Posted on 17th March 2009 by Gordon Johnson in Uncategorized
china imports, chinese imports, chinese product recalls, dangerous imports, lead, lead in childrens products, lead poisoning, lead safety, recalled products, Taiwan imports
Date: 3/17/2009
By The Associated Press
The following recalls have been announced:
— About 827,000 State Farm Good Neigh Bears in the U.S. and Canada, made in China and distributed by State Farm of Bloomington, Ill., because the bears’ eyes can come off, posing a choking hazard to young children. The company has received one report of a bear’s plastic eye detaching and a child placing it in her mouth. No injuries have been reported. The stuffed bears are brown and wear a white and red State Farm shirt. They were given away free through State Farm agents and at State Farm sponsored events from September 2005 through March 2007. Details: by phone at 877-226-8079; by Web at http://tinyurl.com/c2mroj or http://www.cpsc.gov.
— About 1,300 2009 Six 5, Six 6, Six Carbon 5 and Six Carbon 6 bicycles, made in Taiwan and imported by Cannondale Bicycle Corp. of Bethel, Conn., because they don’t have spoke protector discs. This poses a risk of falls. No incidents have been reported. The bicycles were sold by authorized Cannondale dealers around the country between October 2008 and February 2009. Details: by phone at 800-245-3872; by Web at http://www.cannondale.com or http://www.cpsc.gov.
— About 31,000 Nordstrom girl’s shoes, made in China and imported by Nordstrom Inc. of Seattle because surface paint on the outer sole of the shoes contains high levels of lead, which is toxic if ingested by young children. No injuries or incidents have been reported. The recall involves six styles of Nordstrom-brand shoes for girls. They were sold at Nordstrom stores nationwide from September 2006 through last month. Details: by phone at 800-804-0806; by Web at http://www.cpsc.gov.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.
Posted on 6th March 2009 by Gordon Johnson in Uncategorized
chinese ceramics, chinese exports, chinese imports, lead, lead from mexico, lead in ceramics, lead in dishes, lead poisoning, lead safety
Date: 3/6/2009
By The Associated Press
With so much concern paid to toys made in China that contain lead paint, how are we to know that dishes and cookware also made in China are free from lead? Is this dangerous for us?
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Lead in cookware and dishware has been found in ceramics from China, Mexico and India. The lead comes from varnish or glaze that gives the product a shiny finish. If the temperatures used to “cure” or “seal” the varnish are high enough, the cookware will be safe and the metal will not leach into food or liquids.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it tests imported ceramicware to measure whether lead might leach into food. And the FDA has put out alerts warning about excessive lead in ceramicware from China, among other countries.
China has set safety standards on how much lead and other potential toxins are allowed in products. However, with large numbers of small, often loosely run operations in the country focused on cost-cutting and profits as they manufacture everything from ceramics to food, it’s hard to police every step of the process.
The FDA is also involved, but as seen in recent problems with lead paint in toys and other tainted imports, American government agencies lack the manpower to inspect all shipments.
In the absence of firm controls either in China or the U.S., a consumer may be better off buying from large, reputable retailers, which usually do a better job making sure their suppliers observe quality and safety standards.
“More reputable stores would install a tighter quality control system to screen out defective products,” said Chen Shih-Fen, a professor at the University of Western Ontario who specializes in outsourcing interactions between Western buyers and Chinese subcontractors.
In short, there is no sure way to guarantee that the products you are using are completely safe, unless you have them tested. Here are a few home test kits that have been reviewed by Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports: http://sn.im/d81p1. Additionally, here is a page from the National Institutes of Health that outlines the symptoms of lead poisoning and offers resources on what to do if you think you’ve been poisoned: http://sn.im/d81ry.
Audra Ang
Associated Press Writer
Beijing
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.
