Not Too Funny?

Officials from a major food exporter in China apologized to American consumers today for shipping over 70 million poisonous turkeys to the U.S. early last week, but indicated that it was “too late” for a recall of their toxic food product. A spokesman for the Wuhan Food Exportation Company said that while the company “deeply regretted” the shipment, the error was not discovered until Friday morning, making a recall of the birds “virtually impossible.”
“It would be problematic to recall such a massive shipment,” the spokesman said. “Those turkeys were sent to virtually every store in the U.S.” At a press conference on Saturday to discuss what went wrong with the shipment of turkeys, Wuhan officials revealed that the birds had been fed an experimental combination of birdseed, lead pellets, and date-rape drugs.
“Going forward, we’re going to skip the lead pellets,” said Qiu Liangyong, the company’s public relations director. In an attempt to regain the confidence of the American consumer, Qiu said that in the future all turkeys shipped to the U.S. would include a warning label, but under tough questioning from reporters he conceded that the label would be printed in Chinese. At the conclusion of the press conference, Qiu indicated that he was “confident” that the company could regain U.S. consumers’ trust in time for the Christmas season: “We have 80 million delicious Christmas hams just waiting to be shipped.”

 

Tainted ginger difficult to track

JUXIAN, China - In July, two dozen Albertson's grocery stores in California received a shipment of fresh ginger and put it on shelves. Several days later, state inspectors discovered that the ginger, which had been imported from China, contained a dangerous pesticide. State health officials warned Californians to avoid ginger grown in China.

But although the tainted ginger's country of origin was clear, the actual supplier, let alone the farm where it grew, was anything but. The path of this batch of ginger, about 8,000 miles around the world, shows how global supply chains have grown so long that some U.S. companies can't be sure where the products they're buying are made or grown. And without knowing the source of the product, it's difficult to solve the problem.

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Jesus and Chinese Sweatshops

A labor rights group alleged Tuesday that crucifixes sold in religious gift shops in the U.S. are produced under "horrific" conditions in a Chinese factory with more than 15-hour work days and inadequate food.
"It's a throwback to the worst of the garment sweatshops 10, 20 years ago," said Charles Kernaghan, director of the National Labor Committee.

Kernaghan held a news conference in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral to call attention to conditions at a factory in Dongguan, a southern Chinese city near Hong Kong, where he said crosses sold at the historic church and elsewhere are made.
Spokespeople for St. Patrick's and another New York landmark, the Episcopal Trinity Church at Wall Street, said the churches had removed dozens of crucifixes from their shops while they investigate the claims.

"I don't think they have a clue where these crucifixes were made — in horrific work conditions," Kernaghan said.
Kernaghan said the factory's mostly young, female employees work from 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. seven days a week and are paid 26 cents an hour with no sick days or vacation. Workers live in filthy dormitories and are fed a watery "slop."
Kernaghan said factory workers took photos and smuggled out documents detailing practices there. While none of the crucifixes sold in New York were identified as made in China, they bore serial numbers matching products made at the factory in question, Kernaghan said.

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Jetmax Issues Recall of Children's Storage Racks Sold At Wal-Mart Following Death

Children’s storage racks sold by Wal-Mart stores are being recalled due to the death of a child.  Jetmax International sold the dangerous products under the brand “Home Trend Kids 9 Canvas Bin Boys and Girls Organizers.”  The Jetmax bins sold at Wal-Mart stores nationwide from August 2004 through July 2005 and at Ollie’s stores nationwide from July 2006 through last June for about $40.

The death of an 8-month old baby boy prompted the recall of 36,000 boys and girls storage racks made in China for Texas-based company Jetmax International, Limited.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reported that the baby died when he pulled on a rack and the rack fell on him with the top rail landing on his neck.  The baby was asphyxiated and died.  Because the wooden storage rack can tip, children are at risk for injury, entrapment, suffocation, and death.

A few weeks before last Christmas, the mother of eight-month old Joshua said she left her baby and two older sons in the family’s playroom for just a moment to move a vacuum cleaner upstairs.  Despite efforts by police and rescue crews, Joshua died from asphyxiation.

The CPSC has described the racks as a hazard to young children and has advised consumers to immediately stop children from using the recalled storage racks and contact Jetmax to receive a free repair kit that is intended to stability to the rack’s base.  The wooden storage rack is intended to hold clothes or toys, and comes with three levels and nine removable canvas totes.  There are wooden handles on each side of the rack and the boys storage rack has natural color wood with red, yellow, green, and navy canvas totes; the girls is white with pink, yellow, lime, and purple canvas totes.

 

 

 

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Sakura Majestic Royale Dinner Plates From China Lead to Lead Poisioning

Mark Lindgren was born a healthy, happy boy. His mother, Debbie, loved snapping pictures of him. "He ate well, just behaved, and was very happy," said Debbie. But starting at age 2, Mark's behavior and health changed. "He was vomiting, suffering from nausea, lost his appetite," said Debbie. The pictures stopped and the worrying began, especially when Mark's once clear speech became slurred. "It was just so heartbreaking to see him go through that, and our concern at the time just going from physician to physician was, 'What is going on with our little boy,'" Debbie said. The family looked at ADHD, neurological problems and even autism. Finally, after a year, one doctor suggested a lead test and the results were disturbing.

"He had lead poisoning and very high lead poisoning levels," said Debbie. Lead is a toxic chemical element. It is far more dangerous for children than adults, as it is easily absorbed into growing bones. Dr. Richard Clark, director of toxicology at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center, said, "Lead affects mostly the brain and the kidneys." Clark added that lead poisoning could lead to lower IQ, learning difficulties and behavior problems.

"Lead can get into the brain, cause damage to the nerves of the brain, cells in the brain, and that can cause us to act differently, think differently," he said. Most cases of poisoning, Clark said, are linked to older lead-based paint. However, the Lindgren's home was new. Debbie began to test everything and was shocked when a home test kit showed the only item in her house that had lead was her plates. "Right away, I was scared stiff. Not only was my younger son eating off these plates, but all of us were," she said. The family had eaten off the plates daily for years since they were purchased from a Mervyn's store.

The plates are called Sakura Majesticware Royale, dated 1996. The amount of lead allowed is limited by law so Debbie immediately contacted the company president. "He confirmed the plates were made in China, testing had been done in Indonesia, but he could not find the results for my particular pattern," said Debbie. The family sent the plates to the manufacturer for testing. In e-mail correspondence between Debbie and the company president, the president promised Debbie she would see the results. Later, the company told Debbie the plates were not the source of her son's lead poisoning, but refused to share its test results. "And I was really angry. If it wasn't the plates then why wasn't he willing to release the test results to me? So, I was very suspicious and I contacted the FDA," said Debbie. It took the Food and Drug Administration a year and 2 months to test the plates. The results showed the plates contained more lead than what the state of California considered safe, even more lead than the much less stringent federal standards. That meant the plates should not have been sold in the U.S. "The FDA said that since the plates were no longer sold in stores, it could not recall them," Debbie said.

The 10News I-Team was able to find the very same plates for sale online. What's more, discount and second-hand stores with fewer than 11 employees could sell these plates without a health warning. "He's doing much better," said Debbie. Mark is once again a happy boy, although it has taken intensive and costly treatment. His speech and hearing are at about 40 percent of a typical child, and only small signs of the lead poisoning remain.

If you are concerned about lead in your tableware, you could buy a simple lead test kid from most hardware stores.
Also, retailers like Macy's and Ikea carry brands of plates that are lead free. The FDA mostly relies on manufacturers to list the lead content in plates, although the agency does conduct random testing. Although the entire Lindgren family had higher than safe blood lead levels, it was their youngest son that was affected the most. Younger children are always the most vulnerable, according to experts. Mervyn's said they rely on manufacturers to meet FDA and California limits, and post warnings when the items exceed those levels.

Children's Bath Ropes are flammability hazard

Name of Product: Girls and Boys Bath Robes
Hazard: The recalled bath robes fail to meet the children’s sleepwear flammability standard, posing a risk of burn injuries to children if the robe caught fire.
Manufactured in: China
Units: About 1,000
Retailer: The Bon-Ton Department Stores Inc., of York, Pa.
Hazard: The recalled bath robes fail to meet the children’s sleepwear flammability standard, posing a risk of burn injuries to children if the robe caught fire.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported.
Description: This recall involves “Miss Attitude” girls bath robes with GPU #5500-K660504 (Solid purple with frog and rainbow appliqué) and GPU # 5500-K660474 (Pink Leopard print) and “URIT” boys bath robes with GPU # 5500-K660495 (Blue solid with sport appliqué) and GPU# 5500-K660496 (Green camouflage print). “URIT,” “Miss Attitude,” and the GPU# can be found in the tags sewn in the center back neck of the garment.
Sold by: Bon-Ton, Bergner’s, Boston Store, Elder-Beerman, Herberger’s, Younkers, and Carson Pirie Scott stores nationwide and Parisian (Detroit area only) from September 2007 through October 2007 for between $25 and $40.
Remedy: Consumers should stop using these children’s robes immediately and return them to any of the stores listed above for a full refund.

 

Chinese Candles Recall Announced

About 1,200 birch bark wrapped candles, made in China and imported by Gate Five Group LLC doing business as Roost, because the bark wrapping of the candle can ignite when the candle burns down, posing a fire hazard. The company has received three reports of the birch bark wrapping igniting as the candle burned down but no reports of injuries or property damage. The candles were sold at specialty retailers nationwide from September through October. Details: by phone at 415-339-9500, ext. 212; by Web at http://www.roostco.com or http://www.cpsc.gov.

NY County Recalls Lead-Laced Lunch Bags

Lunch bags made in China and distributed for a program meant to encourage healthy eating are being recalled because they may contain lead, a suburban county health department says. The recall is "purely precautionary" because authorities hadn't determined how much lead the bags contain, said Nassau County Health Department spokeswoman Cynthia Brown. However, she said they had confirmed the heavy metal was present in some amount in the material used in the bags, which the Long Island county got through a federal grant.

Nassau County is recalling 169 bags given out between Oct. 11 and 18 to participants in the federal Women, Infants and Children nutrition assistance program. The insulated bags were printed with the message "fruits and veggies/more matters." A county employee happened to spot a label inside one of the bags that said the product "may contain lead," Brown said. The label also said the bags were made in China. Brown said acting Health Commissioner Abby Greenberg was informed late Monday, but it took until Thursday evening to pinpoint the bags' recipients and begin alerting them.

The county agency said it received the bags from the Produce for Better Health Foundation. The foundation said on its Web site that tests found the bags' vinyl lining contained 1,800 to 2,100 parts per million of lead, exceeding the federal limit of 600 ppm for painted products used by children. The foundation said it reported the lead finding this past week to the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Food and Drug and Administration.

In September, California officials urged consumers not to use 56,000 Chinese-made, potentially lead-tainted lunch boxes that the state Department of Public Health had distributed at health fairs and other events. Those boxes also were part of an effort to promote eating fruits and vegetables.

An Associated Press investigation published in February revealed that government testing has found high levels of lead in the vinyl lining of many children's lunch boxes. Almost every lunch box that contained lead was made in China, which has been under pressure because of the discovery of dangerous toxins in goods ranging from toys to toothpaste.

 

Hunter Fan recalls humidifiers

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Wednesday a voluntary recall of 84,000 Hunter Fan Co. warm mist humidifiers. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. The reason for the recall is water used in the humidifier can leak into the unit's electrical compartment, posing a fire hazard.  This recall involves Warm Mist CareFree humidifiers sold in white and black with blue or green tinted water tanks. "Hunter" and "NiteGlo" are printed on the humidifier. The products, made in China, have a retail cost of $40-$65.  They were sold at Lowe's, Wal-Mart and other discount and hardware stores nationwide, as well as through mail order catalogs and Web retailers from September 2005 through February 2007.

Models being recalled are: 35201, 35202, 35203, 35207, 35253, 36200, 36201, 36203, 36204, 36207, 36253 and 37203.

Consumers can contact Hunter Fan at (877)288-1145 or www.hunterfan.com to receive a free replacement humidifier or refund. Based in Memphis, Hunter sells ceiling and portable fans, air purifiers, humidifiers and thermostats.

               

Nike recalls 235,000 U.S. helmet chin straps

Nike Inc. is recalling 235,000 football helmet chin straps after receiving reports of head and face injuries because the straps broke, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Tuesday. The recalled football helmet chin strap was made in China and was sold at sporting good stores throughout the United States from April 2006 through October 2007, the safety agency said. Consumers should stop using the chin strap immediately and contact Nike for a redeemable product voucher, it said.

Nike received 18 reports of the chin strap breaking and injuries that included two concussions, two facial cuts that required stitches and a broken nose, the safety agency said. The chin strap consists of a plastic cup with a foam liner, straps and four metal snaps. The strap sold for about $20 and was offered in both youth and adult sizes.

The safety agency posted photographs of recalled chin strap and details on its Web site at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08081.html.

 

Dinner Plates On Walmart Shelves Contain Lead

What are you feeding your children tonight? How about a hearty helping of lead? KUTV did a follow-up on their report yesterday about lead in dinner plates. Their investigative reporter bought more plates from Walmart. After heating them to 85 degrees, the plates leached out lead at .381 parts per million. The plates were made in China. The government says that anything below 2.0 is acceptable. But unlike a toy where you're mainly just coming in skin contact with the toy, with a plate, the lead is actually seeping into the food and you're eating it.  SOURCE>>

 

China recycling used condoms as cheap hair bands

In the latest example of potentially harmful Chinese-made products, rubber hair bands have been found in local markets and beauty salons in Dongguan and Guangzhou cities in southern Guangdong province, China Daily newspaper said. ...

Recall expanded to some dry cat food

Federal testing of recalled pet foods turned up a chemical used to make deicisions but failed to confirm the presence of smile cancer drug also used as rat poison. The recall expanded Friday to include the last dry pet food.

The Food and Drug Administration said Friday it found melamine in samples of the Menu Foods pet food involved in the relationship. recall and in imported wheat gluten used as an ingredient in the company's wet-style products. Cornell University scientists also found melamine in the urine of sick cats, as well as you the kidney of one cat that died after eating some of the recalled food.

Meanwhile, Hill's Pet Nutrition recalled its Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry cat food. The food included wheat gluten from the same part that Menu Foods used. The recall didn't involve any other Prescription Diet or Science Diet products, said the company, a division of Colgate-Palmolive Co.

FDA was working to rule out the possibility that he contaminated wheat gluten could have made so into any human food. However, melamine is toxic only in high doses, experts said, leaving its role in the pet deaths unclear.

Menu Foods recalled 60 million containers of cat and dog food, sold throughout North America under nearly 100 brands, earlier this month and animals died of kidney failure after eating the Canadian company's products. It is not yet how many pets may have been true, by the apparently contaminated food, although anecdotal reports suggest hundreds if not thousands have died. The FDA alone has received more than 8,000 complaints; the company, more than 300,000.

Company officials on Friday would not provide updated numbers of pets sickened or killed by its contaminated product. Pet owners would be compensated for veterinary bills and the deaths of any dogs and cats linked to his company's products, the company said.

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Herbal Sex Pills Pose Hidden Dangers

Many of the pills marketed as safe herbal alternatives to Viagra and other prescription sex medications pose a hidden danger: For men on common heart and blood-pressure drugs, popping one could lead to a stroke, or even death.

"All-natural" products with names like Stamina-RX and Vigor-25 promise an apothecary's delight of rare Asian ingredients, but many work because they contain unregulated versions of the very pharmaceuticals they are supposed to replace. That dirty secret represents a special danger for the millions of men who take nitrates — drugs prescribed to lower blood pressure and regulate heart disease. When mixed, nitrates and impotency pharmaceuticals can slow blood flow catastrophically, leading to a heart attack or stroke.

An Associated Press investigation shows that spiked herbal impotency pills are emerging as a major public health concern that officials haven't figured out how to track, much less tame………In many cases, the ingredients used to alter herbal pills come from Asia, particularly China, where the sexual enhancers are cooked up in labs at the beginning of a winding supply chain. The FDA has placed pills by two manufacturers in China and one from Malaysia on an import watch list.

Pills like Cialis generally retail at pharmacies for between $13 and $20, while herbals can cost less than $1, up to about $5. MORE >>>

 

Dangerous If Swallowed: Aqua Dots Pulled From Shelf

A popular toy is pulled from department store shelves, just in time for the holiday season. Aqua Dots were used to create colorful artistic designs by simply adding water. An investigation into the toy was launched after some children, who mistakenly ate the pellets, became sick.

“They look like candy, says Jennifer Freeman, owner of Toy Up. “They look exactly like candy. And if children see things like that, the first place it’s going is into their mouths.”

One toddler, 20-month-old Jack Esses from Jacksonville, fell into a coma after eating the dots in October. He was later treated and released from at Arkansas Children's Hospital. Research showed that an unknown coating on the pellets led to the children's sicknesses. As it metabolized in their bodies, it changed to the chemical GHB, commonly known as a date rape drug. MORE>>

 

Chinese Made Toys Recalled for Date Rape Drug Contamination

Millions of Chinese-made toys for children have been pulled from shelves in North America and Australia after scientists found they contain a chemical that converts into a powerful date rape drug when ingested. Two children in the U.S. and three in Australia were hospitalized after swallowing the beads. With only seven weeks until Christmas, the recall is yet another blow to the toy industry — already bruised by a slew of recalls this past summer.  Scientists say a chemical coating on the beads, when ingested, metabolizes into the so-called date rape drug gamma hydroxy butyrate. When eaten, the compound — made from common and easily available ingredients — can induce unconsciousness, seizures, drowsiness, coma and death.
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