Today Mattel announced a recall of 155,000 Mexican-made toys being sold in countries throughout Europe and the United States. There’s no lead contamination this time around; the recall was announced “due to concerns that small pieces could detach from the toys and cause children to choke.” The product is the Laugh & Learn Learning Kitchen Toy, part of the Fisher-Price range.
safety
White House Is Proposing Its Own Version Of Product Safety Plan
By 11.6.07
Today the White House will announce its own plan for how to tighten the country’s slack product safety practices. The proposal is being offered as an alternative to the one Congress has come up with, which the White House—along with industry trade groups and Consumer Product Safety Commission head Nancy A. Nord—think is too mean to manufacturers.
The White House version suggests stationing inspectors in other countries to inspect goods before they are shipped to U.S. shores, because “with $2 trillion in imports annually, inspections at the ports had become ineffective.” We’re not sure how the math works on that one—unless sharks or pirates consume large amounts of imports during transit, the same number of goods leave foreign ports and arrive at ours, and having inspectors all in one place where they can work together, instead of spread out in each foreign country, seems a more efficient use of resources. But we’re probably just stupid from too much lead.
Attention Flyers: Your Pilots May Be Asleep
By 11.5.07
A controversial hunk of data from NASA released recently had the following terrifying anecdote: On a red-eye flight from Baltimore to Denver not one but both pilots fell asleep. As in not awake.
CPSC Chair Rebuffs Calls For Resignation
By 11.1.07
Despite Democrats clamoring for her resignation, CPSC chair Nancy Nord says she’s staying put. Nord is a shill-bag. She couldn’t answer direct questions from Congress. She couldn’t even say “yes” when they asked her if the CPSC needed more money. Toss all the bums out and get some new ones in quick.
By 11.1.07
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Totino’s and Jeno’s pepperoni and sausage frozen pizzas (E. coli), Ribbit Board Games (lead), Toys R’ Us Elite Operations Toys (lead), “Galaxy Warriors” Toy Figures (lead), Limited Too Pearl-like Bead Attachments sold with Girl’s Gift Sets (lead), Hickory Barbecue Sauce Packed Under Various Private Labels (undeclared anchovies).
CPSC Tells Companies, "Don't Recall Products On Your Own"
By 11.1.07
A CPSC spokeswoman said this week that Wal-Mart’s independent recall of lead-tainted toy animals on October 19th was all well and good, but that they should have included more information that consumers need in order to act quickly—including how many products were sold, when they were sold and at what other retailers, and the name of the manufacturer. Said the spokeswoman, “We are not big fans of when companies handle recall announcements independently of the agency. It can cause confusion and doesn’t always provide consumers with the information they need.”
By 10.31.07
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Counterfeit “Square D” Circuit Breakers (fire), Oki Data Americas C9600 Digital Color Printers (shock), Target Recalls Home Patio Sets (falling), President’s Choice Chocolate Chunk Brownie Cookie (undeclared milk).
China Arrests 774 People Over Safety Issues
By 10.30.07
China has arrested nearly 800 people over the past two months in a “nationwide crackdown on the production and sale of tainted food, drugs and agricultural products,” writes the New York Times. The country announced the number officially today on their website, but did not provide details on the violations involved. The announcement is part of a larger campaign to not only rehabilitate China’s image around the world, but to address concerns that its domestic products are even less likely to be safe.
California Police Seize 375 Pounds Of Bathtub Cheese
By 10.27.07
Meet Floribel Hernandez Cuenca and Manuel Martin. California police arrested the pair on “felony cheese making charges” after they tried to sell 375 pounds of bathtub cheese at an open-air market in San Bernardino. Bathtub cheese, otherwise known as “illegal soft cheese,” can cause a range of maladies including listeria, salmonella, and everybody’s favorite gut goblin, E. coli.
The 375 pounds of seized illegal cheese included panela, queso fresco and queso oxaca varieties, the [California Department of Food and Agriculture] says. It was a significant find, the department says.
How To Avoid Staph
By 10.26.07
Now that MSRA, or methicillin-resistant staph, has taken the lead as America’s Worst Infection, killing more people annually than AIDS, it’s a good time to learn a little more about how to avoid it, how to identify it, and what to do if you suspect you have it. The New York Times offers a brief, helpful article about the topic, answering questions like “What can I do to lower my risk of catching it?” and “Where does it lurk?”
By 10.26.07
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Blue Ribbons Meats in Florida is recalling over 8,000 pounds of “seasoned beef and meatloaf” frozen patties due to suspected E.coli contamination, although no illnesses have been reported yet. The patties were shipped to a Florida correctional institution and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This is the fifth E.coli-related recall this month. [Reuters]
Bumbo Baby Seats Recalled After 3 Children Sustain Skull Fractures
By 10.25.07
Here’s some very tense video from Good Morning America.
By 10.25.07
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Bumbo “Baby Sitter” Seats (severe head injuries), Repair Kits Ready To Be Sent To Parents and Caregivers With Recalled Simplicity Cribs (entrapment and suffocation), Family Dollar Purple Halloween Pails with Witch Decorations (lead), DecoPac Football Bobble Head Cake Decorations (lead), Jo-Ann Fabric Stores Toy Garden Tools (lead), Fisher Price Go Diego Go Boat Toys (lead), Dollar Tree Beary Cute, Expressions, and Sassy & Chic Children’s Metal Jewelry (lead), WeGlow Children’s Metal Jewelry (lead), Blastrac BG 250 Series Concrete Grinders (injury from ejected parts), Kawasaki Power Tool Kits Battery Chargers (burn, laceration), Blue Ribbon Meats Beef Patties (E. coli).
See All CPSC Toy Recalls On One Page
By 10.25.07
So the CPSC is always recalling all sorts of crap, like the surprising candles which could lead to fire, or the snowboards which could lead to falling, but as a concerned parent, all you care about is the toys. The freakin’ toys. The ones with the lead and the chokey parts. Well, even though their website coder probably doubles as the meatloaf server at lunchtime, they’ve got a catchall page that is your go-to spot for all the toy hazard related recalls. Just memorize the simple URL: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/category/toy.html.
By 10.24.07
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Home Automation 64 Zone Wireless Receivers (failure to receive security signal), Toyota Siennas (faulty door lock).
By 10.24.07
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If you’re doing holiday shopping online but want to know where your toys are made before you buy them, check out the list at FatBrainToys. They don’t sell things like Bratz or Hot Wheels, but if you’re in the market for unique (sometimes even “educational”) toys, it’s a good place to start. [FatBrainToys.com]
By 10.23.07
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Game Pieces Sold with “Cars” Backpacks (choking), Reynolds Bicycle Forks (falling), previously repaired Cybex Treadmills (fire), 2006 Line X-Fly and Line Pro Ski Boards (falling).
How To Carve A Pumpkin Without Severing An Artery
By 10.22.07
Its’ pumpkin carving time, folks, and while fake blood is cool—real blood isn’t.
