Reebok to pay $1 million fine in lead charm settlement

Two years after a Minneapolis boy died of lead poisoning after swallowing the charm from a bracelet he got with a pair of Reeboks, the athletic shoemaker has agreed to pay a $1 million civil penalty levied by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The fine, announced today, is the largest ever for a violation of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) and follows the CPSC's recall of 300,000 Reebok bracelets in March 2006. It also follows months of increased scrutiny for the CPSC after a record number of recalls in 2007, including recalls of toys and children’s jewelry.

The penalty settles allegations that Reebok International, based in Canton, Mass., imported and distributed charm bracelets that contained toxic levels of lead. The bracelets were given away as a free gift with various styles of children's footwear from May 2004 to March 2006. Parts of the bracelet, imported from China, turned out to be 99 percent lead.

Jarnell Brown, 4, of Minneapolis died on February 22, 2006 after swallowing the heart-shaped charm. According to a report on the Star-Tribune.com newspaper Web site, Jarnell suffered vomiting, seizures and respiratory arrest before dying at Children's Hospital in Minneapolis. "I just don't believe my son is gone because of some shoes," his mother, Juanna Graham, told the newspaper. The bracelet was recalled a month after his death.

“This civil penalty sends a clear message that the CPSC will not allow companies to put children’s safety at risk,” said CPSC Acting Chairwoman Nancy Nord in a press release.  “Preventing dangerous metal jewelry from reaching the hands of children is a priority for our agency."

Congress is in the process of finalizing legislation that would, among other changes, significantly lower lead levels in toys and other children’s products, require pre-market product testing, and strengthen the CPSC’s ability to stop dangerous products before they reach store shelves.

In the settlement, signed last week, Reebok denied violating federal law.

Many recalls of lead-tainted toys and jewelry have followed the Reebok recall. There were so many in 2007 alone that it was dubbed the "Year of the Recall." And as we reported in January,  the CPSC this year has been investigating whether any companies should be fined for those safety breaches. Scott Wolfson, a CPSC spokesman, said that consumers should expect to see more penalties this year.

In addition to its size, the fine was unusual because the CPSC infrequently issues fines for an actual violation. Fines are more commonly the result of a company's failure to report hazardous products and not the violation itself.  And although the CPSC currently lacks the quorum that’s normally required to levy civil penalties, a seldom-used provision in their laws allowed the Commission to delegate their authority to the Office of Compliance, which pulled the trigger on Reebok.  We now wonder if there are more civil penalties to come against companies such as Mattel/Fisher Price and RC2, which brought millions of lead-laden toys to market last year.

January is the deadliest month for carbon monoxide poisoning

According to a new study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the first month of the year is the worst for carbon monoxide poisoning. At least two people die each day from carbon-monoxide poisoning in January—three times the fatality rate recorded in August and July. Unintentional carbon monoxide exposure accounted for 15,000 emergency room visits annually between 1999 and 2004, with an average of 439 people dying each year.

Fatalities were highest among men and senior citizens: Men because they are engaged in more high-risk behaviors such as working with fuel-burning tools or appliances and seniors because they are likely to mistake the symptoms of CO poisoning (headaches, nausea, dizziness or confusion) for the flu or fatigue.

It should come as no surprise that CO deaths are the highest in winter (December is the second highest month). Cold weather increases the use of gas-powered furnaces as well as the use of risky alternative heating and power sources (portable generators, charcoal briquettes, propane stoves or grills) during power outages. It’s also understandable that the highest CO death rates are in colder states: Nebraska, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and North Dakota. By contrast, California has the lowest fatality rate.

With these sobering facts it’s a good time to remember the following safety tips to prevent CO poisoning:

• Have your heating system, water heater and any other gas, oil or coal-burning appliance inspected and serviced by a qualified technician every year.
• Install battery-operated CO detectors on every level of your home.
• Don’t use a generator, charcoal grill, camp stove or other gasoline or charcoal-burning device inside the home, basement or garage or outside the home near a window.
• Don’t burn anything in an unvented stove or fireplace.
• Don’t let a vehicle idle inside a garage attached to a house, even if the garage door is left open.
• Don’t heat a house with a gas oven.

If a CO detector sounds, leave your home immediately and call 911 from outside. Seek prompt medical attention if you suspect CO poisoning and if you or someone in your household is feeling dizzy, light-headed or nauseated.

Related reading
Read Consumer Reports full report on CO and smoke detectors, including an interactive diagram of where to place them in your home.

Also, here is our guidance on how to safely use a generator as well as information from our Home & Garden blog on wood and pellet stoves.

A banner year for product safety

We can’t remember a year when product safety garnered so much public attention.  Consumer confidence was shaken as we saw recall after recall on toys, tires, toothpaste, and more. We dubbed 2007 “The Year of the Recall.”

Here are some of the more prominent safety recalls and related issues that we highlighted in this blog:

• Peanut butter: possible salmonella contamination.
• Easy -Bake Ovens: burn and hand entrapment hazards.
• Millions of Maytag, Jenn-Air and GE dishwashers: fire hazards.
• Millions of popular toys: excessive levels of lead paint.
• Millions of pieces of children's jewelry: high lead content.
• Millions of toys containing small magnets: risk of internal injuries.
• Pet food containing a toxic chemical.
• Chinese farm-raised shrimp, catfish, eel, and other fish were banned by the FDA because they contained banned hazardous chemicals.
• Chinese-made tires: catastrophic tread separation causing at least one fatal accident.
• Toothpaste containing an ingredient used to make antifreeze was recalled. Some was counterfeit Colgate.
• Millions of pounds of chopped meat and chili: e-coli contamination and botulism, respectively..
• Cribs     and play yards were recalled after children strangled.
• A popular arts and crafts toy, Aqua Dots, was recalled after its glue was found to be toxic.

And, of course, there are more. 

Clearly, the system for ensuring the safety of products prior to their appearance on store shelves is broken.  Perhaps this year has been a wake-up call for industry, which has let its guard down, and for our government agencies, which are ill-equipped to prevent unsafe products from entering the marketplace.  We are encouraged that all the media and political attention given to these issues is likely to result in stronger laws and more enforcement authority for our government watchdog agencies.   

We hope the worst is behind us now that new laws and better industry vigilance are on the horizon.  We are looking forward to safer 2008. We will continue to provide you with the information you need to protect yourself in the marketplace while giving our opinion and analysis of the product safety that affect all consumers.

We wish you a happy and safe New Year!

The Consumer Reports Safety Blog Team

Don Mays
Caroline Mayer
Marc Perton
Mary Farrell
Jonea Gurwitt
Carolyn Cairns

A gentle reminder on generators

The wicked storms battering the Central U.S. and leaving many residents without power prompt us to remind readers about the dangers of improper use of portable generators. Last winter we reported the disturbing statistic that in the last three months of 2006, there were at least 32 deaths related to carbon monoxide poisoning from portable generators. Such news caused the Consumer Product Safety Commission to sound the alarm and require new labels on generators that say, in part, “using a generator indoors CAN KILL YOU IN MINUTES.”

According to the CPSC, a single portable generator can release about as much carbon monoxide as the exhaust of 100 idling cars. So it's no wonder that consumers can be killed quickly if the devices are used indoors or too close to homes or in other enclosed spaces.

Using a portable generator can help you weather a storm if, and only if, you use it safely. Here are some guidelines to follow:

• Prevent carbon-monoxide poisoning by always running your generator outdoors and at least 15 feet away from the house. Never run it in the basement or garage or other enclosed space.
• Install a transfer switch to connect the unit to your home's wiring system. Never connect a generator directly to your home.
• Reduce fire risk by turning off a gasoline-powered generator before refueling.
• Store gasoline in an ANSI-approved container and in a cool, well-ventilated area.

If you are in the market for a generator, check out our Ratings (for subscribers) and recommendations.

Chemical substitutions jeopardize safety

Last week's recall of 4.2 million Aqua Dots rang the alarm bell again for the toy industry. After promising that this would be the safest holiday season ever, the industry is once again licking its wounds.  This time it wasn't lead paint or tiny magnets; it was a hazardous chemical that can form into GHB, the "date rape drug," if ingested. 

The highly-promoted Aqua Dots promised to be one of this holiday season's hottest toys.  So how could it happen that this mainstream toy could cause such serious health effects?  The answer: unscrupulous business practices and the lack of vigilance to detect them.

The glue on Aqua Dots beads was supposed to contain the chemical compound 1,5-pentanediol.  But the products that made at least nine children seriously sick had 1,4-butanediol, a similar but hazardous substitute.  According to the New York Times, the cost of the substituted chemical was less than one-third that of the chemical that was supposed to be used.

But this is the same story we've seen with other products.  Chemical substitutions in Chinese-made products have rocked the product safety world this year.  It started with melamine in pet food, an ingredient used in fertilizer that gave the pet food artificially high protein readings.  Then it was diethlyene glycol, a component of antifreeze, used in toothpaste as a substitute for its more expensive cousin, glycerin.  And then it was the lead paint that was used in toy factories that was labeled as lead-free.    

Chemical substitutions in products are not only jeopardizing our safety but tarnishing venerable brand names in the American marketplace.  We doubt that the manufacturers of these products were aware of the surreptitious substitutions made at the factories they hired to produce their products. The problem calls for constant vigilance: better quality control and continuous testing to ensure that each and every batch of products made meets manufacturing specifications and all of our recognized safety standards.  And our government watchdog agencies need to ensure that the testing is being done, and done correctly.

All that testing may result in slightly higher prices for the products, but parents, pet owners and other consumers likely would be glad to pay the higher costs for the peace-of-mind of knowing that their purchases were safe. On top of that, maybe the appeal of outsourcing manufacturing to foreign factories would become less financially attractive once the true cost of producing safe products is factored in.

—Don Mays      

Recall reminders: Curious George dolls added to the list

Curious George dolls have been added to what has been a dizzying week of toy recalls. While the 175,000 Curious George dolls sold with story books were recalled because of lead paint, two of the week's largest recalls, Aqua Dots and a Laugh & Learn kitchen toy, were recalled for other hazards. Some of the 4.2 million Aqua Dots craft kits were found to be contaminated with a chemical related to GHB, the banned date rape drug, which caused children to become comatose. And the Fisher-Price kitchens were recalled after several small children choked or gagged on small pieces that broke off. A third non-lead related action involved 31,000 slingshot pool toys recalled after five children cut their hands using them.

The Curious George recall involves five plush dolls — four with plastic faces and one with a soft face — in which the face, the hat or both are covered with paint containing lead. Several soft-face versions of the doll, made by Marvel Toys, are not affected by the recall. On its Web site, Toys 'R' Us, one of the retailers that sold the doll, shows which dolls are and are not affected.

Made in China, the dolls were sold at toy and discount department stores nationwide from December 2005 through August 2007 for about $15. Marvel Toys is offering consumers a full refund and can be contacted at (800) 352-2064 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.regcen.com/curiousgeorge

Also recalled this week because of lead were collectible tin toys including not only a Winnie-the-Pooh pail and top but a robot, wind-up duck family and a music box. Toy cars were recalled by two different companies and a pair of children's sunglasses is also on the list. Here is a full list of this week's toy recalls.

• Marvel Toys Curious George plush dolls (175,000)
• Dollar General Children’s fashion sunglasses (51,000)
• Aqua Dots craft kits (4.2 million)
• Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn kitchen toy (155,000)
• Swimways “Skippy” pool toys (31,000)
• Dollar General pull-back action toy cars (380,000)
• International Sourcing dragster and funny cars (7,500)
• Northern Tool & Equipment “Big Red” wagons (7,200)
• Schylling “Robot 2000” collectible tin robot (2,600)
• Schylling tin pails and spinning tops (3,600 plus 66,000 recalled earlier)
• Schylling duck family collectible wind-up toy (3,500)
• Schylling Dizzy Ducks music box (1,300)

Please note: Crib recall
Also recalled this week, were 8,900 Wendy Bellissimo Collection convertible cribs made by Bassettbaby, of Bassett, Va. The bolts connecting the top corners of the crib can come loose, creating a gap and posing a serious entrapment and strangulation hazard. Bassettbaby has received 85 reports of bolts loosening, including one report of a 13 month-old child's hand becoming entrapped between the railings. The cribs were sold at Babies 'R' Us stores nationwide from July 2005 through October 2007 for about $500. Consumers should stop using the cribs immediately and contact Bassettbaby for a free repair kit at (888) 897-4689 between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. ET daily, or visit the firm's Web site at www.bassettbaby.com.

4.2 million Aqua Dots sets recalled after children become comatose

Following reports that two children had become comatose after swallowing beads from Aqua Dots craft kits, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled 4.2 million sets of the small colored beads. Made in China for the Canadian company, Spin Master, the craft kits feature beads that fuse together when sprayed with water. The CPSC said that the coating on the beads that causes them to stick together contains a chemical that can turn toxic when ingested.

The CPSC has received two reports over the past several days of children swallowing Aqua Dots. A 20-month-old child swallowed several dozen beads. He became dizzy and vomited several times before slipping into a comatose state for a period of time, was hospitalized, and has since fully recovered. A second child also vomited and slipped into a comatose state and was hospitalized for five days.

The recall applies to all models of Aqua Dots, also sold as Aqua Beads. The product was sold in various different kits with accessories such as a drying fan, applicator pen, design templates for the beads, and spray bottle. The product was labeled for children age four and older. The beads were sold at large walk-in and online retailers nationwide from April 2007 through November 2007 for between $17 and $30.

Parents are advised to not only take the beads away from children but to search for any stray beads and discard them too. CPSC’s Julie Vallese says,  "Parents should take this very seriously. The consequences to children who ingest these beads is very serious."

According to an article in the New York Times, similar cases have been reported in Australia where the beads were sold as Bindeez, and where they have also been recalled. A doctor there identified the offending chemical as one related to GHB, the banned date rape drug.

Spin Master is offering consumers replacement beads or a toy of equal value and can be contacted at (800) 622-8339 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or through the firm’s Web site at www.aquadotsrecall.com.

CR and the CPSC on lead test kits: Similar results, different conclusions

Last week, we posted the recommendations from our independent tests of do-it-yourself lead test kits. Our conclusion, that they can be limited but useful screening tools to identify lead in household products, is different from the Consumer Product Safety Commission's recent announcement that consumers should not use these products to find lead in their homes.  Our differences lie not as much in the testing itself as in the interpretation of the data.  Here’s how we came to our conclusions and why we believe parents should consider these kits as a helpful tool for screening household products.

Consumer Reports tested five lead test kits on toys, jewelry, ceramics, and school supplies.  Lead test kits are generally designed to detect surface lead--lead that you can be exposed to by touching or mouthing the product.  We tested for lead on products with surface paint, those made of vinyl or other plastics, and ceramics with colored designs. Overall, we found that the best performing test kits (Homax Lead Check, Lead Check Household Lead Test Kit, and Lead Inspector), while not perfect, are useful tools for consumers who want to screen for lead in their homes.  Our results showed differences among the brands we tested.  The CPSC did not identify the brand names of the kits they tested.   

Because  lead is often hidden beneath the surface, we agree with the CPSC that you shouldn't assume that all items testing negative are actually free of lead. Based on our results, we also agree that a limitation of these kits is that you cannot depend on them to detect lead embedded below the surface of a product.  Where we diverge with the CPSC is in the way  we classify the results.  The CPSC characterized the inability to detect subsurface lead as a “false negative” test result. But because the kits generally don’t claim to test subsurface lead, we think that’s a mischaracterization.  In our view, a false negative is when a kit fails to detect surface lead at levels above its detection limit.  According to this definition, we observed no false negatives for the kits we recommended.  If a product tests negative but you have reason to believe it might contain lead, consider having it tested by a professional.

Since these kits don’t always detect lead under the surface or surface coatings, they are generally not a good tool for detecting lead in metal jewelry.  Inexpensive jewelry is often coated with a shiny metal to give it luster but hazardous lead might lurk beneath.  One CPSC study found that 20 percent of children’s metal jewelry has high levels of lead.  Because children can suck on or even swallow jewelry, we think that cheap jewelry presents a risk not worth taking and recommend against buying it. (Visit our gallery of jewelry recalled by the CPSC.)

The CPSC also warned that home lead tests could result in “false positives.”  A false positive result could cause you to throw away items that actually contain no lead.  We agree that false positives can occur but it did not happen in our tests.  In fact, the CPSC  found that this happened in only two out of 104 tests and in those cases the agency acknowledged that both could possibly have been due to interference of a red sample's color with the reaction color of the test kit.

Like CPSC, we also found that not all the test kits are easy to use and we recommend that you carefully follow directions and plan on practicing a little. Getting an accurate reading might take a few minutes, or even a couple of hours in some cases, to allow the color to develop if the initial result is negative.  One type of swab turns pink or red in the presence of lead.  You need to follow manufacturer’s instructions for red and pink items and be careful not to misinterpret pink or red paints that rub off onto the swabs as a false indication of lead presence.  Our report pointed to one kit, Lead Inspector, that might perform better for pink or red items because it does not have a red or pink color change.

Because we are concerned that so many lead-laden products have slipped into our homes, we recommend that you regularly check the CPSC recall list.  If you are concerned about other specific items in your home, especially if you have small children who put things in their mouths, these lead test kits might be a useful tool.  Once a lead test kit tells you that a beloved ceramic bowl or favorite toy might have lead, you can make your own decision about what to do with that item: toss it, send it to a lab for additional testing, or place it out of reach of your children. Though a negative result is no guarantee that the item is lead free, these kits, limitations and all, give you more information than you have today and, more important, allow you to actually do something to help minimize your children’s exposure to a hazardous substance.

And don’t forget that it’s very important to minimize lead exposures from old paint or plumbing and to have your child’s blood tested for lead levels, especially if they are less than 2 years old.

If you use a home lead test kit and get positive results, please share the information with us by clicking on Report a Safety Problem.

More on lead

• CPSC's position on home lead tests
• CPSC recalls page

From Consumer Reports

• Our latest tests find lead in more products
• Five things parents can do to avoid lead poisoning
• Testing the lead test kits
• Lead-tainted jewelry recalls cataloged by Consumer Reports

Testing the lead test kits

Three of the five home lead-testing kits we tested at Consumer Reports were useful though limited screening tools if you are worried about specific items in your home. The kits detect surface, or “accessible,” lead. They don’t detect lead embedded below the surface. If an item tests positive, remove it from use. For exact lead levels, have it screened professionally.

Homax Lead Check, $8
Lead Check Household Lead Test Kit, $18.45
These two kits consist of cigarette-shaped swabs, made by the same company, that turn pink when they detect lead. They were the easiest to use and identified accessible lead in toys, ceramic dishware, and vinyl or plastic. If lead concentrations are low, these swabs can take up to two hours to change color, but in our tests high concentrations produced immediate results. The eight-swab Lead Check Household Lead Test Kit pack is a better bargain than the Homax two-swab pack. Its packaging was less susceptible to being crushed.

Lead Inspector, $13
Swabs turn yellow, brown, gray, or black if lead is detected. It can take up to 10 minutes for a color change to occur at low lead levels. The kit, with eight tests, identified accessible lead and might be a good choice for painted metal jewelry. It also might be superior for pink or red items, because if those shades of paint bled onto a Lead Check swab, it might falsely appear to be positive. Have good ventilation and wear gloves to protect skin from chemicals.

First Alert, $13
The four test swabs provided are similar in design to those used in Lead Inspector. But we experienced some false negatives for accessible lead.

Pro-Lab Lead Surface, $10
This kit was less sensitive and more difficult to use. Two small pieces of treated paper are cut to create six tests. The paper is moistened and rubbed on the object, but we found the paper often fell apart before the two-minute rubbing time was over.

Most recent recalls for lead include familiar brands and retailers

The Consumer Product Safety Commission today issued eight more recalls covering more than 550,000 items that contain excessive amounts of lead. Items from the recalls were made in China including decorating sets sold at Toys 'R' Us that were made in Hong Kong. The recalls included not only such toys as a soft  Baby Einstein block and wooden blocks from KB Toys but an  Eveready flashlight and water bottles sold at Sports Authority. Also in the mix were tumblers and key chains sold at Dollar General stores and journals sold at gift stores. In all cases, consumers are advised to stop using the products immediately. No injuries have been reported. Details on today's recalls follow. Click the title links for photos and refund information.

Baby Einstein Discover & Play Color Blocks
How many: About 35,000
Description: The blue block included with the Baby Einstein Discover & Play Color Blocks, Model 30726 and Model 30881. The blocks are made of soft textures and come in different colors. Only date codes of GE7, GF7, and GG7 are included in this recall. The model number and date code are printed on the labels affixed to the green-colored block.
Reason: Surface paint on the blue block contains excessive levels of lead.
Sold at: Various retailers and specialty stores nationwide from June 2007 through September 2007 for between $10 and $13.
Distributor: Kids II Inc., of Alpharetta, Ga.
Contact information: Contact Kids II toll-free at (866) 203-6788 between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.kidsii.com

'Pirates of the Caribbean' Medallion Squeeze Lights
How many: About 79,000
Description: “Pirates of the Caribbean” medallion squeeze light, which is gold-colored and about 1¾-inches across. It is attached to a leather strap with a metal clasp.
Reason: Surface paints on the leather strap attached to the light contain excessive levels of lead.
Sold at: Various retail stores and Web sites nationwide from September 2006 through October 2007 for between $4 and $6.
Importer: Eveready Battery Co., of St. Louis, Mo.
Contact information: Contact Eveready at (800) 925-0628 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.Energizer.com

Wooden Pull-Along Alphabet & Math Blocks Wagons
Wooden Pull-Along Learning Blocks Wagons
10-in-1 Activity Learning Carts
Flip-Flop Alphabet Blocks
How many: About 10,000
Description: Painted wooden blocks in a wagon and painted letters of the alphabet on a flip board.
Reason: Surface paints on the toys can contain excessive levels of lead.
Sold at: KB Toys stores nationwide. The Pull-Along Wagons were sold from August 2005 to August 2007 for between $9 and $13. The 10-in-1 Activity Learning Carts were sold from August 2006 to September 2007 for about $30. The Flip-Flop Alphabet Blocks were sold from August 2006 to September 2007 for about $7.
Importer: KB Toys, Inc., of Pittsfield, Mass.
Contact information: Contact KB Toys toll-free at (888) 843-9www.recall520 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the company’s Web site at www.recall.kbtinfo.com

Frankenstein Tumblers
How many: About 63,000
Description: Green, plastic, Frankenstein head-shaped tumblers.
Reason: Surface paint on the center of the eyes of some of the cups can contain high levels of lead,
Sold at: Dollar General stores nationwide in September 2007 for about $1.
Importer/Distributor: Dollar General Merchandising Inc., of Goodlettsville, Tenn.
Contact information: Contact Dollar General at (800) 678-9258 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.dollargeneral.com

Key Chains
How many: About 192,000
Description: Key chains with a coiled cord and a metal charm with one of the following engraved words: “wisdom”, “truth”, “believe”, “love”, “hope”, or “dream”. The key chains were sold on a cardboard tab with floral designs and the words “Metal Keyring” and “$1” on the front.
Reason: The key chains contain high levels of lead.
Sold at: Dollar General stores nationwide from June 2005 through August 2007 for about $1.
Importer/Distributor: Dollar General Merchandising Inc., of Goodlettsville, Tenn.
Contact information: Contact Dollar General at (800) 678-9258 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.dollargeneral.com

Children’s Toy Decorating Sets
How many: About 15,000
Description: These Totally Me! – Funky Room Décor Sets are designed to make various room décor projects and include a clock, clock movement, satin fabric, round box, door hanger, mirror, paper mirror frame, glitter glue, sticker sheet, foam shapes, sequins, seed beads, elastic cord, fabric flowers, and gem stones.
Reason: Surface paint on the back of the mirror contains excessive levels of lead.
Sold at: Toys “R” Us stores nationwide and toysrus.com from May 2007 through September 2007 for about $10.
Importer/Distributor: Toys “R” Us Inc., of Wayne, N.J.
Contact information: Contact Toys “R” Us toll-free at (800) TOYSRUS/869-7787 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.toysrus.com

Bookmarks and Journals
How many: About 150,000
Description: Various designs of bookmarks and journals from Antioch Publishing’s Signature Collection. The character-themed bookmarks and journals include a Winnie the Pooh design as well as floral themes.
Reason: Paint on the spiral metal bindings of the journals, clip of the bookmarks and the clear coating on the marquis bookmarks and bracelets contain excessive levels of lead.
Sold at: Book, card and gift stores nationwide from March 2005 through October 2007 for between $4 and $14.
Importer/Distributor: Antioch Publishing, of Yellow Springs, Ohio
Contact information: Contact Antioch Publishing at (800) 543-1515 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.antioch.com

UPDATE: On October 17, Antioch expanded this recall to include 200,000 clip-on bookmarks because of surface paint. The bookmarks were sold at book, card and gift stores nationwide from April 2003 through October 2007 for about $4.

Alpine Design Aluminum Water Bottles
How many: About 11,200
Description: Alpine Design aluminum water bottles sold at Sports Authority. The water bottles were sold in different colors and measure between six and 10 ½ inches tall. The water bottles are silver, blue, red, blue with pink flowers, red with the depiction of a mouse, or blue with the depiction of a zebra. “Alpine Design” is painted on the water bottle.
Reason: The surface paint on the water bottle contains excessive levels of lead.
Sold at: Sports Authority stores nationwide from April 2006 through September 2007 for between $5 and $8.
Importer/Distributor: Sports Authority, of Englewood, Colo.
Contact information: Contact Sports Authority at (800) 360-8721 any time, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.sportsauthority.com

CU repeats call for single food safety agency in wake of huge beef recall

As more illnesses have been linked to a strain of the E. coli bacteria found in beef produced by the Topps Meat Company, Consumers Union is reiterating its call for the creation of a single agency to ensure the safety of our nation's food supply. CU, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports, also calls for mandatory recall authority for both the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), power which is currently lacking.

At least 27 people in eight states have been sickened after reportedly eating meat produced by the New Jersey company. On Saturday, Topps  recalled 21.7 million pounds of beef manufactured over the last year and bearing a “sell by” or “best used” date between Sept. 25, 2007 and Sept. 25, 2008, along with the USDA designation EST 9748. The beef -– mostly frozen hamburger patties -- was sold under a variety of brand names (see list below).

E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. The very young, seniors and persons with compromised immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.

In August, people began to get sick from the beef in question, yet it took nearly six weeks before the first recall was issued.  “Both the FDA and USDA need mandatory recall authority.  The safety of our food should not be dependent on voluntary action by companies,” said Jean Halloran, CU’s Director of Food Policy Initiatives. 

“The system is broken. Recalls and inspections have failed miserably,” said Halloran.  “Clearly we need a single food agency with the tools, resources and leadership to focus on one clear mission -- food safety.”

Topps advises consumers to look for these products in their freezers immediately. If you have a product marked with the above information remove the sell-by date and UPC code and send it to: Attn: Recall Coordinator, Topps Meat Company LLC, P.O. Box 219, 1161 E. Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07207 for a full refund. It is important to dispose of the remaining product immediately.

Topps has established a toll-free hotline (888-734-0451) to answer questions concerning this recall. Consumers may also visit www.toppsmeat.com

The recalled meat was sold in two-pound to 10-pound boxes under the following brand names: Butcher’s Best, Kohler Foods, Mike's, Pathmark, Rastelli's Fine Foods, Roma–Topps, Sam's Choice Backyard Gourmet, Sand Castle Fine Meat, Shop Rite, Topps and West Side.

In a national Consumers Union poll in 2004, 97 percent of respondents agreed that the government should have mandatory recall authority for contaminated meat. This latest recall shows that the food safety system needs a drastic overhaul.

More toys and jewelry recalled due to lead

The Consumer Product Safety Commission today recalled two types of children's jewelry, a puppet theater and four groups of toys, including more Thomas and Friends railway cars and accessories because the items contain lead. Consumers are advised to stop using the playthings immediately and remove them from children. The action follows a spate of recalls of toys and jewelry this summer and safety experts caution that more are to come. Items from six of the recalls were made in China and items from the seventh, Target's toy gardening tools and lawn chairs, were made in Taiwan. The importer/distributor of the Thomas toys, RC2 Corp., of Oak Brook, Ill., also had a smaller recall of toy knights. The maker of a pendant necklace, Rhode Island Novelty, of Cumberland, R.I., has been involved in earlier jewelry recalls. The second jewelry recall, by TOBY N.Y.C., expands a recall made last month. In all, more than 601,000 items were recalled. No injuries have been reported. Details on today's recalls follow. Click the title links for photos and refund information.

Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway Toys
How many: About 200,000 (1.5 million other Thomas and Friends railway toys were recalled on June 13.)
Description: This recall involves an all-black cargo car,  a "Toad" vehicle, an olive green "Sodor" cargo box and all-green maple tree top and signal base accessories.
Reason: Surface paints on the toys can contain excessive levels of lead.
Sold at: Toy stores and various retailers nationwide from March 2003 through September 2007 for between $10 and $40.
Importer/Distributor: RC2 Corp., of Oak Brook, Ill.
Contact information: For additional information, contact RC2 toll-free at (866) 725-4407 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at http://recalls.rc2.com

Britain’s “Knights of the Sword” Series Toys
How many: About 800
Description: The three recalled silver knight toys are mounted on red horses and sold individually in see-through blister cards. “Britain's” and “Knights of the Sword” are printed on the top of the card in the packaging. The recalled toys include a mounted silver knight with an ax; a mounted silver knight with two hands on a raised weapon; and a mounted silver knight with a lance.
Reason: Surface paints on the toy knights contain excessive levels of lead.
Sold at: Specialty toy stores nationwide from April 2004 through March 2006 for about $8.
Importer/Distributor: RC2 Corp., of Oak Brook, Ill.
Contact information: For additional information, contact RC2 toll-free at (866) 725-4407 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at http://recalls.rc2.com

Happy Giddy Gardening Tools and Children’s Sunny Patch Chairs
How many: About 350,000
Description: The multi-colored children’s Sunny Patch chairs have a giraffe, monkey, and elephant on the back. The multi-colored Giddy Gardening tools include rakes, hoes, trowels and brooms with flowers or faces on the handles.
Reason: The surface paint on the recalled gardening tools and chairs contains excessive levels of lead.
Sold at: Target stores nationwide from August 2006 through August 2007 for between $3 and $10.
Importer: Target, of Minneapolis, Minn.
Contact information: For additional information, contact Target at (800) 440-0680 between 7 a.m. and 6 pm. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.target.com

Floor Puppet Theaters
How many: About 10,000
Description: The recalled puppet theater has a chalkboard surface on the front and colored side panels. The puppet theater is 35 inches long, 14 inches wide and  52 inches high.
Reason: Surface paints on the wooden panels contain excessive levels of lead.
Sold at: Specialty toy stores, gift shops, catalogs and Web sites nationwide from June 2006 through August 2007 for about $90.
Manufacturer: Guidecraft Inc., of Englewood, N.J.
Contact information: For additional information, contact Guidecraft toll-free at (888) 824-1308 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.guidecraft.com

UPDATE: On October 17, Guidecraft recalled  5,400 table-top puppet theaters, also because of lead in surface paint. The smaller theaters were sold in the same time period for $35.

Children’s Spinning Wheel-Metal Necklaces
How many: About 850
Description: A 30-inch-long link necklace with a spinning wheel pendant. The wheel pendant, designed to resemble a car’s spinning tire rim, has rhinestones attached to the front, a silver base and measures 2 ¾-inches in diameter. The item has a clear plastic hang tag with a UPC code of 0 97138 68502 5.
Reason: The clasp on the necklace contains high levels of lead.
Sold at: Family entertainment centers, redemption centers, and small discount stores nationwide and at www.rinovelty.com from November 2006 through May 2007 for about $2.
Manufacturer: Rhode Island Novelty, of Cumberland, R.I.
Contact information: For additional information, contact Rhode Island Novelty at (800) 528-5599 between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.rinovelty.com

TOBY & ME Jewelry Sets
How many: About 23,500 (about 14,000 jewelry sets were recalled on August 22, 2007)
Description: The three jewelry sets include: a princess pink and clear crystal bead necklace and bracelet set with a painted metallic crown pendant; a pink and white pearl necklace and bracelet set with a painted metallic poodle pendant; and a pink pearl necklace, earrings and ring set. All sets are sold in a pink gift box with “TOBY & ME” printed on the front and “TOBY & ME” hangtags attached to the packaging.
Reason: The metal jewelry sets contain high levels of lead.
Sold at: T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and A.J.Wright from August 2006 through May 2007 for about $8.
Importer: TOBY N.Y.C., of New York, N.Y.
Contact information: For additional information, contact TOBY N.Y.C. toll-free at (866) 235-0588 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or email the firm at info@tobynyc.com.

Children’s Toy Rake
How many: About 16,000
Description: The children’s rake has a green handle with a yellow duck head attached. The rake has seven purple tines, also known as teeth andis about 24 inches long. “Robbie Ducky Garden Collection Rake” is printed on a tag attached to the handle.
Reason: Surface paint on the handle of the rake can contain excessive levels of lead.
Sold at: Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores nationwide from January 2007 through September 2007 for about $7.
Importer: Jo-Ann Stores Inc., of Hudson, Ohio
Contact information: For additional information, contact Jo-Ann Stores Inc. toll-free at (888) 739-4120, option 7, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, email the firm at guest.services@jo-annstores.com, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.joann.com.

Accidental deaths, a silent epidemic

Here’s a scary fact: Every five minutes, a person dies from an accident. The National Safety Council calls accidental deaths “a silent epidemic,” rising at an alarming rate -- more than 20 percent over 10 years -- reaching 113,000 fatalities in 2005, the latest data available.

According to a recent safety council study, accidental deaths are the fifth leading cause of death but the number of accidental fatalities is rising at a faster rate than the top four causes of death: heart disease, cancer, stroke and chronic lower respiratory disease. Accidental deaths reached an all-time high of 116,385 in 1969. At the current rate of increase, annual fatalities could surpass that record in just a few years, the safety council says.

Driving the increase is the aging population, which translates into more falls and more medication, leading to accidental overdoses, the council says. The safety council also pins some of the blame on new technology that distracts drivers. Motor vehicle crashes continue to be the leading cause of injury-related deaths, although they have dropped significantly from the record high of 56,278 in 1982 to 42,642 in 2006.

The second leading cause of accidental death is poisoning, particularly from overdoses of over-the-counter, prescription and illicit drugs. In fact, poisoning is the fastest-rising cause of accidental death, with a  5 percent increase in 2005 alone. Deaths from falls rank third, with choking and drowning rounding out the top five. These five leading causes account for 83 percent of all accidental deaths. But while drowning was the fifth-leading cause nationally, many states ranked fire as the fifth-leading cause of accidental death.

There is some good news from the safety council’s report. The death rate from workplace injuries has dropped by 17 percent since 1992. On the other hand, the death rate from injuries incurred at home and in community settings has increased by 30 percent for that same time period.

Accidents also accounted for more than 24 million nonfatal injuries in 2005. The economic cost of all fatal and nonfatal injuries amounted to $625.5 billion nationally, or $5,500 per household. “Our research shows that when it comes to safety, most Americans are more concerned about being the victim of a random act of violence than they are about being seriously injured in an accident,” said NSC President and CEO Alan McMillan. “The reality is that while we are at greater risk of experiencing an accidental injury, we have greater control over managing those risks.”
   
It goes without saying—be careful.

More information
For a state-by-state accident report visit the National Safety Council site.

Elevated blood mercury levels found in those who eat more fish

What do fish, fluorescent light bulbs and coal-fired power plants have in common? The answer is mercury – the toxic heavy metal that’s been linked to neurological and developmental disorders in children, and cardiovascular disease, neurological and other problems in adults.

Consumer Reports has long analyzed mercury levels in fish to provide consumers with the best advice for avoiding  species of fish with  high levels of the heavy metal. A new study of mercury exposure in New York City  confirms the importance of making wise choices.

The New York City Health Department recently analyzed blood samples for mercury and other heavy metals and found significantly higher levels in people who ate more fish. Levels were also notably higher among wealthy New Yorkers, presumably those who eat more expensive fish such as that found in sushi.

A non-profit environmental group known as the Turtle Island Restoration Network, also analyzed samples of tuna purchased from New York City sushi restaurants, finding nearly half of the 13 samples analyzed contained levels of mercury that exceeded the levels that the FDA considers safe for some women and young children. Some samples even exceeded 1.0 ppm, the level that FDA considers unsafe for human consumption.

Fish is an important part of a healthy diet, but studies suggest that frequently eating species with high mercury levels may interfere with the health benefits that the omega fatty acids found in fish would otherwise provide. Avoiding high mercury fish is especially important for pregnant and breastfeeding women, those who may become pregnant and young children.

When we look at how mercury gets into fish in the first place, we find that protecting the safety of our fish supply depends on manufacturers and consumers making wise decisions about other products as well, not just which fish to eat. Mercury doesn’t just float into the fish supply by itself. It gets there in large measure from manufacturing processes and from use and disposal practices that have pumped mercury into the air and water for centuries.

Mercury has been used in a wide range of products including dental fillings, electrical switches, thermometers and batteries. Mining metals and the burning of fossil fuels, primarily coal, are among the greatest causes of mercury releases in the environment. Disposal of mercury-bearing consumer products also releases a substantial amount of mercury. While there’s little that can be done to clear the oceans and fish stocks of mercury that’s already out there, cutting back on energy consumption, finding alternative energy sources, and getting mercury out of consumer products are all important ways to help keep the problem from getting much worse.

Ironically, careful use of a modern product that contains trace amounts of mercury, the compact fluorescent bulb, is one strategy for achieving net reductions in environmental mercury releases. As our recent story on compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) explains, the trace amount of mercury present in these long-lasting energy-saving bulbs is an unfortunate but worthwhile trade-off to cut energy use that contributes to the much larger amounts of environmental mercury that come from coal-fired power plants.

Because health officials have not been able to identify a level of mercury exposure that’s safe, it’s especially important to keep as much mercury out of the environment as possible and to lower your own exposure to mercury. That means limiting or eliminating your intake of high mercury fish species, reducing energy consumption and avoiding or carefully managing mercury-bearing products as they are used and discarded. For CFLs, that means careful clean-up if they break and recycling them when they reach the end of their useful life. Sylvania, for example, sells a mail-back recycling package.

Lead-tainted jewelry recalls cataloged by Consumer Reports

Since 2003, nearly 170 million pieces of children's jewelry have been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission because the items contain high levels of lead.  There have been more than 40 recalls during that time period and new recalls are announced every few weeks. Collectively, lead-laden jewelry has amounted to the largest product recall in CPSC history. 

Most of the recalled jewelry involves necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings and other baubles that were purchased in vending machines or in discount and dollar stores –- places where recall notices are not generally seen.  Since the recall notices are hard to find, we think few parents are aware of the dangers lurking in their children’s jewelry boxes.

Lead is sometimes used as a low cost way of giving jewelry heft or added to paint coating the jewelry.  Lead-based jewelry is often covered by a thin coating of shiny material.  But if children mouth the jewelry, as we’ve seen many children do, they can ingest some of the lead, increasing their blood lead levels over time. Children are especially vulnerable to the toxic effects of lead, which have been linked to brain damage, and developmental and learning disorders.  Worse, if they swallow the jewelry, they can suffer acute lead poisoning, which can be fatal.  Such was the fate of a 4-year-old Minneapolis child who died last year after swallowing a small piece of a Reebok charm bracelet that was later found to contain 99 percent lead.

We have supported a proposed rulemaking by the CPSC to effectively ban lead in jewelry and urged the agency to further strengthen limits on lead in other consumer products.  Until such rules are passed and enforced, we recommend that you not buy toy jewelry made of metal for your children.  If you do have toy jewelry, particularly if it appears metallic, check to see if it has been recalled.

We are making that task easier with a new online tool. To identify the tainted items, we are featuring a photo gallery  of pieces of children's jewelry recalled by the CPSC since the fall of 2003 (some of which was sold much earlier) with information on where and when it was sold and with links to the original recall notices.  If you recognize any of the pieces in our photo gallery take the item away from your child immediately. Then click on the recall notice and take the appropriate action.

CR Survey: Consumers want country-of-origin labeling

With all of the recent concerns about tainted food additives and products from China, the results of a new Consumer Reports survey shouldn't be surprising: According to the poll, 92 percent of consumers agree that imported foods should be labeled by their country of origin. While the federal government mandated country of origin labeling, or COOL, back in 2002 for nearly all food products, implementation has been delayed until October 2008, with the exception of seafood. Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, has called for immediate implementation of COOL.

The poll also found that foods labeled as “natural,” or “organic" are highly popular among consumers, whereas “irradiated” foods are not. At the same time, consumers indicated that they expect more from natural labels than current standards dictate for processed food and meat. Eighty-six percent said they expect the natural label to mean that processed food does not contain any artificial ingredients. But current standards only prohibit artificial colorings and additives. Artificial sugars and oils like high fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated oils can still be used in natural foods. 

The Consumer Reports poll was conducted via telephone from June 7 to 10, 2007. 

For more info:

• Consumer Reports food-labeling poll 
• Eco-labels.org

Previously:

• FDA warning on Chinese fish highlights problems with inspections
• Can you trust Chinese-made products?
• Thomas & Friends recall: 1.5 million trains and accessories for lead
• Toothpaste trouble: what you need to know now
• Tainted animal feed: Why the government's approach isn't working

More disturbing news about contaminated imports

The New York Times and the Washington Post this week unveiled yet another disturbing chapter in the ongoing saga of contaminated medicinal ingredients imported from China. 

According to the papers' investigations, the recent toothpaste contamination in the U.S. and the tainted cough syrup that killed at least 100 people in Panama are the latest in a long line of often deadly incidents involving contaminated glycerin, a common ingredient in a host of products. Countless people, mostly children, died when they ingested contaminated medicines in Argentina, Haiti, India, and elsewhere. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration tried to identify the source of such incidents abroad over the past decade, but the trail turned cold when they reached the second or third broker to handle the tainted glycerin. Unable to identify and eliminate the source, government officials watched and waited for a tide of contaminated products to wash up on our shores.

Fortunately, it doesn't appear that the contaminated glycerin made it into U.S. products. That doesn't minimize the need for a system that monitors product safety and traces products through the chain of commerce back to the source, holding officials at each point accountable for product quality. Well developed and effectively applied, that process would protect consumers from more than contaminated products at the drug store; it would also go a long way toward keeping lead-tainted children's toys and jewelry (like the recently recalled Thomas & Friends toys) off store shelves. Like the FDA officials who tried to follow the trail of contaminated glycerin, CPSC staff and jewelry manufacturers have been unable to identify the factories in China that keep pumping out lead-tainted products and to impose financial and legal consequences.   

We wonder why manufacturers and our own regulatory agencies don't insist on a system that enables them to identify and avoid these tainted troughs and deal only with factories that have a proven track record. How aware are they of the source of their products? If manufacturers can't have confidence in or control over the quality of products and ingredients being made for them, how can American consumers? 

Manufacturers do have quality assurance systems in place, but those essentially voluntary programs don't appear to be effective in an environment like China, where manufacturers seem to go in and out of business at a rapid rate, and facility managers and executives turn over frequently. Government programs are equally inadequate. Firms in some countries face almost none of the scrutiny that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gives to U.S. facilities. According to the Washington Post, the FDA conducted only 200 inspections of Indian and Chinese plants versus 1,200 in U.S. facilities, even though by some estimates as many as 20 percent of finished over-the-counter drugs and 40 percent of active ingredients come from those countries. Our colleagues who work on international food and drug policies say that current trade agreements don't allow our government to block imports from a particular country solely on the grounds of a bad track record. 

We wonder how the voluntary systems, billed in the '90's as a more effective alternative to "command and control" government regulation, could allow so many links in the chain of commerce to break at once. Limits on FDA budgets contricting oversight have no doubt played a role. We'd like to see a return to more control and greater confidence that our children won't die from a spoonful of cough syrup.

Previously:

• Toothpaste trouble: what you need to know now
• Tainted animal feed: Why the government's approach isn't working

Benzene in beverages: still a risk?

Last year, amid lawsuits against beverage companies and reports that the Food and Drug Administration had found benzene (a known carcinogen) in some soft drinks, we ran our own tests on several drinks and found levels ranging from 7 to 30 parts-per-billion (ppb) in some samples of four products: Crystal Light Sunrise Classic Orange, Fanta Orange and Pineapple sodas, and Sunkist Orange soda (the federal standard calls for 5 ppb or less in drinking water; there is no standard for soft drinks). 

What's changed since then? For one thing, supermarket market chain Safeway Inc. has agreed to reformulate soft drinks made with ingredients that can potentially form benzene, according to a recent settlement.  Coca-Cola, a former defendant, agreed to settle last month. Other companies including PepsiCo, Sunny Delight, Shasta and Polar have not, and remain defendants in similar lawsuits.

We continue to call on the FDA to restrict benzene in all beverages to the limit set for drinking water and require manufacturers to take steps to prevent benzene formation by changing the products’ formulation or manufacturing process. Until that happens, consumers should avoid beverages that combine benzoate salts (listed as sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate) with vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which can set the stage for benzene formation. If you do buy beverages with that combination of ingredients, store them in a cool place and out of direct light.

Previously:

• Greener Choices: Safeway settles benzene soft drink suit 
• Benzene in soft drinks: Lawsuits highlight possible presence of carcinogen in beverages

Gas can safety gets a hearing

If there’s an easy, affordable, efficient fix for an obvious hazard, it shouldn’t be subject to as much political push and pull as we saw recently at a hearing held by the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection. 

At issue was a bill designed to make gasoline containers safer: the Children’s Gasoline Burn Prevention Act (HR 814). Our analysis of CPSC data shows that about 3 children under age 5 die and more than 2,000 are treated in hospital emergency rooms each year from a variety of incidents involving gasoline. Data show that some 27 percent of the injuries are from thermal burns; the majority are from poisoning and chemical burns. Despite the bill’s title, effective child-resistant closures would go a long way toward protecting young children from all of those types of injuries.

The bill would require that all gasoline containers designed for residential use have child-resistant closures. Although the 1973 Poison Prevention Act calls for child-resistant caps on toxic household cleaners and the like, gasoline cans are exempt since they’re sold empty. The industry does have a standard for childproof caps on gas cans, but compliance is voluntary. 

Some players in the debate, including minority subcommittee leader Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), suggested that a cost-benefit analysis be conducted to consider whether the “1,200 child injuries” that might be prevented are worth the extra cost of a childproof cap. 

We have no such qualms. We support the bill, though it’s not ideal. It would make the voluntary industry standard mandatory. That standard requires only 80 percent effectiveness to pass, which still puts some particularly determined or intuitive young children at risk. In addition, it’s limited to gasoline containers; portable kerosene containers, which don’t currently require child-resistant caps, aren’t included. Although the incident rate for kerosene containers is a fraction of those for gasoline containers, the hazards are the same.

The safest cans are those that are both childproof and spillproof. For more on spillproof cans, see our June 2006 article (we found one model worth recommending). 

Sally Greenberg, Senior Safety Council of Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, testified earlier this month along with Ed Mierzwinski, Consumer Program Director of U.S. Public Interest Research Group. Notably absent was Nancy Nord, acting Chair of the CPSC. Nord did submit written testimony.

Swimming pool and spa safety, raising limits on civil penalties for violating CPSC laws, and the need for registration cards for juvenile products, were also on the agenda. We’ll be commenting on all of them in this blog in the coming weeks.

While we’re waiting for the politicians to act, keep your old gasoline and kerosene cans — even those with child-resistant caps — well beyond the reach of children.

Tainted animal feed: Why the government's approach isn't working

The pet food contamination scandal has been going on for so long that it's already passed into popular lore, becoming the butt of jokes on David Letterman and various YouTube videos. But the underlying problems are no joke. The issue involves products contaminated with wheat flour doped up on chemicals called melamine, and cyanuric acid. 

The chemical ingredients were apparently added to pass the wheat flour off as more expensive, high protein vegetable products.    

The tainted wheat has turned up in pet food, hog feed, chicken feed, and fish food, causing an avalanche of warnings, investigations, and some recalls. (Most recently, an American manufacturer of shrimp food issued a voluntary recall on some of its products, amid concern that it could contain melamine.) Pets who ate the contaminated food suffered kidney toxicity. Deaths of some 16 cats and dogs have been linked to the contamination, and many more are suspected. 

The recalls also raise serious questions about the quality of meat and other products sold for human consumption, as some animals that ate the tainted feed made it into the human food supply. The FDA says any residues in human food would be very unlikely to pose a human health risk, though their assessment, just released May 25, is based on limited toxicity and exposure information. 

The pet-food experience encompasses about every concern we've ever raised about the inadequacies of our government's approach to safeguarding our food supply: globalization, import surveillance, ingredient and product traceability, animal-feed quality, truth-in-labeling, and recall authority and disclosure. Here's a brief on some of them. 

A "perc" you can do without

In the better-late-than-never department, we want to take a moment to applaud California for its decision earlier this year to phase out the use of a cancer-causing chemical that’s commonly used in dry-cleaning.   

On January 25, the California Air Resources Board voted to gradually reduce and eventually ban the use of perchloroethylene, or perc, as a solvent used in dry cleaning. Beginning in 2008, no new perc-using machines may be installed in California; By July 2010, dry cleaners must remove all perc machines housed in apartment buildings and other residential facilities. By 2023, perc will no longer be allowed in any California dry-cleaning establishment.   

The 16-year phase out may seem like a long time — but believe us, this rule has been a long time coming for a toxic solvent that, besides cancer, has also been linked to liver and kidney damage in animals and nerve damage in humans. In 1995, Consumer Reports found high perc levels in apartments located above dry cleaning establishments in New York City. In 1996 we tested consumer exposure to freshly dry-cleaned clothes and found there was enough perc in them to significantly increase cancer risk for consumers who wear a lot of dry-cleaned clothes. 

Perc is not just a problem for people living near dry cleaners and wearers of clothes that are dry cleaned. In many communities, perc has contaminated drinking water supplies, often after used dry cleaning solvents were illegally dumped or discarded in leaky landfills. Past federal and state studies have found that as much as 25% of drinking water supplies and nearly 40% of surface waters tested in the US are contaminated with Perc. 

California's proposed phase-out would not be possible if not for over a decade of research and testing of alternative professional dry cleaning methods. The federal Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Design for the Environment program played a significant role in the development of water-based and liquid carbon dioxide technologies, offered by a growing number of cleaners. Consumer Reports tested carbon dioxide-based cleaning systems in 2003, and found the results to be better than traditional dry-cleaning. Another green process, using silicone, was almost as good. 

The EPA issued a rule last summer requiring dry cleaners operating in residential buildings to stop buying any new perc machines and phase out using existing ones by the end of 2020.  That’s a good start. But we’d like to see the EPA limit perc’s use once and for all — for every state in the country. In the meantime, consumers can help by seeking out facilities that use perc-free dry cleaning methods. 

This EPA guide gives locations and phone numbers of cleaners who use the carbon dioxide method. You can also find cleaners who offer silicone-solvent cleaning here.

You can find more information about green cleaning options at Consumer Reports' GreenerChoices.org.

Poison Control Centers: A vital, fragile resource

This week is National Poison Prevention Week, and we’d like to give thanks to the nation’s Poison Control Centers. 

Those of us who have called the 1-800-222-1222 hotline when our children (or even our pets) have swallowed something worrisome are already indebted to the medical professionals who staff these centers.   

If you’re lucky enough not to have needed to make that call, consider these numbers: 

1. In 2006, the 61 U.S. poison centers handled more than 2.5 million reports. 
2. Poisoning is the second most common form of unintentional death in the U.S. In any given year, there will be between 2 and 4 million poison exposures, 60 percent involving children under 6 in their own home. 
3. More than 70 percent of the cases handled by the poison centers were managed safely at home, resulting in dramatic cost savings — estimated at nearly a billion dollars in 2005 — over visits to the emergency room. 

But the willingness of the American public to keep funding the centers is uncertain. Richard Weisman, the American Association of Poison Control Centers' legislative affairs director and director of the Florida Poison Center in Miami, notes that the centers are funded by a patchwork of federal, state, local, and private sources. This network is particularly fragile in times of financial cutbacks. In 2003, Congress authorized an annual appropriation of $30.1 million for the centers. But in actuality they only received less than $24 million in funding for the 2007 fiscal year, and the Bush administration is proposing a further drop of 58 percent for the 2008 fiscal year. 

Such a cut, said Weisman, “would be catastrophic,” and could result in “almost complete elimination of education and prevention efforts. Many of centers would have to reduce their hours of operation and reduce the number of doctors, nurses, and pharmacists to answer the phone.” The result could be lots of busy signals and unanswered emergency calls. “The bottom line will be significant,” with an increase in deaths, predominantly children. 

And if it’s your call that goes unanswered?

CPSC moving closer to tighter lead jewelry rules

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has moved another step closer to banning children’s jewelry made with lead. Today, the commission announced that its two presiding members have approved the first of a three-step process to ban any children’s metal jewelry containing more than 0.06 percent of total lead.   

The action — officially known as an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking — comes after a steady stream of recalls of children’s jewelry containing lead, including one that came about when a child died after swallowing a metal charm (pictured above). At least 14 separate recalls involving more than 160 million pieces of metal jewelry have been issued over the past two years. Kids who ingest this highly toxic metal can experience a range of severe health problems, most notably brain damage, behavioral problems, and at high doses, kidney damage and even death. 

The CPSC staff had recommended a ban earlier this month, thereby tightening current commission policy that could have allowed jewelry containing 0.06 percent or more lead to be sold if that jewelry passed the agency’s “accessibility” or “extractability” test to confirm that the lead wouldn’t leach or flake from the jewelry and get absorbed into the body through the mouth or skin. Under the proposed new rule, the accessibility test would no longer be applied. The staff had found that the higher the level of lead, the greater likelihood of exposure. 

The proposed ban is in response to a petition filed by the Sierra Club and strongly supported by Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports.

CPSC calls for tighter limits for lead

Recommendation would ban kids' jewelry with more than 0.06% lead

After what seems like a steady stream of recalls of children's jewelry, the Consumer Product Safety Commission staff is proposing a stronger stand on lead in children's jewelry.  And we're glad it is, especially coming after this week's recall of 52,000 mood necklaces and pendants (pictured) made by Real Kids, Inc.

Responding to a petition filed by the Sierra Club, and strongly supported by Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, the CPSC staff agreed that the commission should ban metal jewelry that contains more than 0.06 percent lead. In papers posted on the Commission’s web site today, the staff said such jewelry should be considered “a hazardous substance” because of the lead content and potential for exposure. Kids who ingest this highly toxic metal can experience a range of severe health problems, most notably brain damage, behavioral problems, and at high doses, kidney