Looking for a New Car with Extreme Safety?

NHTSA Says Tesla Outscored Their Own 5 Star Crash Rating - Is this the safest car ever produced?

If you are in the market for a new car and are looking for the utmost in vehicle safety, you might want to check out the Tesla Model S.

Independent testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has awarded the Tesla Model S a 5-star safety rating, not just overall, but in every subcategory without exception.

Approximately one percent of all cars tested by the federal government achieve 5 stars across the board. NHTSA does not publish a star rating above 5, however safety levels better than 5 stars are captured in the overall Vehicle Safety Score (VSS) provided to manufacturers, where the Model S achieved a new combined record of 5.4 stars.

Of all vehicles tested, including every major make and model approved for sale in the United States, the Model S set a new record for the lowest likelihood of injury to occupants. While the Model S is a sedan, it also exceeded the safety score of all SUVs and minivans. This score takes into account the probability of injury from front, side, rear and rollover accidents.

The Model S has the advantage in the front of not having a large gasoline engine block, thus creating a much longer crumple zone to absorb a high speed impact. This is fundamentally a force over distance problem – the longer the crumple zone, the more time there is to slow down occupants at g loads that do not cause injuries. Just like jumping into a pool of water from a tall height, it is better to have the pool be deep and not contain rocks. The Model S motor is only about a foot in diameter and is mounted close to the rear axle, and the front section that would normally contain a gasoline engine is used for a second trunk.

For the side pole intrusion test, considered one of the most difficult to pass, the Model S was the only car in the "good" category among the other top one percent of vehicles tested. Compared to the Volvo S60, which is also 5-star rated in all categories, the Model S preserved 63.5 percent of driver residual space vs. 7.8 percent for the Volvo. Tesla achieved this outcome by nesting multiple deep aluminum extrusions in the side rail of the car that absorb the impact energy (a similar approach was used by the Apollo Lunar Lander) and transfer load to the rest of the vehicle. This causes the pole to be either sheared off or to stop the car before the pole hits an occupant.

The rear crash testing was particularly important, given the optional third row children's seat. For this, Tesla factory installs a double bumper if the third row seat is ordered. This was needed in order to protect against a highway speed impact in the rear with no permanently disabling injury to the third row occupants. The third row is already the safest location in the car for frontal or side injuries.

The Model S was also substantially better in rollover risk, with the other top vehicles being approximately 50 percent worse. During testing at an independent facility, the Model S refused to turn over via the normal methods and special means were needed to induce the car to roll. The reason for such a good outcome is that the battery pack is mounted below the floor pan, providing a very low center of gravity, which simultaneously ensures exceptional handling and safety.

Of note, during validation of Model S roof crush protection at an independent commercial facility, the testing machine failed at just above 4 g's.

While the exact number is uncertain due to Model S breaking the testing machine, what this means is that at least four additional fully loaded Model S vehicles could be placed on top of an owner's car without the roof caving in. This is achieved primarily through a center (B) pillar reinforcement attached via aerospace grade bolts.

The above results do not tell the full story. It is possible to game the regulatory testing score to some degree by strengthening a car at the exact locations used by the regulatory testing machines. After verifying through internal testing that the Model S would achieve a NHTSA 5-star rating, Tesla then analyzed the Model S to determine the weakest points in the car and retested at those locations until the car achieved 5 stars no matter how the test equipment was configured.

The Model S lithium-ion battery did not catch fire at any time before, during or after the NHTSA testing. It is worth mentioning that no production Tesla lithium-ion battery has ever caught fire in the Model S or Roadster, despite several high speed impacts. While this is statistically unlikely to remain the case long term, Tesla is unaware of any Model S or Roadster occupant fatalities in any car ever.

The graphic below shows the statistical Relative Risk Score (RSS) of Model S compared with all other vehicles tested against the exceptionally difficult NHTSA 2011 standards. In 2011, the standards were revised upward to make it more difficult to achieve a high safety rating.

www.autospies.com

Food Trucks

As I was tooling around looking for something relevant to our area, for the blog today, I happened upon this article on the foodsafety.gov site about food trucks.
These have been all the rage lately so I thought, why not?

Ever wonder about all of these mobile food trucks in your area?

They bring their tasty treats right to you and everything sounds so tasty you can hardly wait to order.

 Before you eat make sure you know your local rules for safe handling of food on food trucks.

Food truck vendors in your community must follow local food safety rules set by your city, county, district, or state. Each community may have the same or slightly different food safety rules and requirements for food truck vendors. Call your local health department to find out your community’s rules for rules for food trucks you may see every day as well as those you might see at fairs, festival, and other special events.

Here are some things you can look for the next time you visit a food truck.

Food Temperatures

It’s important for food to be served at the proper temperature. Is cold food served cold? Is hot foot served hot? Temperature problems can cause germs to grow faster in some foods.

Food Workers

It’s important for food workers to avoid directly touching food with their bare hands. Touching food with bare hands can spread germs from hands to food and from food to other people. Some things food workers can use to touch food are tongs, wax paper, other utensils, or gloves.

Food trucks can be a fun way to try new foods in a unique way. Keeping these things in mind when choosing which food truck to visit can help keep yourself and your family safe from foodborne illness.

Remember: Always wash your hands before eating and drinking!

Ground Beef Recall Announced

A western Kansas company is recalling more than 50,000 pounds of ground beef products due to concerns that it could be tainted with E. coli.

The U.S. Agriculture Department said Wednesday that National Beef Packing Company, which is based in Liberal, produced the meat.

The products carry the number "EST. 208A" inside the USDA mark. They were produced July 18 and shipped in 40 to 60 pound cases across the country.

The department says no illnesses related to the meat have been reported.

The following products are subject to recall:

10 lb. chub of "National Beef" 93/ 7 Fine Ground Beef, Product Code 0707;

10 lb. chub of "NatureSource" 80/20 Fine Ground Chuck, Product Code 7031;

10 lb. chub of "NatureSource" 85/15 Fine Ground Beef, Product Code 7054;

10 lb. chub of "NatureSource" 90/10 Fine Ground Beef, Product Code 7344;

10 lb. chub of "NatureSource" 93/ 7 Fine Ground Beef, Product Code 7004;

10 lb. chub of "NatureWell 80/20 Fine Ground Chuck, Product Code 7484;

10 lb. chub of "NatureWell" 85/15 Fine Ground Beef, Product Code 7454;

10 lb. chub of "NatureWell" 90/10 Fine Ground Sirloin, Product Code 7577 and

10 lb. chub of "NatureWell" 93/7 Fine Ground Beef, Product Code 7404.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov 

                     Uninsured/Underinsured  Motorist

Most states require a minimum amount of liability insurance to be carried by motorists, recent estimates suggest that 14 percent of drivers in the United States do not carry auto accident insurance. This means that if you are involved in a car accident, there approximately a 1 in 7 chance that the driver at fault is uninsured.

Even if you carry auto accident insurance, recovering damages from a car accident can be difficult if the person who caused your injury and/or damages does not carry liability insurance, or is underinsured and unable cover the full cost of damages you incurred. In most cases, a driver is uninsured for economic reasons. They don't carry auto accident insurance because they do not have the financial resources to do so.

This being the case, if you pursue legal action against the uninsured motorist, even if your case is successful, you may still be responsible for covering your accident related expenses if the uninsured motorist does not have the financial means to compensate you.

 Many insurance carriers offer uninsured motorist coverage. In some states, this coverage is mandatory. The coverage allows you to collect damages from your insurance company in the event that you are hit by an uninsured or underinsured motorist. It is important to contact an experienced accident attorney soon after a car accident as he or she may know about some coverage that you are unaware of.

Sometimes, you may be able to pursue legal action against your own insurance company for damages caused by an uninsured motorist. Contacting an  attorney with experience handling uninsured motorist accident claims may help you receive fair compensation if you are involved in an accident with an uninsured motorist. An experienced accident attorney  will know how to read your insurance policy and determine the right course of action to help you receive the recovery you are entitled to.

Being  in a car accident is something you are never quite ready for, it is something that you can prepare for. First, check your insurance policy to see if you are covered for uninsured motorist accidents. If not, ask your insurance carrier for information about purchasing this coverage.

Another way to be prepared for a car accident with an uninsured driver is to know what steps you should take after a car accident.  Be sure to document as much information about the person you had the accident with as possible so that you can contact them later. Also, if they have an expired insurance policy, be sure to write down the insurance carrier’s information so you can contact them to be certain that the person’s insurance is indeed cancelled.

Finally, be sure to choose an attorney with expertise handling your type of claim.  An experienced  attorney may be able to help you recover damages if you are involved in an accident with an uninsured driver.

http://www.accidentinfo.com/

Major Pet Food Recall

Heads up, pet owners , a major pet food company has announced a recall.

Natura Pet Products issued a pet food recall after the FDA found salmonella in one of their products.

They are recalling pet food from all of their product lines, including food for dogs, cats and ferrets.

If you have any Natura Pet Food products, throw them out immediately.

Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

These products were packaged in a single production facility. During routine FDA testing, a single lot tested positive for the presence of Salmonella. There have been no reports of pet or human illness associated with this product. In an abundance of caution, Natura is voluntarily recalling all products with expiration dates prior to June 10, 2014.

To get a full refund, you need to cut the UPC label, expiration date, and product code from the pet food bag and mail it to the company.

Here is a complete list of products from the FDA recall. The affected products are sold in bags through veterinary clinics, select pet specialty retailers, and online in the United States and Canada.
                                           

• Innova Dry dog and cat food and biscuits/bars/treats All Lot Codes, All UPC's, All package sizes All expiration dates prior to 6-10-2014
• EVO dry dog, cat and ferret food and biscuits/bars/treats All Lot Codes, All UPC's, All package sizes All expiration dates prior to 6-10-2014
• California Natural dry dog and cat foods and biscuits/bars/treats  All Lot Codes, All UPC's, All package sizes All expiration dates prior to 6-10-2014
• Healthwise dry dog and cat foods All Lot Codes, All UPC's, All package sizes All expiration dates prior to 6-10-2014

About Natura Pet Products

Natura Pet Products is recognized as a trusted name behind natural and holistic pet foods and treats. Founded more than 20 years ago by John and Ann Rademakers and Peter Atkins, Natura is dedicated to providing the best natural nutrition. Natura is committed to making premium pet foods and treats based on nutritional science and high-quality ingredients, combined with trusted manufacturing processes, for complete pet health. Lines include: Innova®, California Natural®, EVO®, HealthWise®, Mother Nature® and Karma®. To learn more about Natura Pet Products visit www.NaturaPet.com.

Scenic Fruit Company Recalls Pomegranate Kernels

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment today announced a nationwide voluntary recall by Scenic Fruit Company of Gresham, OR of its Woodstock Frozen Organic Pomegranate Kernels in eight-ounce bags. The recall was issued due to the possible contamination of the product with Hepatitis A virus.

No illnesses are currently associated with Woodstock Frozen Organic Pomegranate Kernels. The company’s decision to voluntarily recall products is made in response to an ongoing outbreak investigation by the FDA and CDC.

The product was shipped to distribution centers around the country as well as in Colorado February 2013 through May 2013. In Durango the product was provided to Nature’s Oasis and Vitamin Cottage (Natural Grocers).  Product was provided to the following retail locations in Colorado: Albertson’s locations in Colorado Springs, Denver, Fort Collins, Grand Junction, Louisville, Northglenn, Thornton; Nature’s
Pantry in Buena Vista; Nooch Vegan Market in Denver; Peppercorn in Boulder; Sunshine Market in Salida; Alfalfa’s in Boulder; B and F Superfoods in Nederland; Bamboo Market and Market on the Mountain in Steamboat Springs; Clark’s Market in Aspen; Don’s Market in Paonia; Gunnison Vitamin & Health; Lolita’s in Boulder; Mile High Organics in Denver; Mountain Naturals in Woodland Park; Village Market Edwards,
and Vitamin Cottage locations throughout the state.

The following lots are subject to this recall:

C 0129 (A,B, or C) 035 with a best by date of 02/04/2015
C 0388 (A,B, or C) 087 with a best by date of 03/28/2015
C 0490 (A,B, or C) 109 with a best by date of 04/19/2015

Twenty-five cases of hepatitis A infection have been identified in Colorado residents associated with Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend frozen berry mix, which also contained pomegranate kernels from the same original source. The organic pomegranates are imported from Turkey. To date no illnesses have been associated with the Woodstock Frozen Organic Pomegranate Kernels. The state health department is asking people to check their freezers. If you have the product, dispose of it. Do not eat it.

The risk of contracting hepatitis A from eating the Woodstock Frozen Organic Pomegranate Kernels is unknown. However, if you have eaten Woodstock Frozen Organic Pomegranate Kernels during the past 14 days, you can contact your medical provider for a shot to prevent illness.

If you do not have a medical provider, contact your local Health Department.

Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that results from exposure to the hepatitis A virus, including from food. It can range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious illness lasting several months. In rare cases, the infection can lead to liver failure, particularly in individuals who have a pre-existing liver disease or weakened immune systems. Illness generally occurs within 15 to 50 days of exposure and includes fatigue, abdominal pain, jaundice, abnormal liver tests, dark urine and pale stool. It is very important if you have these symptoms that you do not go to work, especially if you work in food service, health care or child care.

Consumers can contact the Scenic Fruit Company at 1-877-927-3434 or email to info@scenicfruit.com from Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. PDT. For more information, please visit the CDC website, or call COHelp at 1-877-462-2911 or 303-389-1687. COHelp is available 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday – Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

Colorado Department of Public Health.
Pagosa Daily Post.

Total Recall? Not Quite, it Seems

US healthcare producer Johnson & Johnson (J&J), known for its popular brands such as Tylenol, has become a hot topic recently in China.

However, it was not because of a new product or any positive news, but a media report about its double standards over product recalls.

The Beijing-based Health Times newspaper reported on June 9 that the company has launched at least 51 global recalls of products since  April 2005, ranging from mouthwash to blood glucose monitors, but 48 of the products were not recalled from the Chinese mainland market.

The report came after an announcement from J&J on April 23 that it would recall around 1.7 million bottles of Children's Tylenol it manufactured and sold in South Korea, due to a high level of acetaminophen, which may cause liver damage.

Shanghai Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals Ltd, the company's unit in the mainland, said that the products being recalled from South Korea were not sold in the mainland.

But the Health Times report disputed this, and said the same products are sold in the mainland. It also noted that the domestic market has again not been included in the recall.

Regulator promises action China's food and pharmaceutical watchdog said it held a meeting with J&J Thursday, following the company's recall in South Korea.

There may be defects in the company's quality management system, given its frequent recalls of drugs and health devices, the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) said in a statement on its website Thursday.

It urged J&J to improve its management to ensure products' quality, but the statement did not mention anything about the double standards.

The CFDA also vowed to strengthen its supervision to ensure timely recalls and pledged to take severe measures if firms are found to be responsible for late or secret product recalls, such as stopping their production or sales in the mainland.

Drug manufacturers must recall products, report to drug supervisors and publicly disclose details of a recall whenever quality defects or problems are discovered, the watchdog said, noting that "drug producers must launch simultaneous recalls in the mainland whenever they issue global recalls."

It was the first time that the CFDA has held talks with a multinational company over quality problems, indicating that China's watchdog is increasing its attention to drug safety, which will benefit Chinese consumers, Liu Baocheng, director of the Center for International Business Ethics at the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times.

J&J issues rebuttal.

J&J, meanwhile, said that it adheres to the same quality standards and utilizes the same product recall standards in China as it does in all other countries or regions, in a statement posted on its website Thursday following its meeting with the CFDA.

Its mainland subsidiaries have reported all product recalls conducted in the mainland in accordance with the CFDA's rules, the statement said.

J&J said the reasons why some recalls have happened elsewhere in the world but not in the mainland are because the recalled products were not registered or sold in the mainland at the time of the recall; or the products sold in mainland were produced by different units of the company from the ones that made the recalled products; or the particular recalled product lots were not sold in the mainland.

However, China Times cited industry insiders as saying Saturday that the quality standards of J&J in the mainland are lower than in other markets.

Why no recall?

J&J recalled more than 2 million OneTouch blood glucose meters in March worldwide, following two previous recalls of the product in April 2005 and September 2005. Four models of the meters are currently sold domestically, and none of the three recalls included the mainland, the Health Times report said.

Even when J&J's domestic unit stopped sales of the Velcade injection in December 2011 after an order from the CFDA, the product had already been recalled in the US, UK and Japan a year before, according to the report.

The company was criticized in November 2011 by nonprofit US organization Campaign for Safe Cosmetics for selling baby shampoo that contained carcinogenic ingredients in Australia, Canada, China, Indonesia and the US while selling carcinogen-free products in other markets such as the UK and Japan.

Continuous recalls have brought adverse affects to J&J's business and profits. In 2010, when J&J initiated 20 global recalls, the company saw a slight fall of 0.5 percent in its annual operating revenue to $61.6 billion, the first drop since it went public in 1944.

J&J said the recalls of branded medicines such as Tylenol caused a drop in sales in the third quarter of 2010 to $1.3 billion, down from $1.7 billion in the same period the year before. The New York Times reported that the company suffered a loss of as much as $600 million due to recalls in 2010.

A survey by domestic financial information provider eastmoney.com on June 9 found that 91.4 percent of 4,652 respondents said they would no longer buy any J&J products.

In explaining why they wouldn't buy them, 34.1 percent said the reason was the continuous quality problems in recent years, while 50.7 percent said the reason was the company's different attitude toward the mainland market for recalls.

Multinational companies should not have double standards toward consumers in different markets, especially China, which has huge market potential for J&J and other firms, Liu said.

"J&J's consumers are mostly well-informed, so the company should collect as much information as possible related to media reports and strengthen communication with both the government and the public to restore confidence," Liu said.

Light punishment for illegal practices is one reason behind some multinational companies' double standards, Wang Yong, secretary general of Brand China Industry Union, was quoted by China Times as saying Saturday.

For example, a Chongqing outlet of US retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc was fined 2.69 million yuan ($439,277) in 2011 for selling ordinary pork that was labeled as organic pork. The figure was roughly equivalent to three days of revenue for the outlet.

All markets are gradually raising their standards for food and drugs, so producers need to attach greater importance to their quality management systems, said Yu Mingde, president of the Chinese Pharmaceutical Enterprises Association.

What we have here appears to another of many instances where the standards for the US are lower than the standards of other countries. 

It appears that it is ok for US sold products to contain carcinogens and genetically modified ingredients, while the same products produced for other countries do not contain these things.

Are other countries standards to high or are American companies to greedy? I have my opinion, what's yours?

Globaltimes.cn