Product safety

November 04, 2009 -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a statement today correcting inaccurate and misleading information put out by Toyota concerning a safety recall involving 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles:    » read more »

October 30, 2009 -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is alerting consumers to immediately stop using Mia Moda Viva and Viva Supreme infant child restraint systems due to safety defects. Owners will need to obtain another seat; young children should never be transported in a motor vehicle without a proper safety restraint system.

Lerado, the manufacturer, is recalling 5,540 seats and bases because they could fail to adequately restrain a child in the event of a crash. The restraint’s harness splitter plate located on the rear of the seat has sharp edges which could cut the harness straps. In addition, the restraint’s base is vulnerable to cracking during a crash.    » read more »

Washington, DC - 10/19/2009 - Sixteen Americans who have been directly affected by foodborne illness gathered at the White House recently to share their personal stories and meet Sam Kass, assistant White House chef, who cooks for the Obama family and is an advisor on food policy; Mariano-Florentino Cuellar, who is the lead staffer for the White House Food Safety Working Group; and David Lazarus, senior advisor to the Secretary of Agriculture, who coordinates with the White House on food safety issues.

Representing the millions of Americans who fall ill each year from contaminated food, the victims and relatives of victims appealed to the Obama administration to urge congressional lawmakers to pass food safety legislation this year.    » read more »

Bentonville, AR – August 7, 2009 --Sam’s Club has been informed of a USDA recall of Cargill Meat Solutions Ground Beef Products.

Below is the list of recalled items that would have been purchased between the time period of June 16, 2009 through and including July 8, 2009.

* 90% GROUND BEEF COV MAX 10% FAT with a UPC of 0021209400000
* 90% GROUND BEEF COV MAX 10% FAT with a UPC of 0021200200000
* 90%GROUND BEEF PATTY MAX 10% FAT with a UPC of 0021200300000
* GROUND BEEF MAXIMUM 10% FAT with a UPC of 0029200200000
* MAXIMUM 10% FAT REDUCED PRICE PATTY with a UPC of 0029200300000
* 90% GROUND BEEF MAX 10% FAT/CASE ONLY with a UPC of 0021204700000    » read more »

State bill would ban use of Bisphenol A in baby bottles and other feeding devices

June 3, 2009 --
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) commended the California State Senate for passing legislation this week to prohibit the use of Bisphenol A (BPA) in baby bottles, sippy cups and other feeding devices for children ages three and younger. Senator Feinstein today urged the California State Assembly to follow suit.    » read more »

May 26, 2009 -- PROVIDENCE, RI – In an effort to help Americans better protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is championing legislation requiring the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to strengthen labeling and testing standards for sunscreen products.    » read more »

May 22, 2009 -- In an effort to help Americans better protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays, U.S. Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Jack Reed (D-RI) are teaming up with dermatologists and consumer rights advocates to introduce legislation requiring the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to strengthen labeling and testing standards for sunscreen products.

The FDA has not updated its sunscreen labeling standards to include UVA protection, despite working on it for over 30 years. The current standards only require testing and labeling for UVB rays, known for causing sunburns and increasing the chance of skin cancer. However, they do not require standards for UVA rays, which are a major cause of skin cancer and premature aging.    » read more »

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam - 18 May 2009: IBM (NYSE: IBM) and FXA Group today announced a first of a kind collaboration with the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) and the Vietnamese State Agency for Technological Innovation (SATI) that will accelerate the adoption of traceability solutions to improve global food safety.    » read more »

The 2010 Ford Mustang coupe has earned the U.S. government’s top 5-star safety ratings, which includes 5-stars for driver and passenger in front and side crash tests, as well as for rollover performance

May 19, 2009 - The 2010 Ford Mustang coupe has earned the U.S. government’s top 5-star crash-test rating, adding to widespread acclaim for the new car’s unmistakable design and upgraded performance that builds on the formula that’s made it America’s favorite pony car for 45 years.

Ford has more U.S. government 5-star-rated vehicles than any other brand and more Top Safety Pick ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety than any other automaker.    » read more »

Statement of Allison Zieve, Senior Attorney, Public Citizen*

May 11, 2009 -- On Tuesday, the Health Subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce will hold a hearing on the Medical Device Safety Act of 2009 (H.R. 1346) – legislation that would restore important consumer protections eliminated by the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Riegel v. Medtronic.

In the February 2008 Riegel ruling, the court held that the 1976 law that gives the Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate medical devices also immunizes manufacturers of many medical devices from liability for injury caused by their products.    » read more »

Announces expansion of CPSC leadership; Agency will receive 71 percent more funding than in FY2007

May 5, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Today, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Inez Moore Tenenbaum as Chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Robert S. Adler as a new Commissioner of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Furthermore, in the President’s budget, the CPSC receives $107 million, a 71 percent increase in resources since FY 2007. This is almost three quarters of the way to meeting the President's goal of doubling CPSC’s funding.    » read more »

March 11, 2009 -- Consumer Federation of America welcomes the appointment of Dr. Margaret Hamburg and Dr. Joshua Sharfstein as commissioner and principal deputy commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Their resumes are extremely impressive and both are familiar with the FDA’s failure to protect the public from foodborne illness.    » read more »

Statement of Sidney Wolfe, M.D., Director, Health Research Group at Public Citizen

March 10, 2009 -- On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) belatedly announced a Class I recall of the Shiley 3.0 PED tracheostomy tube, highlighting the painfully slow and lethargic way that the agency responds to emerging problems with medical devices. This delayed and therefore negligent FDA announcement comes three months after the agency was first aware of problems with the device and two months after the company had warned its customers and begun a recall.    » read more »

March 9, 2009 -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is alerting consumers of a recall involving RECARO “Signo” child safety seats.

RECARO is recalling these convertible child safety seats because the central front adjuster strap on some seats may slip within the metal adjuster (A-Lock) that controls the tightness of the harness straps, thereby preventing those straps from being tightened enough to properly secure a child in the seat. The affected models include RECARO Signo seats manufactured from February through September 2008.

RECARO will replace any defective seat free of charge. For more information, owners may contact the company’s customer service department at 1-888-473-2290 or visit its website at www.recaro.com.    » read more »

Washington, DC - 02/11/2009 - Erik Olson, director of chemical and food safety programs with Pew Health & Human Services Policy, issued the following statement at today’s House Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Hearing on the recent peanut-related salmonella outbreak:

“The ongoing peanut product recall, widespread illnesses, and eight reported deaths highlight yet again that the nation’s food safety net has gaping holes that must be mended. As President Obama recently said, ‘At a bare minimum, we should be able to count on our government keeping our kids safe when they eat peanut butter.’    » read more »