../../../..//2007/07/21/carrying-an-ipod-or-any/
Carrying an iPod, or any electronic device, increases your chance of serious injury, if struck by lightning.
Quality & Safety
China To US: Fix Your Own Food Supply Issues First
By 7.20.07
China says the US should fix its own food supply issues and stop picking on China. The Chinese government issued a statement saying that they are trying to fix food export issues but that the US should fix its own issues first.
By 7.20.07
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Black & Decker Trimmers/Edgers (laceration from projectiles), Rockingham deluxe reclining lounge chairs sold at Menard (collapsing).
You're Less Likely To Die In A Plane Crash If You Sit In The Back
By 7.20.07
In a plane crash, the seats in the back are the safest, Popular Mechanics statistical analysis of three decades of airplane crackups finds:
For several weeks, we poured [sic] over reports filed by NTSB crash investigators, as well as seating charts that showed where each passenger sat and whether they lived or died. We then calculated the average fore-and-aft seating position of both survivors and fatalities for each crash. We also compared survival rates in four sections of the aircraft.
Populists may harvest some pleasure from the fact that First Class passengers are paying a premium for an increased 20% likelihood that they will die when the airplane plummets to the earth.
By 7.19.07
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Easy-Bake Ovens (finger amputation), Atico Coffeemakers sold at Walgreens (fire), Playskool Sippy Cups (choking, THULE Bike Racks (amputation).
By 7.18.07
../../../..//2007/07/18/off-road-motorcycle-brake-master-cylinders/
Off-road Motorcycle Brake Master Cylinders (failure), Vance Kitira Cinnamon Spice Candles (fire), “Soldier Bear” Toy Sets (lead), Meyer Cooking Torches (fire) Ol’ Man Treestands (fall), Payless Children’s Clog Shoes (choking), Sportsman’s Warehouse Flashlights (fire), Genuine Innovations Combination Tire Inflators and Hand Pumps (injury), Florida Wal-Mart Children’s Earrings (lead). [CPSC.gov]
Mood In Airport Security Line Found Tense
By 7.17.07
The Today Show’s report on TSA procedures is mainly a bunch of crap everyone knows already, but we decided to edit together all the passenger interviews from the story to give a little dose of the current passenger mood regarding security lines. Takeaway: they hate them and would like to be able to bring on baby formula to feed their children.
How Can I Get Maytag To Listen To Me?
By 7.17.07
I never thought i’d be writing in to you, but here goes (this starts out like the letter i wrote to Penthouse…).
Bausch & Lomb Plant Clears Inspection
By 7.16.07
A Bausch & Lomb plant in South Carolina has cleared inspection after failing last year in an investigation following an outbreak of a rare and dangerous eye infection caused by its MoistureLoc contact solution.
"Veggie Booty" Salmonella Outbreak Continues, More Children Sick
By 7.16.07
The FDA has announced that they have independently confirmed that the seasoning used in “veggie booty” is contaminated with salmonella. The outbreak, which has now sickened 61 children from 19 states, continues to grow. Please, stop feeding “Veggie Booty” to your children. Salmonella can cause serious infections that are sometimes fatal in young children.
Choking Concerns Prompt Gerber To Recall Organic Rice And Oatmeal Cereals
By 7.15.07
475,000 affected 8 ounce cereal boxes were sold nationwide. Any organic rice with UPC codes 15000 and 12504, or organic oatmeal with the UPC codes 15000 and 12502 are part of the recall; the UPC codes are on the bottom right side of the boxes. Customers can return the cereals and receive a refund by calling Gerber at (800) 443-7237 or (231) 928-3000.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission Wants New, Improved Powers
By 7.14.07
• The Commission wants the power to quickly codify voluntary industry standards, which are currently unenforceable by the CPSC.
Tainted Exports Also Come From Countries Not Named China
By 7.14.07
Remember the Washington Post’s analysis of FDA Refusal Reports? The New York Times double-checked the Post’s work and found that China isn’t the only country exporting filthy salmonella-infested goods. Exports from India, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic have all been stopped at the U.S. border for failing to meet basic sanitary requirements.
Salmonella was the top reason that food was rejected from India, and it was found in products like black pepper, coriander powder and shrimp. “Filthy” was the primary reason food was stopped from Mexico, and the rejections included lollipops, crabmeat and dried chili.
These Red Baron Frozen Pizzas Could Be Rounder
By 7.14.07
They were on-sale — three for $9.99. My roommates and I (tricked by the xxx for xxx sale) grabbed three.
Air Traffic Control Blames Errors On Pilots To Fudge Safety Reports?
By 7.12.07
Trouble In The Air [MSNBC]
Cardboard A Main Ingredient In One Chinese Food
By 7.12.07
The AP reports that Chinese State TV has uncovered a “steamed bun” making operation in one Beijing neighborhood that uses pieces of cardboard collected from the street and softened with caustic soda as the main ingredient. From the AP:
The hidden camera follows the man, whose face is not shown, into a ramshackle building where steamers are filled with the fluffy white buns, traditionally stuffed with minced pork.
This Walmart Fried Chicken Could Use A Few More Feathers
By 7.12.07
Reader Sean is the most recent reader to purchase food at a major “big box” store, find it unacceptable, and send us a picture.
Can China Tame The Chinese Poison Train?
By 7.8.07
Both The Washington Post and The New York Times have done a magnificent job examining the complex nature of the Chinese Poison Train, but the Times finally cut to the chase and asked the million-dollar question: can China tame the Chinese Poison Train? The solution requires China to reform an ailing regulatory regime.
As many as 17 bureaucracies have overlapping responsibilities in just the food and drug sphere, and they jealously guard their power. The Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Administration of Industry and Commerce, and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine have all vied for monitoring roles.
