Posts Tagged ‘consumer news’

The death of a 3-year-old boy whose sweatshirt drawstrings became tangled in playground equipment has prompted the voluntary recall of 300,000 similar sweatshirts by Hill Sportswear, Inc.

Officially named “Kid Pullover Hood Sweatshirt” and “Kid Zipper Sweatshirt with Hood,” the sweatshirts in question are not defective or illegal in their design, but do present a danger similar to that outlined by the Consumer Product Safety Commission in its 1996 guidelines to help prevent such strangulation injuries and deaths due to neck and waist drawstrings.

The recalled sweatshirts were sold in California and Texas at numerous small retail shops between August 1999 and December 2008. Cost was approximately $8.

The serious nature of the hazard posed by these garments is such that parents should immediately remove the drawstrings or return the clothing to the place of purchase or to Hill Sportswear for a refund.  Hill sportswear can be reached at (877) 322-8760.

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury, illness or death in connection with the use of a hazardous product, call VanDerGinst Law at 1-866-843-7367 or receive a FREE online case evaluation from a Chicago hazardous product attorney. The initial consultation is free of charge. If we agree to handle your injury case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if, and when, there is a money recovery for you. In many cases a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. So please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.

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While it remains to be seen if negligence or strict liability come into play, in what is certainly a case of hazardous products, products containing peanut butter and peanut paste or sauce are continuing to disappear from store shelves, but not because consumers are buying them. More and more chains and stores are electing to participate in voluntary recall of these products, which follows a warning by the FDA for consumers to avoid peanut butter/paste products while the probe into a salmonella outbreak continues.

While the agency has reported that jars of peanut butter on the shelves seem to be safe, the health warning has focused on other products made with peanuts: crackers, cookies or ice cream.

So far the outbreak is reported to have affected 43 states and Canada, with six deaths and 470 non-fatal cases of illness from the bacterium Salmonella Typhimurium, the most common strain of salmonella.

The FDA probe is focused on foods which contain peanut products that originated in a Blakely, Ga., facility owned by Peanut Corp. of America. While several major companies have announced recalls of their products due to the use of Peanut Corp peanuts (see list at the end of this article), other major brands have announced that their products are safe, as they do not buy from Peanut Corp. This latter group includes ConAgra (whose Peter Pan brand of peanut butter caused a salmonella outbreak several years ago), J.M. Smucker, Russell Stover Candies, and ABC Bakers/Interbake Foods (makers of Girl Scout Cookies).

For its part, Peanut Corp. of America has issued a wider recall for products and lot numbers relating to peanut butter/paste products manufactured on or after July 1, 2008, at the plant.
As of 1/20/09, these are the latest recalls:

• Abbott Nutrition of Columbus, Ohio, recalled ZonePerfect Chocolate Peanut Butter bars, ZonePerfect Peanut Toffee bars and NutriPals Peanut Butter Chocolate nutrition bars. The products were sold in the United States, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore.
• Clif Bar & Co., of Berkeley, Calif., recalled Clif and Luna brand bars made with peanut butter, which are sold throughout the United States.
• Kroger Co., of Cincinnati, recalled Private Selection Peanut Butter Passion Ice Cream, sold in some but not all of their stores.
• Hy-Vee Inc., of Des Moines, which distributes in several states in the Midwest, recalled various bakery products containing peanut butter.
• McKee Foods Corp. of Collegedale, Tenn., has recalled Little Debbie Peanut Butter Toasty and Peanut Butter Cheese Sandwich Crackers.
• Meijer Inc. of Grand Rapids, Mich., is pulling back two types of crackers and two varieties of ice cream sold in five states at its stores and at gas stations.
• The South Bend Chocolate Co., of South Bend, Ind., is recalling assorted chocolates, valentine hearts, peanut butter fudge and peanut butter chocolate fudge.
• Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products Inc. of Downer’s Grove, Ill., has recalled all Food Lion and Wal-Mart Bakery brands of peanut butter cookies, peanut butter no-bake cookies and peanut butter fudge no-bake cookies. It is also recalling its nationally distributed Lofthouse brand versions of those cookies as well as Parco Foods’ Chuck’s Chunky brand of peanut butter cookies and Pastries Plus gourmet cookies.
• General Mills of Minneapolis is recalling two flavors of snack bars: Larabar Peanut Butter Cookie snack bars and JamFrakas Peanut Butter Blisscrisp snack bars.
• Safeway, of Westmont, Ill., recalled Ready Pack Eating Right Kids Apples with Peanut Butter and Orchard Valley Harvest’s Organic Bark Peanut Butter Cookies and Cream, according to the Associated Press.
• Perry’s Ice Cream, of Buffalo, N.Y., announced a voluntary recall of select ice cream products containing peanut butter sauce, which were distributed in five states.
• Food Lion, of Salisbury, N.C., with stores in the southeast and mid-Atlantic states, has removed Bake Shop peanut butter cookies from its shelves.

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American workers can expect barely-there pay raises in the coming year, with employers reacting to the recession by cutting costs. CNN reports that a newly-published study by Hewitt Associates has found that of 640 large companies surveyed, 50% report plans to reduce labor costs. Twenty-five percent of employers reported considering cuts.The businesses surveyed represent upwards of 13.5 million workers. The reduction in raises could therefore affect 7 to 10 million employees.

After reductions, raises are expected to come in at less than 3%. This is the lowest in the 32 year history of the survey. Raise projections from July estimated 2009 raises would approach 4%; current estimates are closer to 2.5%.

The survey includes information about specific industries whose raises will be especially small: the automotive industry (1.4%), education (2.3%), and finance (2.9%). Industries bucking the trend and projecting larger raises include construction and engineering (4.5%), research (4%), and pharmaceuticals (3.9%).

With across-the-board raises looking so dismal, performance-based rewards and bonuses are already operating or are being implemented by 93% of the companies surveyed.

That is not to say that these incentive-based pay programs will not see cuts as well. Survey findings indicate that these programs will fall to 11.1% of payrolls for salaried exempt employees from a projected 12.1% in July (5.7% from 6.1% for non-exempt employees).

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With the cooperation of the J.C. Penney Corporation, located in Plano, TX, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a voluntary recall of the Arizona(r) Newborn and Infant Denim Pants. Consumers in possession of this product are advised to stop using it immediately.

Approximately 24,000 units of the Arizona(r) Newborn and Infant Denim Pants are being recalled from the market due to a metal snap at the waist of the pants. This snap may detach and pose a choking hazard to infants. There have been no reported incidents or injuries related to this product.

The Arizona(r) brand newborn and infant girl’s and boy’s denim pants were sold in sizes 0-3 months, 3-6 months and 6-9 months. The products were manufactured in multiple locations, but only those pants produced in Bangladesh are affected this this recall. Country of origin can be located on a label sewn into the waistband.

This product was sold nationwide for about $15 at JCPenney stores and www.jcp.com beginning in July 2008. To remedy this situation, consumers are advised to immediately stop using the recalled pants and return them to any JCPenney store for a full refund. Any pants purchased online may be returned for a full refund to the Catalog Desk at any JCPenney store.

For more information, consumer may contact JCPenney toll-free at (888) 333-6063 anytime or visit JCPenney’s Web site at www.jcp.com. Additional information on this product is available through the CPSC at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09056.html

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The heating season is upon us again, and with fuel prices continuing to climb, many households turn to space heaters to keep the temperature tolerable without breaking the bank. However, space heaters require more attention and responsibility to operate than a furnace or boiler. It is estimated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission that space heaters are associated with more than 25,000 residential fires every year. These fires result in more than 300 deaths. Additionally, approximately 6,000 people receive emergency room care for burn injuries associated with contacting the hot surfaces of space heaters, mostly in non-fire situations.

Different models of space heaters burn different fuels, including wood, kerosene, and gas. Each have their own safety rules, including the most popular model of space heater: electric.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission offers these general guidelines for space heater use: (more…)

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Menards has announced the recall of approximately 42,000 units of the MasterForce 3.6-volt Cordless Screwdriver due to a potential fire and burn hazard. The recall is effective immediately.

The Menards Company, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, imports the products from the Great Star Industry Co., of China. The screwdrivers were manufactured without any protective device on the lithium battery, creating the potential for overheating and fire during charging.

To date, three reports of fires have been received. Minor injuries, including burns to the hands and temporary hearing loss,  were also reported.

The recalled cordless screwdrivers are described as (more…)

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Accessory bags for children’s cosmetics have been recalled due to the presence of high levels of lead in the bag’s handle clasps.  These clasps pose a poisoning risk if swallowed.  It is reported that just under one million units (about 945,000) are part of this recall.  The bags were sold under the Bonne Bell name at retail stores nationwide and at Bonne Bell’s website from September 2007 through August 2008 for about $9.

Consumers can recognize the products by the name Bonne Bell Children’s Cosmetics Accessory Bags, as well as through the description below.  Please note that the cosmetic products sold inside of the bag are not part of this recall.  The products were originally manufactured in China.  To date, there have been no reports of injuries or incidents.  This is a voluntary recall.  Please refer to the following information for positive identification of these products: (more…)

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A voluntary recall has been issued for 12-cup Kenmore coffee makers, model numbers 100.80006, 100.81006, and 100.82006. Kenmore Elite models 100.90007 and 100.90006 are also included in the recall. This recall has been reported by the CPSC. Consumers are instructed to stop using these hazardous products immediately due to overheating risks and fire hazards. Products should be (more…)

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