CHINA-FREE

DEFINITION chi-na-free adj. A term proposed for use on food labels to show that products are not made in China.

CONTEXT In light of recent health and safety scares regarding Chinese-made food and products, a U.S.-based company called Food for Health International has announced plans to put "China-free" stickers on its goods. The subtext: These products won't make you sick or have harmful contaminants like melamine.

USAGE Given recent recalls of items from toys to toothpaste, China-free labeling could catch on, though consumers would do well to remember that not all products from China are tainted and not all tainted products are from China.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Last Week's China Product Recalls

Product recalls surge to new high
The Press Association -
Product recalls in the UK hit a new high as problems with goods from China increased, new research says. A total of 190 products were recalled last year ...
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Asia toy producers focus on safety
United Press International, Asia - Hong Kong,China
Chinese mainland officials also drummed up support for their manufacturers while downplaying the recall issues. At a seminar on product safety directives ...
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Damage control
Malaysia Star - Malaysia
By AUDRA ANG China seeks to redeem its reputation as the world’s biggest factory by toughening laws on product quality and safety. LAST August, the Chinese ...
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Recall highlights
The Oregonian - OregonLive.com - Portland,OR,USA
Product: about 90000 Portfolio Incandescent Torchiere Lamps, imported by LG Sourcing Inc. and made by Field Smart Lighting Co. Ltd. in China. ...
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JPMorgan Is In Talks With Chinese Brokerages To Form JV [JPM]
RTT News - Williamsville,NY,USA
(AOS), a manufacturer and seller of water heating equipment and electric motors, announced a voluntary recall of about 6300 units of Whole-house Exhaust Fan ...
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Cautious Courtship at the Hong Kong Toy Fair
Asia Sentinel - Hong Kong,SAR,China
At the midpoint of the four-day fair, Gao acknowledged that sales were down from past years past due to the product recalls. ...
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Safety chief defends record on toys
Chicago Tribune - United States
Of the 472 product recalls issued by the CPSC during the 2007 fiscal year, 61 were for toys, an increase of more than 30 percent over the number of toy ...
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US legislation on product safety targets mainland imports
South China Morning Post (subscription) - Hong Kong
Mr O'Brien rejected the view that the widening trade gap between the two countries was the root cause of the product recalls. ...
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Product recalls: trailer bicycles
San Jose Mercury News - CA, USA
By AP — About 7000 InStep Pathfinder, Schwinn Run About and Mongoose Alley Cat trailer bicycles, manufactured in China by Pacific Cycle Inc., ...
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Agency Ready to Move on Product-Safety Rules
Wall Street Journal - USA
Most were inexpensive trinkets made in China or India. The matter got relatively little attention until 2004, after a four-year-old in Minneapolis, ...
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Unabashedly American Design
By Michelle Krebs
As we walked the floor of the Los Angeles auto show last November, we cornered car designers and executives from different cultures than our own and asked for a definition of the unique design character that defines American products, ...
Auto Observer - http://www.autoobserver.com/

Japanese company recalls globes that label Taiwan as part of ...
By Sea urchin(Sea urchin)
Japanese company recalls globes that label Taiwan as part of communist China By HIROKO TABUCHI Associated Press Writer TOKYO (AP) -- A Japanese educational company is recalling 10000 electronic talking globes after customers complained ...
English study - http://seaurchinseaurchin1.blogspot.com/

Shims Bargain Recalls Pacifiers Due to Choking Hazard
By Fayette Front Page(Fayette Front Page)
"BabyTown" and model #39864 are written on the product's packaging. Sold at: Dollar stores nationwide from March 2004 through December 2007 for $1. Manufactured in: China Remedy: Consumers should take these pacifiers away from children ...
Recall Roundup - http://recallroundup.blogspot.com/

Baby Gifts and Safety Concerns
By Snail
The first step that you must take if you have concern about any baby gifts that you are considering purchasing is to check consumer protection agencies and organizations that track product recalls. These agencies and organizations now ...
Parenting & Pregnancy - http://www.jellybabys.co.uk/blog

An Idea; Fun for 10 users as it is for a Million Users
By John
Thinking an idea will work if only 1% of China’s population works, well duh! If a lot of people use it, then YES it could work, but how are you going to get 1% or 10000 users using it before people just forget about it. ...
John Murch the Self Proclaimed Geek Guru - http://www.johnmurch.com

CBC News: Marketplace | Warnings and Recalls
The following product safety recall was voluntarily conducted by the firm .... of China, have announced a voluntary recall of 102000 battery packs sold with ...