COOL new food labels display country of origin

Going grocery shopping today? You may notice a change in your supermarket’s meat aisle. As of September 30, 2008, federal law requires fresh meat, poultry, fish, fruits and vegetables, peanuts and certain nuts to display a label that tells you the country of origin (COOL) of the product.

Mandatory COOL for meats, fish, produce, and peanuts became law in the U.S. in 2002, but industry pressured Congress to delay implementation for everything but seafood until now.

As reported on our Health blog, COOL's full implementation is a big step forward for food safety-conscious people. A Consumer Reports poll released last year found that 92 percent of Americans agree that imported foods should be labeled by their country of origin.

"This is a long-awaited change and we think it will be a great benefit for consumers," said Jean Halloran, Director of Food Policy Initiatives for Consumers Union, nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. "If a food safety problem is identified in a particular imported product, as happened with jalapeño and serrano peppers from Mexico earlier this year, then consumers will be able to avoid that product."

"On the other hand," Halloran adds. "Some people like to buy certain imported products, like New Zealand lamb or Holland tomatoes. Still others just want to buy local produce. Either way, the new labels will give consumers important new information."

There are exemptions, however, which concern Consumers Union. Meat, poultry, and fish sold in small markets don’t have to be labeled, nor do processed foods such as imported ham or roasted peanuts, or mixtures, such as frozen vegetables or trail mix. Here's a guide to the new rules that you can print out and take to the supermarket.

This week in safety

Try as we might, we can't cover every safety issue or hazard. So this week we are starting a roundup of safety issues featured in the news to call your attention to information we think you should know. We'll also update issues we've been following, point out recalls and give you other news you can use.

FDA Alert: Seven types of Mr. Brown coffee recalled for possible melamine contamination
Food and Drug Adminstration

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is alerting consumers that seven Mr. Brown instant coffee and milk tea products manufactured in China are being recalled by the King Car Food Industrial Co. Ltd. due to possible contamination with melamine.  The products are manufactured by China’s Shandong Duqing. Read more …

Mandating fire sprinklers for the home
The Wall Street Journal

As concern over residential fire deaths grows, home sprinklers are becoming more widespread and could soon be mandatory in new homes across the country. As early as this weekend, the International Code Council, which sets the residential building code used in 46 states either at the state or local level, will vote on code changes that would make sprinklers mandatory in new one-family and two-family homes. Meanwhile, a growing number of communities in states ranging from California to Maryland are already requiring sprinklers in new homes and, in some cases, in homes that undergo significant enlargements. Read more …

Sports eye injuries leading cause of blindness in youths
U.S. News and World Report

Sports-related eye injuries are the leading cause of blindness in school-age children, but most could be prevented with the proper eye protection. According to Prevent Blindness America, there are more than 100,000 sports-related eye injuries every year with 42,000 requiring emergency care. In fact, a U.S. emergency room treats a patient with an eye injury due to sports every 13 minutes. Read more …

Study finds ATV guidelines inadequate
University of Kentucky News

National size guidelines for all-terrain vehicles (ATV) are inadequate to ensure the safety of young riders, according to preliminary results from a study by researchers at the University of Kentucky. Based on initial experiments, the researchers found that national ATV size guidelines for youth—which match the rider's age to a recommended vehicle frame or engine size—do not assure a proper fit. Though results are preliminary and the initial experiments were considered exploratory, the results have profound implications. Read more …

FDA posts list of drugs that may be unsafe
Los Angeles Times

Score one for the consumer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today published its first list of drugs that are on the market and being used by consumers but are under review for potential safety issues. The list contains 20 drugs along with the potential safety issue of each drug. You can read about the program at the FDA's website and see the current list of potentially unsafe drugs. Read more …

Don't miss these recalls

• 36,000 Harry Potter book ends (lead paint)
• 48,600 TV stands (tipover hazard)
• 103,000 three-wheel scooters (laceration hazard)
• 30,000 4-wheel ride-on vehicles (throttle control defect)

Better tracking needed to find sources of foodborne illnesses

Following a summer in which almost 1,500 people in 43 states were sickened in a foodborne illness outbreak that implicated first tomatoes and then peppers, it was with great interest that we read a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) that analyzed how Canada, Japan and countries in the EU ensure the safety of food imports and respond to foodborne illness.

The GAO found that the countries they examined used a more comprehensive approach to guarantee the safety of imported food. In brief, the entire process of importing food is monitored from "farm to table." The food safety laws in these countries cover every step of the production process, from how it was grown or raised to how the food was processed to when it lands on the consumer's table. The GAO report noted that, as a result, residents of the countries it studied had more confidence in their food safety systems.

According to the GAO’s study, the countries reported that three elements of their food-safety systems were critical to helping them respond to outbreaks of foodborne illness:

1. Traceback procedures that allow industry and government officials to quickly track food products to minimize harm to consumers and the impact on business.
2. Cooperative arrangements between government veterinarians and public health officials to document the names of suppliers and customers as well as the date of delivery.
3. Mandatory authority to recall a product from the market.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for ensuring the safety of roughly 80 percent of the U.S. food supply, including $417 billion worth of domestic food and $49 billion in imported food annually so it's important that the agency beefs up its food-safety oversight.

Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, believes that the U.S. should adopt specific food-safety guidelines from the EU model. For example, the U.S. inspects only two percent of its seafood, whereas the EU examines 20 to 50 percent of all seafood imported, according to Jean Halloran, CU's director of food-policy initiatives. She said that efforts in the U.S.  to inspect imported food are inadequate.

While there is no simple solution to food safety, CU recommends that the government pass food-safety legislation with the following provisions:

• Traceability system for high-risk produce and production and handling standards.
• Sufficient funding so the FDA can do its job and fulfill its safety mission. Since 2004 the agency has lost nearly a third of its food safety and field staffers, and many more are expected to retire soon.
• More inspections of food imports. Currently less than one percent of food is inspected by the FDA, that's clearly not enough.
• Regular, mandatory FDA inspection of all food production facilities, both foreign and domestic.  Mandatory certification by independent certifiers that processing facilities are following FDA-approved safe handling procedures.
• Labeling of new and controversial food technologies on our shelves, such as cloned food, genetically engineered food and nanotech ingredients. Consumers should be allowed to make informed choices when they're buying food for their families.
• Mandatory recall authority for FDA and mandatory identification of outlets that sell recalled food. There is no federal requirement to publicize the names of grocery stores, restaurants, and schools that might be selling or using recalled food, leaving consumers at a loss to protect themselves.

More children sickened in China as dairy crisis widens

Over the weekend, the number of children sickened by tainted formula in China grew exponentially. Recent news reports put the number at more than 50,000 children and the Wall Street Journal reported that of those, nearly 13,000 had been hospitalized with kidney problems, 104 of them with "severe" symptoms. Four children have died.

The issue is milk-based formula that has been contaminated with the chemical melamine. According to a report in the New York Times, the milk used in the formula was first watered down and then supplemented with melamine, which is high in nitrogen, to artificially boost the apparent protein content. Milk from at least 22 of the country's largest dairies has been implicated in the scheme and a number of officials have been forced to resign in the scandal. Million of gallons of milk and some related dairy products have been recalled.

The affected babies have problems with their kidneys including kidney stones and, in the most serious cases, kidney failure.  Parents across China are flocking to clinics to have their infants tested for damage that may have occurred in babies who drank the contaminated milk over a period of time, the New York Times reported.

In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration is issuing periodic reports to reassure consumers that there has been no known threat of contamination in infant formula approved to be sold in this country. However, the agency is advising consumers not to purchase infant formula manufactured in China from Internet sites or other sources. 

At the same time, the FDA—in conjunction with state and local officials—has begun a nation-wide investigation to check Asian markets for Chinese-manufactured infant formula that may have been brought into the United States. In particular, this effort focuses on areas of the country with large Chinese communities, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and New York. To date, investigators have visited more than 1,000 retail markets and have not found Chinese infant formula on shelves in these markets. The FDA is also testing food imports with milk-derived ingredients.

On Sunday, the Associated Press reported that Hong Kong's two main supermarket chains removed milk powder made by Swiss food giant Nestle from their shelves after a newspaper reported that samples contained melamine. And Starbucks franchises in China have switched to soy milk.   

The latest in a series of tainted products
Sadly, this tragedy is just the most recent egregious example of the unscrupulous business practices that are pervasive in many Chinese factories.  In case after case, adulteration of ingredients, components, or other raw materials has been done secretly at factories as a way of cutting costs.  The result has been products delivered to the marketplace—here and abroad—that have sickened or injured consumers.      

Last year, many U.S. pet owners faced a heartbreaking crisis when thousands of pets became sick, or died, from eating pet food imported from China that had been laced with melamine.

In June 2007, The FDA found the poisonous chemical diethylene glycol (DEG) in certain toothpastes imported from China.  Also known as "diglycol," DEG is used in antifreeze and as a solvent. This chemical had previously been found in cough syrup sold in Panama where it killed scores of people.

That same month, the FDA banned imported farm-raised Chinese shrimp, eel, catfish, and basa because of persistent contamination problems with banned antibiotics or anti-fungal agents.  The FDA now conducts a detain-and-test program before they will release those fish to the US market.

In August 2007, 255,000 light-truck tires made in China were recalled because the gum strip between the steel belts that was in the original design had either been left out or was insufficient. The result—tires failed catastrophically because the tread and/or belts separated.

In November 2007, 4.2 million sets of the popular arts and crafts toy Aqua Dots were recalled because a chemical substitution was made for the glue that was supposed to have been used.  When ingested, that chemical forms into GHB, the banned, so-called date rape drug.

And who can forget last year's series of toy recalls including several by toy giant Mattel whose Chinese factories were provided lead-laden paint labeled as lead free.

Early this year doses of Chinese-made heparin, a popular blood thinner used in dialysis and surgery, were found to be contaminated. The FDA has linked the tainted drug to a number of deaths and hundreds of severe allergic reactions.

Has "Made in China" become a warning label?  Who can protect American consumers from the unscrupulous foreign business practices that imperil our health and safety?  Our government watchdog agencies must be better equipped to stop unsafe imports from crossing our borders. The FDA inspects only about one percent of our food imports and the CPSC has staff at only a handful of our more than 300 ports of entry. That's not good enough for consumers.

New science on BPA meets outdated analysis at FDA

Earlier this week, as scientists released results of new research linking diabetes and heart disease in humans to urine levels of a chemical found in plastic, the Food and Drug Administration continued to say that the chemical, bisphenol A (BPA), is safe. Such conflicting information gives little guidance to consumers.

On Tuesday, the FDA held a public meeting at which experts criticized the federal agency's assessment as outdated and inappropriate. At the same time, the results of the first major epidemiologic study to examine the health effects of BPA—a chemical widely used in  food and beverage can linings, as well as in hard clear plastic bottles and food-storage containers—were being released, suggesting harmful health effects from even common, low-dose exposures.

The new study, published in the Sept. 17, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, was based on analysis conducted at the universities of Essex and Plymouth in the U.K. and at the University of Iowa. Scientists analyzed U.S. government data (collected from 2002-2004) on urine samples of 1,455 Americans 18 to 74. They found that higher urinary concentrations of BPA were associated with increased prevalence of not only diabetes and heart disease, but of related liver enzyme abnormalities as well. The JAMA researchers note that their results do not prove causation, and independent follow-up studies are needed, but they come in the wake of evidence from animal studies suggesting adverse health effects from even low-dose exposures.

Since Consumer Reports first warned about BPA in baby bottles in 1999, evidence of BPA’s toxic potential has continued to build. In Consumers Union’s statement for the FDA meeting, Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., Senior Scientist and Policy Analyst, repeated calls for a more scientifically sound assessment and urged the FDA to eliminate BPA in food and beverage containers.

“The safety of BPA, at current exposure levels in the U.S. population, has not been demonstrated and the government is giving consumers contradictory messages about the level of concern,” said Dr. Rangan. “BPA is metabolized quickly and yet constant, elevated levels are circulating in most Americans. This indicates that consumers are constantly exposed to BPA.”

“A margin of safety exists that is adequate to protect consumers, including infants and children, at the current levels of exposure,” Laura Tarantino, a senior Food and Drug Administration scientist, told the expert panel on Tuesday, in remarks reported by the Associated Press.

But in tests conducted for Consumer Reports magazine, BPA has been found leaching from baby bottles and certain types of large containers of bottled water. Studies by other groups have reported elevated levels in canned foods and infant formula.

And the authors of the just-released JAMA study point out that exposure to BPA among the general U.S. population is likely to exceed limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency for the "reference dose," or the daily exposure that is not likely to cause harmful effects.

What You Can Do
While studies are under way, if you’re concerned about BPA, here’s what you can do:

• Identify which containers might have the chemical. Polycarbonate is usually clear rather than cloudy, although it may be colored. If the container carries a recycling code, it will be marked with the number 7 or the letters “PC,” or both. No. 7 bottles made with BPA-free polyethersulfone (PES) won’t have the PC marking. Other BPA-free plastic alternatives include polyethylene, which may be marked with recycling codes 1 (PET) or 2 (HDPE), and polypropylene, 5 (PP).
• For baby bottles, glass or BPA-free plastics such as polyethylene are the safest choices, as Consumer Reports has advised in the past.
• For those who reuse water bottles frequently and want to avoid BPA, consider polyethylene, stainless steel, or aluminum with BPA-free liners.
• More information on this topic can be found at Greener Choices. 

Do you own one of the recalled bassinets?

The recent recall of 900,000 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 convertible "close sleeper" bassinets has resulted in some confusion over which models and brands were affected. At first consumers were told that the recall involved Simplicity bassinets but it was later learned that at least 200,000 also carried the Graco logo or a Disney Winnie-the-Pooh motif.

But the confusion didn't end there. Newer models of the bassinet no longer have the design flaw that resulted in the deaths of two infants. The danger presented by the bassinet is that when used in its bedside co-sleeper mode, it's possible that an infant can slip through an opening between a cross-bar and the mattress, become entrapped and strangle or suffocate.

To help parents identify the flawed bassinet, Consumer Reports found both a recalled model and one with the new design to demonstrate in this video how to tell the difference.

The recall continues to be controversial. Senators  Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), who both chair subcommittees that oversee the Consumer Product Safety Commission, have criticized the lag in time between when the Simplicity bassinet was recalled and when the agency announced that some also carried the Graco label. In a letter posted on their Web sites they wrote, "We have not been able to make sense of your agency’s action to advise consumers and retailers of dangers posed by the Simplicity bassinet on one hand, and its inaction and silence with regard to the very same bassinet under the Graco brand on the other."

Acting Director Nancy Nord replied that her agency did not know about the other brands until later in the process. "We can neither recall products nor alert the public about products if we do not know whether or not those products actually exist. As soon as we had that information we acted immediately to alert the public," she wrote in response.

Because Simplicity has gone out of business, the recall has not followed the usual pattern. Instead of the manufacturer making the recall, the CPSC is working with a number of retailers to get the product off the shelves.

Third major recall of Simplicity includes 600,000 cribs

In the third major recall of children's sleeping equipment made by Simplicity in a year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission today announced a recall of 600,000 cribs because they pose an entrapment and suffocation hazard. A year ago, as we wrote here, Simplicity recalled one million cribs, including some branded Graco, after the deaths of two infants. And just last month, 900,000 bassinets branded Simplicity, Graco and Disney, were recalled after the deaths of two infants.

Because Simplicity has gone out of business, the CPSC is working with a number of retailers to get the cribs recalled. So far the retailers include AAFES, Babies 'R' Us, Burlington Coat Factory/ Baby Depot, K's Merchandise, Meijer, Nebraska Furniture Mart, ShopKo, Target and Wal-Mart. Scott Wolfson, a CPSC spokesman, said he expects the list of retailers to grow.

Problems with the hardware on the cribs recalled today can cause the drop-side to come off the tracks. When the drop-side detaches or partially detaches, it can create a hazardous gap that can lead to infant entrapment or suffocation. The CPSC is aware of nine incidents in which the drop-side detached but there are no known injuries. Although both today's recall and the one made last September involved the drop-side, the issue with the cribs in the 2007 recall was flaws with both the hardware and the crib design that made it possible for consumers to unintentionally install the drop-side upside down. "This is a different set of cribs with different hardware," said Wolfson.

These recalls have been vexing to say the least. In the first Simplicity crib recall, made before the company went out of business, Simplicity supplied parents with a repair kit that immobilized the drop-side, although getting the kit took several weeks. This time owners of the recalled cribs are being asked to return them to the place of purchase for a refund or store credit.

Today's crib recall involves model numbers: 8620, 8745, 8748, 8755, 8756, 8778, 8810, and 8994. The cribs have a date code, which can be found on a label on the headboard under the mattress support, that ends in 05DH, 05GB, 06DH, 06GB, 07DH or 07GB (examples: 1806 DH or 0507 GB). The recalled model names include: Aspen and Crib N Changer Combo, Gabrielle, Camille, Providence and Shenandoah. Only the brand name "Simplicity" can be seen on the label on the headboard. The cribs were sold at department stores, children’s stores and mass merchandisers nationwide from January 2005 through August 2008 for between $150 and $300.

In another odd twist, SFCA,the company that bought Simplicity's assets is "cooperating" with this recall, according to Wolfson. As we wrote earlier, SFCA refused to cooperate in the bassinet recall leaving it to the CPSC to elicit cooperation from the stores that sold them.

Consumers with questions about the current recall can contact one of the following retailers:

• AAFES: (800) 866-3605; www.AAFES.com
• Babies 'R' Us: (800) 869-778; www.babiesrus.com
• Burlington Coat Factory/Baby Depot: www.babydepot.com
• Meijer Distribution Inc: (866) 280-8419; www.meijer.com
• Nebraska Furniture Mart: (800) 359-1200; www.nfm.com
• Shopko: (800) 791-7333; www.shopko.com
• Target: (800) 440-0680; www.target.com
• Wal-Mart: (800) 925-6278; www.walmart.com

Soccer goals recalled after death of toddler

The strangulation death of a 20-month-old child in the netting of a soccer goal has sparked the recall of 190,000 folding nets sold over the past six years under the brand names MacGregor and Mitre.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has received two reports of head entanglement in the netting, including the boy who died. The openings in the netting are too large and thus pose a hazard. "Parents should take action immediately." said the CPSC's Scott Wolfson.

According to a report on National Public Radio, the boy was killed after he climbed on the goal and fell through the mesh. The cords contracted around his neck and his mother was unable to save him. "The opening that these nylon mesh nets have is simply too big," said Wolfson. "There needs to be a 4-inch space, but there's a 5-inch space."

Both of the goals in today's recall have a foldable white frame with a white net that is attached by Velcro strips. When upright, the MacGregor goal measures 6-feet-wide by 3-feet-high and the Mitre net measures 8-feet-wide by 6-feet-high. The MacGregor soccer goal has model number 97236 printed on the assembly instructions and UPC code number 029807972365 printed on the net’s packaging. The Mitre soccer goal has model number 89186 printed on the assembly instructions and UPC code number 029807891864 printed on the net’s packaging. Nets manufactured after April 2007 with 4-inch by 4-inch square openings are not included in the recall.

The recalled nets were sold at Wal-Mart, Ace Hardware, and sports and toy stores nationwide from May 2002 through May 2008 for $26. The CPSC is asking consumers to stop using the recalled soccer goals immediately, remove the nets and return them to Regent Sports, the distributor, for a free replacement net. For instructions, contact Regent Sports at (800) 516-9707 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday. 

A bigger hazard
The bigger hazard with soccer goals is tip over, not strangulation.  The CPSC has long warned parents about the hazards of movable soccer goals that can topple over and kill or injure children who climb on them or hang from the crossbar. The hazard they present is different from the one cited in today's recall and perhaps more deadly. There are at least 500,000 such goals in use in the U.S. Just last week a 10-year-old Arizona boy was killed and his friend injured when a goal post at their elementary school fell on top of them.  The CPSC is investigating that incident, says Wolfson.

The CPSC reports that there have been at least 28 deaths—almost all children—since 1979 from movable goals falling over. "The greatest number of deaths related to soccer has to do with this type of goal," says Wolfson. Anchored for Safety, a group that advocates for soccer goal safety, puts the number at 35 deaths and 52 injuries since 1979 and tracks the incidents on its Web site.

Movable goals can topple if they aren't anchored properly. In fact, a few of the fatalities occurred when a gust of wind blew the goal over. Most, however, happened when someone climbed on the goal or tried to hang from the crossbar. Recognizing the danger, ASTM, the standard setting group, recently published tougher, voluntary standards to help reduce the  number of fatalities and injuries from soccer goal tip overs and pull overs.

Parents should be on the lookout for goals that may be improperly anchored or counter-balanced at their child's school, field or playground. The CPSC offers the following tips to avoid soccer goal tip overs.

• Securely anchor or counter-weight movable soccer goals at all times.
• Never climb on the soccer net or goal framework.
• Always instruct soccer players on the safe handling of and potential dangers associated with movable soccer goals.
• Use movable soccer goals only on level (flat) fields.
• Check all connecting hardware before every use. Replace damaged or missing fasteners immediately.
• Ensure safety labels are clearly visible.
• Remove nets when goals are not in use.
• Anchor or chain goals to nearby fence posts, dugouts, or similar sturdy fixtures when not in use.
• Fully disassemble goals for seasonal storage.

13 brands of dry pet food recalled because of possible Salmonella contamination

Several brands and varieties of dry dog and cat food have been recalled by Mars Petcare because the food may be contaminated with a strain of Salmonella called Salmonella serotype Schwarzengrund. A joint announcement made by Mars Petcare and the Food and Drug Administration says the recall involves all the pet food produced at the company's plant in Everson, Pennsylvania between February 18 and July 29 of this year.

The recall affects food distributed to 31 states and includes such brands as Pedigree, Country Acres, Retriever, Doggy Bag, Members Mark, Natural, Ol' Roy, Special Kitty, Paws & Claws, Wegman's, Pet Pride, PMI Nutrition and Red Flannel. A full list of the brands, varieties and sizes of recalled foods can be found on the Mars Petcare Web site.  The company has not said how much food has been recalled.

Mars Petcare stopped production at the Everson facility on July 29 when it was alerted to a possible link between dry pet food produced at the Everson plant and two isolated cases of people infected with Salmonella Schwarzengrund.

Salmonella can cause serious infections in dogs and cats, and, if there is cross contamination caused by handling of the pet food, in people as well, especially children, the aged, and people with compromised immune systems. Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain.  Animals can be carriers with no visible symptoms and can potentially infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

In June, the Centers for Disease Control attributed a large, multi-state Salmonella outbreak that occurred between 2006-2007 to contaminated dry dog food. The two brands of food involved in that recall, Krasdale and Red Flannel, were also made by Mars Petcare. As we reported here, the outbreak affected at least 70 people across 19 states. Many suffered serious illness and some were even hospitalized.

The Everson facility has been taken offline until the source of the Salmonella can be identified. Many of the brands involved in the recall are national brands produced at multiple facilities. For example, less than three percent of Pedigree products on the market were produced in Everson. The company is working with retailers to have the pet food removed from shelves.

Dry pet food has a long shelf life so the FDA is advising  pet owners to check their supply. The food can be returned to the store where it was purchased for a full refund. To help consumers determine if they may have purchased any of the products, the FDA is offering this guidance.

Non-Pedigree brands. Consumers should look for "17" as the first two digits of the second line. Sample:

Best By Feb 18 09
17 1445 1

Pedigree products. Consumers should look for "PAE" on the bottom line—the sixth, seventh and eighth digits.  Sample:

Pedigree Small Crunchy Bites
Best Before 02/2009
808G1PAE01  12:00

Pet owners who have questions about the recall should call 1-877-568-4463 or visit www.petcare.mars.com. The FDA encourages pet owners to follow the agency's tips on how to handle pet food safely.

200,000 bassinets in recent recall from Graco and Disney

Two weeks after a number of top retailers stopped selling Simplicity bassinets that had been implicated in the deaths of two infants, the Graco company has issued a notice on its Web site warning consumers about 17 Simplicity-made bassinet models that carry the Graco logo. The deaths of babies in Kansas and Missouri resulted when they became entrapped between metal bars of the bassinet.

The Graco action is the latest twist in a product-safety issue that has been complicated by the fact that Simplicity has gone out of business. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says that SFCA Inc., the company that owns Simplicity's assets, has refused to cooperate with the government and recall the bassinet. Because SFCA would not agree to a voluntary recall, the CPSC  issued a safety alert on August 28 asking parents not to use the 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 convertible "close-sleeper/bedside sleeper" Simplicity bassinets. The CPSC also helped persuade a growing list of retailers—including some of the nation's largest—to pull the Simplicity bassinet from its shelves.

Today the CPSC issued another alert telling consumers that both the Graco bassinet and one with a Winnie the Pooh motif are included in the batch of 900,000 bassinets referenced in the earlier alert. But the Chicago Tribune is reporting today that Graco told the CPSC on August 28 that some of the recalled bassinets carried its brand name. The newspaper also pointed out that the CPSC did not issue an immediate recall. And today's carefully worded notice from the CPSC was not characterized as a recall.

According to the CPSC, the Simplicity bassinets with the Graco logo were sold between 2001 and 2004. The Simplicity bassinets with the Winnie the Pooh motif were sold between 2002 and 2008.

The CPSC is advising owners of the bassinets to stop using them immediately and to return them to the place of purchase for a refund or store credit. Both Simplicity and Graco have updated lists of affected model numbers on their Web sites.