Recalls often come too late. Here's how to stay safe

Recalls are meant to protect consumers, but delays in the system often leave dangerous products in homes, on store shelves and on the road long after risks are identified.

Teresa Murray, who directs the Consumer Watchdog office for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group , explains that food recalls can take weeks to process. “It can take several weeks between the time that somebody gets sick and goes to a medical provider, and then the time that the CDC identifies the source and there was enough information to say, ‘Aha, OK, it’s that particular brand of that particular product,’” she said. For vehicles and consumer products, Murray says the timeline can stretch into months or even years as regulators and companies negotiate fixes. Latest Forecast

° F FEELS LIKE

HOURLY

DAILY