Today's recalls: Faulty smoke alarms and tea kettles

The Consumer Product Safety Commission today announced recalls of two products found in many homes because they can pose burn or fire hazards. Recalled were 94,000 Kidde smoke alarms because they may fail to sound an alert and 142,000 Copco tea kettles with ill-fitting lids. A number of second-degree burn injuries have been associated with the tea kettles.

Copco Harmony tea kettles
Wilton, the distributor of the Copco kettles, has gotten reports of  25 incidents of lids coming loose, some which resulted in burns to hands and fingers. The recall includes stainless steel kettles with both brushed and polished finishes and enamel kettles in red, white, black, turquoise, orange, yellow and blue. The kettles were sold by retailers nationwide from March 2006 through June 2009 for about $30.

The company is offering two different remedies depending on which type of kettle a consumer has. Owners of the stainless kettles should contact Wilton for a free replacement lid that fits more snugly. Wilton is offering owners of the enamel tea kettles a free replacement tea kettle or a refund.

For more information, contact Wilton Industries at (800) 794-5866 or visit the firm’s Web site at www.copco.com.

Kidde dual sensor smoke alarms
Kidde is recalling its PI 2000 alarms because an electrostatic discharge can damage the unit, causing it to fail. Kidde has received two reports of smoke alarm malfunctions involving electrostatic discharge during installation. No injuries have been reported.

The recalled alarms can be identified by two buttons: “Hush” and “Push and hold to test weekly”  located on the front/center of the alarm. The model number and date code are on the back of the smoke alarm. Only date codes 2008 Aug. 01 through 2009 May 04 are included in this recall. The alarms were sold at retail, department, and hardware stores and through electrical distributors nationwide from August 2008 through May 2009 for between $30 and $40.

The CPSC is advising consumers to contact Kidde to receive a free replacement smoke alarm. For more information, contact Kidde at (877) 524-2086 or visit the firm’s Web site at www.kidde.com.

Injuries result in recall of 1 million Kolcraft play yards

Kolcraft today recalled one million play yards because the side rail can unlatch unexpectedly, posing a fall hazard to children. Kolcraft has received 347 reports of  play yard sides collapsing, resulting in 21 injuries to young children, including bumps, scrapes, bruises and one concussion, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported.

The recall involves more than 20 models including the Travelin’ Tot series sold under a number of brand names. In addition to Kolcraft, the play yards were manufactured for Carter’s, Sesame Street, Jeep, Contours, Care Bare and Eric Carle (check the recall notice for model numbers). Some of the units have a bassinet and/or changing table. Some models have a mobile, vibrating unit or a parent organizer. The model numbers can be found on a white sticker on one of the feet of the play yard.

Some of the models involved in this recall were also recalled in September 2007 because they posed a strangulation hazard, which resulted in the death of a 10-month-old Texas boy who strangled on a changing table restraint strap that was hanging down into the play yard.

Made in China, Spain and Italy, the play yards were sold at Babies 'R' Us, Walmart, Kmart, Sears, Target and other stores nationwide and Internet retailers from January 2000 through January 2009 for between $50 and $160.

The CPSC is telling parents to stop using the play yards and to contact Kolcraft for a free repair kit at (866) 594-4208 or vy visiting the firm’s Web site at www.kolcraft.com.

Our take:  Side rail collapses on play yards, some resulting in child deaths, have long been a problem.  We wonder why it took 347 reported incidents including 21 injuries before these products were recalled.

CPSC fines nine companies $530,000 for lead violations

Nine children’s product manufacturers, importers and sellers have agreed to pay $530,000 in civil penalties for violating the federal lead paint ban, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced today. The penalties settle allegations that the firms knowingly manufactured, imported or sold toys and other children’s articles with paint or other surface coatings that contained lead levels in violation of federal law.

The nine companies were responsible for 13 recalls of 6 million items in 2007 and 2008 including toys, children’s metal jewelry, children’s pens, metal water bottles, pencil pouches, sunglasses and children’s Halloween pails and baskets. Following is a list of the companies, their fines and the associated recalls.

Cardinal Distributing Co. Inc., of Baltimore, Md., $100,000

• 900,000 children's charm bracelets and 'Sportswear' necklaces

Dollar General Corp., of Goodlettsville, Tenn., $100,000

• 63,000 Frankenstein tumblers
• 380,000 pull-back action toy cars
• 51,000 children's fashion sunglasses

Family Dollar Stores Inc., of Matthews, N.C., $75,000

• 142,000 purple Halloween pails with witch decorations

Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. of Oklahoma City, Okla., $50,000

• 10,000 Halloween-themed baskets
• 13,000 camouflage eggs and spinning egg top toys

First Learning Company Ltd., of Hong Kong, $50,000

• 11,400 soldier bear toys
• 15,000 toy wooden blocks and train sets

Michaels Stores Inc., of Irving, Texas, $45,000

• 310,000 seasonal-themed writing pens

A&A Global Industries Inc., of Cockeysville, Md., $40,000

• 4 million children's 'Groovy Grabber' bracelets

Raymond Geddes & Co, of Baltimore, Md., $40,000

• 84,200 children's pencil pouches

Downeast Concepts Inc., of Yarmouth, Maine, $30,000

• 18,000 painted metal water bottles

Our take:  We are glad to see the CPSC finally flexing its muscle and fining companies that violate the law while putting children at risk.  Although the fines seem paltry, penalties such as these can act as a deterrent to future wrong-doing by flagrant violators.  

FDA recalls food and drinks that may contain tainted milk-based ingredients

Even if you're not a fan of nonfat dry milk you should pay attention to a number of recalls being made by the Food and Drug Administration because the tainted milk—or related milk products—can appear as an ingredient in foods you do like such as popcorn, hot cereal and cocoa.

Giant, Kroger, Meijer, Stop & Shop and other well-known retailers have recalled a variety of foods made over the past two years with ingredients provided by Plainview Milk Products Cooperative in Plainview, Minn., because they might be contaminated with salmonella. Malt-O-Meal has recalled instant oatmeal products sold under a number of brand names that may also contain ingredients from Plainview.

None of Plainview's products were sold directly to the public. Plainview provides instant nonfat dry milk, whey protein, fruit stabilizers and food thickening agents to distributors, who may distribute them further, and to manufacturers to use in their own branded products.

This recall is reminiscent of another recall in which ingredients were the culprit -- the recall of almost 4,000 peanut products made with peanuts and peanut paste distributed by the Peanut Corporation of America (search the recall database). Like the peanut recall and the subsequent recall of pistachios (664 recalled products), the Plainview recall is being classified as a "major" recall and features a growing database of products.

Some of the recent recalls include:

• Giant brand nonfat dry milk
• Land O Lakes “Madagascar Vanilla” cocoa
• Meijer brand instant nonfat dry milk
• Malt-O-Meal  “Maple & Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal” sold under a variety of private labels
• CPI Foods brand nonfat dry milk
• NOW Foods products containing whey protein concentrate
• Stop & Shop brand nonfat dry milk
• Kroger brand popcorn seasoning

The recall follows an FDA investigation that found some Plainview processing equipment contaminated with salmonella. The investigation was sparked by a U.S. Department of Agriculture test that found a contaminated dairy shake powder produced by one of Plainview's customers, in "shelf-stable meal kits" distributed to consumers at home by community service organizations. So far, no illnesses have been associated with the dried-milk products.

Aqua Leisure recalls more than 4 million baby floats

Everyone out of the pool. Aqua Leisure today recalled four million baby floats because the leg holes in the seat of the float can tear, causing children to unexpectedly fall into or under the water, posing a risk of drowning. There have been 31 reports of float seats tearing, causing children to fall into or under the water. No injuries have been reported.

Fifteen different models have been recalled, including the Aquarium baby float at right. Check the recall notice for photos of all the recalled floats.

Made in China, the floats were sold at juvenile product and mass merchandise retailers nationwide, including Target, Toys 'R' Us, Walmart, Dollar General, Kmart, Walgreens, Ace Hardware and Bed, Bath & Beyond from December 2002 through June 2009 for between $8 and $15. About 345,000 of the floats were also sold in Canada at those retailers as well as Shoppers Drug Mart, Home Hardware, Canadian Tire, Zellers, Samko, Canadian ABC and Loblaws.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is advising consumers to stop using the recalled baby floats and contact Aqua-Leisure for a full refund at (866) 807-3998 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or via the firm's Web site at www.aqualeisure.com.

Simplicty cribs recalled long after troubled company ceases operation

Today, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced yet another recall of Simplicity-branded children's products. This is the ninth recall of Simplicity products since May 2005, and the sixth recall of that brand's full-size cribs. Some of the models involved in today's announcement were recalled earlier.

This recall involves 400,000 drop-side cribs that pose a risk of death from suffocation and the CPSC knows of one death of an eight-month-old child, two incidents of entrapment, and 25 reports of drop sides detaching from the crib. The crib's plastic hardware, which has flexible plastic tabs at the top of the lower tracks can break or deform. That causes the drop side to detach from the bottom and creates a dangerous gap between the mattress and drop side in which a child can become entrapped and suffocate.

The recalled model numbers include but may not be limited to: 8050, 8325, 8620, 8745, 8748, 8755, 8756, 8765, 8778, 8810, 8994, 8995, and 8996.  Made in China, the cribs were sold nationwide between January 2005 and June 2009 for between $150 and $300.

Consumers who own these cribs should stop using them immediately and return the crib to the place of purchase for a refund, replacement or store credit. A note on a related Simplicity crib recall says: "This firm appears to no longer conduct day-to-day operations.  Repair kits are no longer available to fix these recalled cribs.  Parents and caregivers are advised to dispose of these cribs, even if it is believed that the hardware and drop side have been installed correctly. All of the recalled cribs have the potential to pose a danger to young children."

The CPSC is also urging parents to check their homes for any recalled Simplicity products.

Our take:  This recall once again highlights our concerns about the durability of drop-side hardware. Until mandatory safety standards are developed that ensure that drop sides can withstand foreseeable use and misuse, we support banning this crib design. 

Do you have a Perfect Flame gas grill? Then read this

Owners of Perfect Flame gas grills should be especially cautious as they fire them up for the July 4th weekend … or at any other time for that matter. What appeared to be a limited fire and burn hazard with some models may be much wider than anyone realized.

Last August, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of one model, the Perfect Flame GAC3615, due to fire and burn hazards. The cooking chamber of those grills can "melt or ignite” according to the recall notice.

But our readers are telling us that’s not the only volatile model. In fact, after our August 13, 2008 blog post "Does the Perfect Flame grill recall go far enough?" suggesting that the recall was too narrow, we received more than 100 responses from readers who own the Perfect Flame SLG2006 and the SLG2007 models. Their grills have also melted or caught on fire.

The number of complaints and severity of the incidents we’ve heard about are very concerning.  We are currently collecting additional information that we hope will be used to address the hazards with these grills. In the meantime, take these precautions before using your Perfect Flame SLG2006 or SLG2007 grill:

• Check the burner tubes for holes or cracks. If you find any, replace the necessary parts before using the grill.
• When cooking, watch the grill at all times. Do not leave it unattended even just to preheat.
• Look for unusual flame patterns. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, shut off the gas and step away from the grill until it cools down.

Some of our readers have reported that when the grill catches on fire the flames can produce bright white light indicative of burning magnesium.  If that happens, be careful—water and carbon dioxide fire extinguishers will not put out a fire containing burning magnesium. Instead, you must either use a Class D dry chemical fire extinguisher or cover the fire with sand.  Better yet, call the fire department.

If you’ve experienced problems with the Perfect Flame or with fires, melting or deformation of any gas grill, please comment on this posting and be sure to report it to us as well as to the CPSC. The CPSC's recall system relies heavily on consumer complaints and without them many problem products wouldn't be recalled. Sharing this information with Consumer Reports can help us accomplish our mission of reducing the number of unsafe products in the marketplace and help protect consumers from serious injury.

Grill safety
No matter what grill you are using, follow this safety advice:

• Replace cracked or brittle propane hoses or gas lines.
• Check hoses for gas leaks by applying a mixture of dishwashing soap and water. Bubbles indicate a leak.  Replace as needed.
• Do not attempt to repair the valve on a gas tank or the grill yourself.  Take the grill to a liquid-propane dealer or qualified appliance-repair service.
• Regularly empty grease pans, trays, or receptacles to minimize fire hazards.
• Never start a charcoal fire with gasoline.
• Never add lighter fluid to a charcoal fire after the fire has started; the flame can follow the stream of fluid to its source.
• Never use an outdoor grill indoors or in a garage, breezeway, carport, porch, or under a surface that can catch fire. Also, keep the grill at least 10 feet away from your house and other structures.

For more on grills, read our gas grill buying guide (with Ratings for subscribers).—Molly Glauberman 

 
 

Cookie dough at Nestlé plant tests positive for E. coli

A sample of raw cookie dough collected at a Nestlé plant in Danville, Va. has tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. The sample was taken last week, the Food and Drug Administration reported.

Earlier this month, Nestle recalled all its Toll House refrigerated cookie dough after it was suspected as the cause of a foodborne illness outbreak that so far has sickened 69 persons in 29 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Of those, 34 have been hospitalized and nine have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious complication.

The sample of contaminated Toll House refrigerated prepackaged dough was manufactured at the plant on Feb. 10, according to the FDA. In a statement, Nestlé said the sample that tested positive came from a 16-ounce Toll House refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough bar. The product had a “best before June 10, 2009” label.

E. coli O157:H7 has not been associated with eating raw cookie dough before, according to the CDC. The concern with eating raw dough is more commonly salmonella, which can be found in raw eggs. We wonder how the dough became contaminated with E. coli.

Inspection reports from Nestlé's Danville plant show that the company refused several times over the past five years to provide FDA inspectors with complaint logs, pest-control records and other information, the New York Times reported recently.

GM reverses stance on liability claims

Caving under pressure from a dozen state attorneys general, GM agreed to assume responsibility for product liability claims filed after it emerges from bankruptcy as a new company, even those claims involving vehicles made by the old company.

Courts typically allow companies under bankruptcy protection to leave claims behind in bankruptcy and emerge with a clean slate, a precedent G.M. and the government were relying upon, the New York Times reported. Chrysler, which completed a government-backed restructuring this month, left both product liability claims and unwanted dealers with its old estate, now known as Old CarCo.

As we reported last week, concern had been expressed by at least one safety expert that an absence of liability claims would have a chilling effect on recalls because the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration uses death and injury data to scan for defect trends. "If the claims aren't filed, we lose an important defect surveillance tool," said Sean Kane, president of Safety Research & Strategies.

The modification, outlined in court papers filed by GM late Friday, is a partial victory for consumer groups and attorneys general, the Washington Post reported. "Congress still needs to step in and do something for Chrysler victims," Joanne Doroshow, executive director of the Center for Justice and Democracy told the Post. "That bankruptcy is over. The only way for victims to get help is if there's a law that establishes it."

Recall expanded of beef contaminated with E. coli

Just in time to ruin your  holiday cookout, the JBS Swift Beef Company of Greeley, CO today expanded its June 24 beef recall to include 380,000 pounds of assorted beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. The expanded recall comes as the result of an ongoing investigation into 24 illnesses in multiple states, 18 of which appear to be associated with the meat, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced.

According to the earlier recall notice, the beef products were produced on April 21 and 22, 2009, and were shipped to distributors and retail establishments in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin. The FSIS has not yet released a list of retailers where the meat was sold.

The recalled products include intact cuts of beef typically used for steaks and roasts rather than ground beef. However, some of the larger cuts may have been made into ground beef by other companies. The recalled meat was shipped in boxes bearing the establishment number "EST. 969" inside the USDA mark of inspection as well as the identifying package date of "042109" and a time stamp ranging from "0618" to "1130." If the meat has been processed and repackaged it would no longer bear the establishment number "EST. 969." Concerned consumers should check with their retailer to be sure.

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