Consumerist

Quality & Safety

ConAgra Recalls Pot Pies Because Nobody Uses Their Microwave Properly

By consumeristcarey 10.14.07

ConAgra is voluntarily recalling their pot pies while they rewrite vague cooking instructions that led 160 people in 31 states to contract salmonella. ConAgra’s current packaging orders hungry consumers to microwave their pot pies until cooked thoroughly, an instruction most consumers can’t follow.

It is relatively easy to figure out when a hamburger is well done by checking to see that it is no longer pink. But it’s preposterous to expect consumers to know how the cooking power of their microwave compares with others.

lead contamination

Winne-The-Pooh Playsets Are Contaminated With Lead, Not Honey

By Meg Marco 10.12.07

Winnie-the-Pooh is the latest character to fall victim to the lead toy contamination epidemic, according to the CPSC, which recalled the playsets yesterday.

recalls

By consumerist.com 10.12.07

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“Jeff Gordon” Mini Helmets (lead), Kipp Brothers Bendable Dinosaur Toys (lead), Cracker Barrel Princess Magnetic Travel Art Set Lap Desks (lead), Disney™ Deluxe Winnie-the-Pooh 23-Piece Play Sets (lead), J.C. Penney Deluxe Wood Art Sets (lead), J.C. Penney Breyer 2006 Stirrup Ornaments (lead), Wegmans Food You Feel Good About Country Wheat Rolls (actually potato rolls, with undeclared milk allergen), Aliki Chicken Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo Made with White Chicken (Listeria), J.C. Penney “Alyssa” Shag Rugs (fire), Ross Stores Turtle Sprinklers (laceration), Collections Etc. Inc. Double Hammocks (falling), Alltrade Tools Recalls Power Tool Batteries (burn and laceration), Fisher Controls International, Gas Regulators (leaks).

safety

60% Of Lipsticks Contain Lead

By cwalters 10.12.07

Well, this explains a lot about children’s beauty pageants: the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested 33 brand-name lipsticks, including brands like Cover Girl, L’Oreal, and Christian Dior, and are reporting that “61 percent had detectable lead levels of 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm).” One-third of the lipsticks tested had levels higher than 0.1 ppm, the FDA’s safety limit for lead in candy.

medicines

14 Children's Cold Meds Withdrawn From the Market

By Meg Marco 10.11.07

Johnson & Johnson today recalled several infant cough and cold medicines, citing “rare instances of misuse leading to overdose, particularly in infants under two years of age.”

lawsuits

Shareholders File Lawsuit Against Mattel Over Toy Recalls

By Meg Marco 10.10.07

Mattel’s shareholders are upset. A pension fund in Michigan has filed a shareholder lawsuit against the company, claiming that they mishandled product safety procedures and were therefor responsible for 3 toy recalls this summer. The lawsuit also alleges that executives with knowledge of the defects sold $33 million in stock before the recalls were announced.

airlines

ATA Tries To Have You Arrested For Using Your iPhone In "Airplane Mode"

By Meg Marco 10.10.07

The iPhone has a setting that makes it safe to use on an airplane. So-called “airplane mode” disables cell phone, radio, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth signals, thus allowing you to watch movies staring Jennifer Love Hewitt while flying through the air.

stay informed

By cwalters 10.10.07

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Submit your email to one of the CPSC’s many subscription lists to make sure you never miss a recall notice. [CPSC]

registration

Do Consumers Actually Participate In Recalls? (No.)

By cwalters 10.10.07

Despite all the hand-wringing on our part, we consumers don’t actually participate in recalls at a very high level. This leaves both manufacturers and the CPSC in the dark about whether their warnings are reaching the right people—which is why the House approved a bill this Tuesday that would require manufacturers of certain infant and toddler products to keep registration info on their customers.

recalls

Buy All The Toys You Need Now, Because Prices Are Going Up

By cwalters 10.10.07

Just buy ’em and scrape off the lead paint. Why? Because toy makers will be passing the cost of higher-quality and better-made toys on to you next year. Says one analyst, “Anything that’s a new introduction, you can make that price point $19.99 rather than $14.99.”

safety

Doctor To U.S.: "We Need To Eat More Feces"

By cwalters 10.10.07

Americans should have more poop in their diets, writes a doctor at Slate. Like superbugs and anti-bacterial products, we’ve become too successful at cleansing our food supply of all manner of contaminants—so that kids, for example, “have zero experience with routine gut infections, and when they encounter one that has slipped past our pipes and filters, the result can be catastrophic.”

salmonella

Don't Eat Chicken Or Turkey Pot Pies Right Now

By cwalters 10.10.07

You can add another item to your special “unsafe food” list for October: chicken and turkey pot pies, including the Banquet brand and generic store brands that have “P-9” stamped on the side, which may contain salmonella. Several cases of salmonella poisoning have now been reported in various states, and ConAgra and the USDA are asking consumers not to eat the product while they investigate.

recalls

By consumerist.com 10.9.07

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Winn-Dixie Stores Prestige Chocolate Ice Cream (unmentioned almonds).

bad behavior

Dangerous Sealant Recalled, Replaced By Just-As-Dangerous Sealant

By cwalters 10.8.07

It’s been more than two years since the CPSC first became aware of problems with the spray-on sealant Stand ‘n Seal—it contained a chemical that can cause extreme respiratory problems in some customers, but was only partially recalled by the manufacturer and then replaced with another product with the exact same chemical—but the CPSC has yet to issue any fines to the company, writes the New York Times. It’s yet another example of how an underfunded, underpowered CPSC fails to protect the public from reckless companies who swap ingredients, lie, and hide important data in order to protect their bottom line.

recalls

By consumerist.com 10.8.07

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Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation ground beef (E. coli), More Topps Meat Company ground beef products (E. Coli).

china

House Investigators: The Chinese Government Can't Protect Its Own Citizens, Let Alone Ours

By consumeristcarey 10.7.07

Investigators from the House Energy and Commerce Committee spent two weeks snooping around China and probably haven’t eaten since. Their investigation revealed a tattered regulatory framework, unable to protect Chinese citizens, let alone foreigners. Among the disturbing facts uncovered:

safety

Predatory Tow Trucks Steal, Sell Cars To Junk Yards

By consumeristcarey 10.6.07

Predatory Tow trucks are prowling about Florida, looking to gin up extra cash by hauling perfectly good cars to salvage yards. The tow truck operators make up to $100,000 each year by preying on seemingly abandoned cars. By the time the rightful owners start asking questions, their cars are already cubes.

Investigators say salvage yards aren’t held responsible as long as they get the proper paperwork.

safety

Robots And Science Will Keep Our Food Safe

By consumeristcarey 10.6.07

The Administration envisions a future where science and technology keep our food supply safe and secure. The multi-agency working group tasked with improving food safety has yet to agree on final recommendations, but both interest groups and the Administration seem dead set against new inspectors. Instead, the working group wants to build upon the current system of random inspections to better target potential dangers among the $2.2 trillion worth of goods imported each year.

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