Defective & Dangerous Products

• More Tainted Beef Recalled

  David Rowell | October 07, 2007 1:00 PM | 0 CommentsFresno, CA

  About ten days ago consumers saw Topps Meat Company of New Jersey recall almost 22 million poinds of frozen ground beef patties, the second-larges ground beef recall in U.S. history, followed by Topps closure late last week. That recall was followed by a small recall by Impero Food & Meats, Inc., of Baltimore, Maryland. What was troubling about the Impero meat recall was that the same organism...

• Huge Recall by CPSC for Lead Danger

  David Rowell | October 07, 2007 7:01 AM | 0 CommentsFresno, CA

  The Consumer Products Safety Commission on Thursday may have hit a new high-water mark for defective and dangerous product recalls based on violation of the lead standard. On October 4 alone, the CPSC announced: the recall of about 150,000 bookmarks and journals that contain lead; the recall of almost 200,000 toy key chains containing high levels of lead; the recall of about 15,000 toy...

• Topps Meat Closes After E. coli Contamination

  David Rowell | October 06, 2007 7:00 AM | 0 CommentsFresno, CA

  Last week, almost 22 million pounds of tainted ground beef, produced by Topps Meat Company of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was recalled by the USDA, the second-largest beef recall in U.S. history. On Friday, the CDC announced that an E. coli outbreak in 8 states, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania, was linked to Topps Brand Ground Beef. The recalled beef...

• Children's Toys With Lead Paint Recalled

  David Rowell | October 04, 2007 7:00 AM | 0 CommentsFresno, CA

  The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the voluntary recall of about 350,000 children's gardening tools and chairs due to a violation of the lead paint standard. The defective products, made in Taiwan, are imported and sold nationwide by Taget, of Minneapolis, Minnesota. According to CSPC's press release, the surface paint on the toys contains excessive levels of lead, which poses...

• USDA Expands Ground Beef Recall for E. Coli

  David Rowell | October 03, 2007 1:00 PM | 0 CommentsFresno, CA

  The USDA recently announced an expanded recall of certain ground beef products due to possible contamination with E. coli bacteria. The recall concerns 21.7 million pounds of frozen ground beef produced by Topps Meat Company of Elizabeth, New Jersey.This is an expansion of a recall originally announced on September 25, 2007. The USDA issued the expanded recall because the New York Health...

• Fresno Man Killed in Collapse of Trailer

  David Rowell | October 03, 2007 7:00 AM | 0 CommentsFresno, CA

  Chris Beintker, 52, of Fresno, was killed Monday night when a trailer at his east-Fresno home collapsed as he was working underneath it. According to news reports, Fresno County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene, where Beintker was found pinned underneath the trailer. It is not clear whether the trailer, a jack or some other defective product collapsed, killing Beintker.For more...

• CPSC Recalls Millions of Toys for Lead Paint Violation

  David Rowell | October 02, 2007 1:00 PM | 0 CommentsFresno, CA

  In June, the Consumer Products Safety Commission announced the recall of about 1.5 million defective products, toys, for violation of the lead paint standard, which poses very serious health risks to children. The recall concerned "Thomas & Friends" wooden railway toys manufactured in China and imported by RC2 Corporation of Oak Brook, Illinois. Last week the CPSC announced the recall of an...

• Doll Strollers Recalled After Child's Finger Severed

  David Rowell | October 01, 2007 11:14 AM | 0 CommentsFresno, CA

  The Consumer Products Safety Commission has announced the voluntary recall of children's doll strollers by Lan Enterprises, of Beverton, Oregon. The strollers, sold by Pottery Barn Kids, pose a risk of finger amputation for children. Pottery Barn Kids has received reports of three serious injuries, including one partial finger amputation on a 2 year old boy. CPSC cautions consumers to...

• CSPC Recalls Defective Product

  David Rowell | September 13, 2007 9:32 PM | 0 CommentsFresno, CA

  On Thursday, the Consumer Products Safety Commission announced the voluntary recall of the "IT400 Iced Tea Maker." The defective product, sold at Bon-Ton Department Stores, the JCPenney catalog, and hardware stores nationwide, is a danger to consumers because of a risk of fire. The machine was manufactured in China and was sold between April and July of this year. Consumers should immediately...

• Food Safety Inspections No Better After E. coli Deaths

  David Rowell | September 13, 2007 8:54 PM | 0 CommentsFresno, CA

  Last year, a deadly contamination of spinach by E. coli bacteria led to the death of 3 people and more than 200 sick. Following the outbreak there were widespread calls for better testing of companies handling leafy greens. That hasn't happened, though; State inspectors in California have not been given authority to conduct better inspections, and federal inspections are at the same pre-outbreak...