A report from ABC News indicates that a Berkeley company is recalling a number of frozen pizzas after discovering that they may be contaminated with metal fragments. The company found that a flour mill screen may have sifted metal into the pizza dough, posing a threat to consumers. So far, no injuries have been reported as a result of this problem.
Annie’s Homegrown Rising Crust frozen pizzas with “best by” dates of January 9, 2013, to September 14, 2013, are affected by the recall. Retailers have been asked to pull these products from the shelves and any consumers who believe they may have these pizzas are asked to return them to the store of purchase for a refund.
Why Do Companies Recall Products?
According to a statement from the company, a faulty flour mill screen is to blame for this dangerous situation. The screen, which is made of metal, was found to have sifted tiny metal shavings into the flour destined for pizza dough. The company did not realize the problem at first and may have prepared frozen pizza dough containing small shavings of metal.
Because these metal shavings could cause serious digestive problems if they are ingested, the company decided to recall all pizzas that may have been affected.
Recalls are very expensive for companies and they are generally considered to be a last step, taken only when there is no other way for the company to prevent injury or avoid a lawsuit. While it is tempting to give credit to companies for the act of recalling dangerous products, most businesses are prompted by considerations other than philanthropy. If a company’s products injure consumers, it is very likely that the company will be liable for damages payable to the victim.
Companies have a duty to put out safe products. When they fail to do so, they are open to liability for this failure.
What Happens If I Am Injured By A Product?
The question of whether a victim has a right to collect damages from a company for a defective product depends on several factors. First, the product must have been faulty in its design or in production rather than modified by the user to become dangerous. Next, the user must have been using the product in the manner in which it was intended. Finally, the product must have caused injury to the user because of its faulty design or production.
In this case, the fact that metal might be contained in the pizza dough would definitely open the question of product liability if someone was injured by ingesting this pizza. If this happened, the manufacturer’s production facility would have caused the problem, the victim would have been using the product in the manner intended, and the victim would be injured by the metal in the pizza dough.
If you believe you have been injured by a product, it is important to talk to a product liability attorney immediately.