pulls information from several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the agencies that report food recalls.
The app allows consumers to view the most recent recall press releases and any pictures associated with those products. Consumers can get information of specific interest to them using a feature on the app that searches recalled products by product name or category.
The app’s “report incident” feature allows consumers to connect directly with their government to report concerns of unsafe products. A “tips” option will feature rotating educational messages for consumers about a variety of products, such as highlighting safe food handling tips as popular cooking holidays approach.
“Our goal is to quickly inform the public and media when food products are recalled,” said USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Jerold Mande. “This app puts the information directly in the hands of consumers, giving them the power to take action.”
In addition to foods regulated by FSIS and FDA, the Products Recall app also includes recall information for drugs, cribs, strollers, child safety seats, tires, and other consumer products.
Tags: E. coli Prevention
