BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

Last week, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that salmonella has been detected in a popular flavor enhancer used in products ranging from hot dogs and salad dressing to potato chips and soup. Signs of contamination were also detected at the Basic Food Flavors plant, which made the hydrolyzed vegetable protein in question. Given the scope and sheer number of food products that contain the flavor enhancer, some experts are predicting that we may ... READ MORE

With social and digital media now having such brand-decisive impact, it seems that just about every company in every sector of the economy has taken to the online space, implementing digital strategies at varying levels of sophistication. Amid all the corporate blogs, Twitter accounts, and Facebook pages, however, one industry remains noticeably absent. Big pharmaceutical companies have been reticent to embrace the online space as a primary marketing and communications tool – and for good reason ... READ MORE

This spring, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent letters to 14 pharmaceutical companies warning them that failing to include risk information in Google adwords postings could lead to trouble. As anyone who's ever googled "acid reflux," "high cholesterol," or "hypertension" probably knows, there is simply no way to fit that kind of detailed information into the 70-character space that Google provides - even if the fine print could be made even finer. So, what is ... READ MORE

Each week, Bulletproof Blog features exclusive interviews with thought leaders on issues of critical importance to companies and countries. This week, as a follow up to our discussion of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) with former Consumer Product Safety Commission compliance chief David Schmeltzer, we check back in with Mike Rozembajgier of Stericyclce's Expert RECALL team. Mr. Rozembajgier has helped hundreds of companies navigate the complex logistical, compliance, and communications challenges of more than ... READ MORE

The FDA is at it again. The latest product to fall victim to the newly-energized agency is Zicam, an over-the-counter cold and allergy product that some users claim has damaged their sense of smell. Unlike prescription drugs, over-the-counter remedies like Zicam don't require FDA approval before they go on the market. But since 2007, companies have been required to report what are called "adverse events" related to their products. After the agency spotted the Zicam complaints ... READ MORE

According to The New York Times, President Obama is seeking to tear down and rebuild the U.S. food safety system. With consumer alarm at all-time highs over recent recalls of peanut products, tomatoes, spinach, and pet food, it's no surprise the president has bipartisan support in Congress and an Agriculture Secretary who sees "a grand opportunity" to revamp food regulation in America. With food contamination killing an estimated 5,000 people and sickening another 76 million each ... READ MORE

One of the most eagerly awaited and potentially far reaching Supreme Court decisions in many years could end in a draw, and that would be bad news for any business now regulated by the federal government. Wyeth v. Levine involves a Vermont woman who lost her hand after an intravenous anti-nausea drug was improperly administered. She sued, and a state court awarded her damages, even though the company that makes the drug, Wyeth, argued that it ... READ MORE

We're surprised it took this long. Seattle law firm Marler Clark has filed the first lawsuit tied to the current salmonella outbreak in certain suspected brands of peanut butter against a supplier to Kellogg Co. and McKee Foods. Those companies have voluntarily recalled several of their products in recent weeks. Another firm, PritzkerLaw, of Minneapolis, plans to file its own suit on behalf of a 72-year-old woman who died in a nursing home allegedly after eating peanut butter. So far, ... READ MORE

Here we go again. In an apparent effort to avoid accusations of doing too little to protect American consumers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is potentially crippling an entire industry. Just as it did with spinach in late 2006 and with tomatoes in 2008, the FDA is urging consumers to avoid all peanut butter products - even though the agency admits it hasn't identified the exact source of a salmonella outbreak that may have contributed ... READ MORE

Over the past several years, a wave of recalls of contaminated pet food, tainted spinach, and toys containing lead paint have put product safety firmly on the legislative and regulatory radar screen. The 2008 passage of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act initiated the most sweeping reform of the Consumer Product Safety Commission in the agency's history. Now, with a new administration taking the reins in Washington, the Food and Drug Administration may be next in ... READ MORE