State health authorities tonight urged consumers not to drink milk produced by Whittier Farms in Shrewsbury after an investigation showed it is the likely source of a bacterial illness that killed two elderly men and made two other people sick.
Quality & Safety
Two Die From Listeria Infections, Tainted Milk Suspected
By 12.28.07
New Era Green Beans Recalled For Botulism
By 12.28.07
Large institutional-sized cans of green beans have been recalled for botulism, says the FDA.
Over 17 Million Items Recalled For Lead Contamination In 2007
By 12.28.07
Ladies and Gentlemen… Boys and Girls… The final tally for lead recalls is in.
By 12.28.07
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The Gloucester County Toy Task Force spent two weeks checking 27 stores “including Target, Kmart, Big Lots and most discount stores” for recalled toys. None were found. That is all. [South Jersey News Online]
Home Shopping Network Agrees To Pay $800k Civil Penalty
By 12.28.07
HSN has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $875,000, according to a CPSC press release, settling allegations that HSN “failed to report in a timely manner, as required by federal law, serious injuries and hazards with the Welbilt Electronic Pressure Cookers.” The CPSC alleged that from 2001 to 2004, HSN received “at least 25 reports” from consumers that the cooking appliance was potentially unsafe. (In 2005 the cookers were recalled.)
By 12.28.07
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Bayer is recalling certain diabetes test strips because they tend to over-report blood glucose level readings by 5 to 17 percent. Affected lots begin with WK7 and then either a D, E, F or G. All other lot numbers are fine and can be used. More information.
By 12.28.07
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Whole Foods has expanded last week’s recall of 365 Organic Everyday Value Chocolate Bars to include all 8 varieties, and expanded the Best If Used By date window to any date prior to 11/08/09, because of possible undeclared milk and tree nuts. [FDA]
This Bag Of Chopped Spinach Needs More Bird Feathers
By 12.27.07
Zach’s wife found a bird feather in a bag of 365 Chopped Spinach. When she called Whole Foods to complain, a bird-brained employee quipped “You’d be surprised at how much stuff people find in their food!”
CPSC Head Nancy Nord Officially Thanks Congress For Consumer Product Safety Vote
By 12.27.07
Last week, the House of Representatives voted 407-to-0 to approve a consumer product safety bill that greatly increases the scope and power of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Toy Industry Association Will Announce New Safety Plan In February
By 12.26.07
Well we’re glad that’s taken care of. Wait… the Toy Industry Association is a trade group, not a federal agency! At any rate, on February 1st the Toy Industry Association, a 500-member strong group, will “release a draft of tough new safety rules, which include a plan to require manufacturers to test toys for hazardous chemicals and defective designs.” According to CNN, the group is drafting the 3-point plan with at least the awareness, if not the help, of the CPSC, and it hopes to have the plan formally certified as the CPSC’s “new standard for toy safety.”
NJ Toy Inspectors Performing Spot-Checks At Retail Level
By 12.24.07
To pick up slack from the undersized/overwhelmed CPSC, states are stepping up to help increase toy safety locally. New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Vermont, Illinois and California have been taking “aggressive measures,” from suing manufacturers to escalating state recalls to the federal level. Newsday describes how New Jersey worked with charities and educators during toy drives to make them aware of recalled toys. The state also assigned 15 state inspectors to a toy safety task force, and over the past month, the inspectors “fanned out across the state with assistance from county health department workers to test products and check for recalled toys.
By 12.24.07
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As part of a 3-month fire-safety campaign, the Chinese city of Zhuhai has banned all Christmas trees and related flammable decorations from all stores, malls, restaurants, and other public spaces: “Those that fail to rectify the situation will be subject to legal measures like suspension or closure.” [Reuters]
Illinois AG (Still) Wants Ban On Magnets In Children's Products
By 12.24.07
Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan sent a second letter Friday to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission urging a law banning magnets in children’s toys.
General Motors Recalls 313,000 Vehicles To Plug Fluid Leak
By 12.23.07
General Motors has recalled 313,000 vehicles over concerns that a fluid leak could send motorists sliding brake-lights first into hedges. The recall, however, won’t begin until February 2008.
TSA Declares Victory, Achieves Same Vaunted Status As IRS
By 12.23.07
The IRS is celebrating the results of an AP poll that ranks the TSA as the most hated arm of the federal government. More than anything, Americans apparently hate being inconvenienced by seemingly pointless and arbitrary security checks.
The AP poll, conducted Monday through Wednesday, found that the more people travel, the less they like TSA.
FDA Issues New Warnings Over Misuse Of Duragesic Patch
By 12.21.07
The FDA said today that a small number of preventable cases of accidental death have occurred since their first Duragesic warning in 2005, prompting them to ask Johnson & Johnson and the makers of a generic version to add new warnings. “Despite a July 2005 warning, the Food and Drug Administration ‘has continued to receive reports of deaths and life-threatening side effects after doctors have inappropriately prescribed the patch or patients have incorrectly used it,’ the agency said.”
By 12.21.07
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RECALLS: Man’s Trading Company Super Magnets (aspiration, intestinal hazards), Pre-Filled Heparin Lock Flush Solution (Serratia marcescens, life-threatening injuries, death), Empire Silver Teething Rings (choking), Manttra Pressure Cookers (burn), Liberty Apparel Girls’ Hooded Sweatshirts with Drawstrings (strangulation), Lenox Covered Warmer Dishes (fire, burn).
CNN Wants You To Be Very Afraid Of Parking Lots
By 12.21.07
CNN has a hilarious article about shopping safety that you should certainly read before you hit the mall this weekend for last-minute gifts. We’re all for safety, but according to this article, letting your senior citizen wander off from the rest of the family is like like tying a fawn to a skateboard and pushing it into a den of lions: “He has to be at least 75 or 80 years old. Now, he’s a potential victim.”
