Choking warning urged for food labels

[FergieTCat]

I think it's more because the manufacturers want to cover themselves against lawsuits. If someone happens to choke on their product and sues, the manufacturer can show that the warning was clearly printed on their label.

 

[monkeybug]

If you don't know hot dogs are a choking risk, you shouldn't have children.

Some things are just common sense ~ which obviously isn't so common anymore.

Seriously I would love to believe that once you have a child you also gain the common sense needed to keep that child safe, but unfortunately kids die from having ignorant parents far too often.
A food label might be annoying, but it's not likely to kill anyone. Same can't be said for a hot dog unfortunately.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

I don't see it as not taking responsibility, I see it as a mom who didn't realize the risk and wants to spread the word so that this doesn't happen to another child. I know it seems like common sense that kids can choke on hotdogs but apparently some people lack common sense or just never thought about it. Just the fact that this story is in the news may open someone's eyes who never thought twice about choking hazards

The problem - you can't teach common sense. Even with labels indicating choking hazard, do you really think that this person would have acted differently?

IMO (and I have no basis for this but my own opinion), this person is just looking for a way to not have to face the reality that she should have been able to prevent the child's death...

 

[luvsJack]

You all do realize that people are becoming new parents every day. Some of these new parents have never been baby sitters or cared for a child; how would they know that a hot dog is a choking hazard. Besides there are millions of people that use that tired old saying, "well, i did it when i was a kid and look at me!"

The warning should have been put on the label a long, long time ago.

If a label saves the life of one child, don't you think its worth your "aggravation" of seeing another label??

When my older son ended up in the hospital due to choking on a small piece of peanut (it went into his right bronchial tube and had to be removed), the surgeron told us some other food items to keep away from young kids are popcorn and gum, which many kids are given. If my child had choked on gum, chances are he would not have made it to the hospital.

Many things can be a choking hazard for children and children don't come with labels. Its not about being able to sue someone, its about the safety of a child.

 

[PRmamiDEdos]

I think it's more because the manufacturers want to cover themselves against lawsuits. If someone happens to choke on their product and sues, the manufacturer can show that the warning was clearly printed on their label.

I completely hate the fact that the majority of American have to be treated like numbskulls because a small percentage can't think for themselves. This country has become way too "sue happy". I think that if the companies actually fought the person trying to sue them, instead of just settling the case, we'd see a lot less of these frivolous lawsuits. Either that or if the person suing loses, they have to pay the city back the money they used for the trials, etc.

 

[tinkntraining]

While I didn't need a label to know if a food was a choking hazard, and you didn't need a label, that doesn't mean that there aren't parents/babysitters out there who just don't know the choking risks. It doesn't necessarily mean those people are neglectful, or clueless. They are just uninformed.

If labeling hotdogs, popcorn, hard candy and peanuts as "choking hazards" saves just one child's life, then it is worth it, don't you think?

 

[luvsJack]

Actually, that is very sad and I'm sorry for their tragic loss. That being said, why is it that no one wants to take responsibility for their actions? Coffee is hot, some foods are not safe to give kids, never leave a child unattended in the tub or anywhere near water. Barring recalled items, it's a parents job to keep a child out of danger.

But if you simply do not know that something IS a danger how can you take responsiblity for it?

If a person is never around younger children, never around babies; how on earth would they know that a food item that is loved the world over, shown on ads being eaten by children can kill that child? There are many things that are thought to be common knowledge that really are not.

 

[monkeybug]

I don't see it as not taking responsibility, I see it as a mom who didn't realize the risk and wants to spread the word so that this doesn't happen to another child. I know it seems like common sense that kids can choke on hotdogs but apparently some people lack common sense or just never thought about it. Just the fact that this story is in the news may open someone's eyes who never thought twice about choking hazards

I agree!
It's easy to say "well that's common sense, you should know better than to feed a two year old a whole hot dog"
There are a lot of things that I feel are common sense, yet a lot of people still seem pretty clueless. Look at the number of obese and diabetic children. A lot of them because their parents feed them high sodium, overly processed, nutritionally void foods, and let them watch TV all day. I know for a fact that in some cases it's simply because they don't know any better.

 

[luvmy3]

You all do realize that people are becoming new parents every day. Some of these new parents have never been baby sitters or cared for a child; how would they know that a hot dog is a choking hazard. Besides there are millions of people that use that tired old saying, "well, i did it when i was a kid and look at me!"

The warning should have been put on the label a long, long time ago.

If a label saves the life of one child, don't you think its worth your "aggravation" of seeing another label??

When my older son ended up in the hospital due to choking on a small piece of peanut (it went into his right bronchial tube and had to be removed), the surgeron told us some other food items to keep away from young kids are popcorn and gum, which many kids are given. If my child had choked on gum, chances are he would not have made it to the hospital.

Many things can be a choking hazard for children and children don't come with labels. Its not about being able to sue someone, its about the safety of a child.

By looking at it. If you can't figure out by the shape of the hotdog that its a choking hazard when you bite it then I'm sorry but you are a moron. I'm soirry for that woman's loss, but putting a label on a package isn't going to make one bit of difference to someone who doesn't use their thinking cap.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

While I didn't need a label to know if a food was a choking hazard, and you didn't need a label, that doesn't mean that there aren't parents/babysitters out there who just don't know the choking risks. It doesn't necessarily mean those people are neglectful, or clueless. They are just uninformed.

If labeling hotdogs, popcorn, hard candy and peanuts as "choking hazards" saves just one child's life, then it is worth it, don't you think?

I don't know. What's "it"? The mere possibility that it might save a single life isn't worth throwing millions or billions of dollars at label changes, IMO. I have no idea what's involved...

 

[PeterPan09]

While I didn't need a label to know if a food was a choking hazard, and you didn't need a label, that doesn't mean that there aren't parents/babysitters out there who just don't know the choking risks. It doesn't necessarily mean those people are neglectful, or clueless. They are just uninformed.

If labeling hotdogs, popcorn, hard candy and peanuts as "choking hazards" saves just one child's life, then it is worth it, don't you think?

I used to feel that way too, but where does it end?? We simply cannot warn against every possible danger that exists in the known universe and that really seems to be where we're going.

There's a point where parents are going to have to stop expecting the entire world to be adjusted for the safety of their children and step up and take responsibility for keeping their children safe themeselves.

 

[monkeybug]

By looking at it. If you can't figure out by the shape of the hotdog that its a choking hazard when you bite it then I'm sorry but you are a moron. I'm soirry for that woman's loss, but putting a label on a package isn't going to make one bit of difference to someone who doesn't use their thinking cap.

But here's the thing. Moron's have babies! Lot's and lot's of moronic parents out there, and like they say it takes a village.
Sometimes the non-morons have to let the morons in on these little parenting gems.

 

[monkeybug]

I used to feel that way too, but where does it end?? We simply cannot warn against every possible danger that exists in the known universe and that really seems to be where we're going.

There's a point where parents are going to have to stop expecting the entire world to be adjusted for the safety of their children and step up and take responsibility for keeping their children safe themeselves.

But warnings don't make up for parenting, or a lack of it. They don't make the world safer for anyone unless someone heeds them. Warnings are just education for the masses.

 

[wdwfan16]

I agree!
It's easy to say "well that's common sense, you should know better than to feed a two year old a whole hot dog"
There are a lot of things that I feel are common sense, yet a lot of people still seem pretty clueless. Look at the number of obese and diabetic children. A lot of them because their parents feed them high sodium, overly processed, nutritionally void foods, and let them watch TV all day. I know for a fact that in some cases it's simply because they don't know any better.

So you think a label on their favorite bag of chips will stop the obesity problem. I think they will not read it, open the bag and chow down.

On the hotdogs' label, what if the parent either can't read the label? What do you do now?

 

[luvsJack]

By looking at it. If you can't figure out by the shape of the hotdog that its a choking hazard when you bite it then I'm sorry but you are a moron. I'm soirry for that woman's loss, but putting a label on a package isn't going to make one bit of difference to someone who doesn't use their thinking cap.

Its a soft food. For many, many kids the world over hot dogs were one of their first table foods. My mil talks about how when her kids were very young they would go to the fridge and get a hot dog out--she is NOT a moron, but had eaten millions of hot dogs and had never heard of anyone getting choked on one. Hot dogs are the perfect "finger food" for kids because a whole one is so easy to hold on to. There are millions of grandparents who raised their kids eating the things and do not realize the danger.

If the shape is the secret than what about popcorn? Its not round. What about that tiny piece of peanut my son choked on and had to have surgery because of? It wasn't round either. I have a friend who had to preform the Heimlech on the side of the road becaue her child choked on a piece of candy--it wasn't round either. There are choking hazards that are not round, so the shape is not necessairly the thing to look for.

I will repeat again, if that label saves just one child it is worth every dime that is spent putting labels on hot dogs.

 

[Mrs. Charming]

I used to feel that way too, but where does it end?? We simply cannot warn against every possible danger that exists in the known universe and that really seems to be where we're going.

There's a point where parents are going to have to stop expecting the entire world to be adjusted for the safety of their children and step up and take responsibility for keeping their children safe themeselves.

I completely agree.

 

[monkeybug]

So you think a label on their favorite bag of chips will stop the obesity problem. I think they will not read it, open the bag and chow down.

On the hotdogs' label, what if the parent either can't read the label? What do you do now?

Right for 95% of parents, the label wouldn't make a difference. A lot of parents probably knowingly feed their children "danger" foods, probably for a whole bunch of reasons.
But there are people who don't know that a diet of ramen, chicken nuggets, and chocolate milk do not a healthy child make. Just like there are people who don't know a hot dog should be cut in half before being given to a toddler.
Education doesn't hurt the people who choose to ignore it, and it can save the people who pay attention.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Removed it to keep you from getting flamed...

 

[tinkntraining]

I don't know. What's "it"? The mere possibility that it might save a single life isn't worth throwing millions or billions of dollars at label changes, IMO. I have no idea what's involved...

Honestly, me neither. And I'm glad I don't shoulder that responsibility. I guess that's why I would never make it as an owner/CEO of a company that provides a product to the masses. I don't think I could live with myself if I put the company's bottom line ahead of the life of an innocent child. I'd be bankrupt, for sure.

It's just that, after helping countless families through parenting classes, I became aware that common sense does not always equal common knowledge.

 

[luvsJack]

So you think a label on their favorite bag of chips will stop the obesity problem. I think they will not read it, open the bag and chow down.

On the hotdogs' label, what if the parent either can't read the label? What do you do now?

So, by your train of thought its better to do nothing and not warn that 18 year old with the toddler not to give her child a hot dog? Really?

I mean because our not being frustrated by one more label is so much more important than that child's life, right?