Child safety measures for packaging of laundry pods are approved
September 15, 2015, The New York Times
First safety standard for packaging and labeling so-called laundry pods was approved by ASTM, the standards organization. Recommendations were negotiated over the past year by a group of industry representatives, consumer and medical groups, and officials from the CPSC. While the new standard is voluntary, the CPSC may pursue recalls of products that do not meet it.
General Motors to pay $900 million for faulty ignition switches linked to at least 169 deaths
September 18, 2015, The Associated Press, New York Daily News
The penalty allows the company “to fend off criminal prosecution…striking a deal that brought criticism down on the Justice Department for not bringing charges against individual employees.” No employees have been charged “despite evidence that GM’s legal and engineering staffs concealed the problem for nearly a decade.”
CPSC determination regarding heavy elements limits for unfinished and untreated wood in children’s toys
September 4, 2015, CPSC
Due to receipt of significant adverse comments, the CPSC is withdrawing the July 17, 2015 direct final rule determining that unfinished and untreated trunk wood does not contain heavy elements that would exceed the limits specified in the Commission’s toy standard
China tries to extract pledge of compliance from U.S. tech firms
September 16, 2015, The New York Times
Chinese government is using leverage over American technology firms by seeking pledges to policies to turn over data and intellectual property to conform to China’s goals of “not harming national security and not harming consumer rights.“ Pledge document also includes “seemingly innocuous (promises), like guaranteeing product safety, and others less so, like volunteering to check that products are ‘secure and controllable.’ “
Iowa Select Herbs issues a nation-wide recall of its products pursuant to consent decree issued by the federal court for the northern district of Iowa
September 15, 2015, EIN Presswire
The Consent Decree was issued because the company manufactured and distributed unapproved new drugs, misbranded drugs, misbranded dietary supplements and dietary supplements not manufactured in compliance with the current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations for Dietary Supplements and therefore adulterated. The recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
UK: Tainted…supermarkets blamed for ‘astronomical’ fees as cost of product recalls rockets
September 12, 2015, Financial Mail, thisismoney.co.uk
Insurers have covered the risk of product recalls for decades, but the scope of cover has expanded significantly over the past decade. Complexity of a global supply chain is a contributing factor. While food producers are among the biggest users of cover, car makers and toy manufacturers and suppliers of technological goods are increasingly taking out insurance.
California looking at placing glyphosate on carcinogenic list
September 18, 2015, AG Professional
Monsanto offers explanation on the addition of glyphosate to California’s Proposition 65. Company says the sole basis for the state’s decision is the classification by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which agricultural industry challenges. Company says it will provide “detailed scientific information” to California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment during the comment period about the safety of glyphosate.
Posting: Lessons that manufacturers can learn from automotive recall issues
September 9, 2015, Government & Public Affairs
Though highly visible in recent years, recalls are not limited to the automotive industry. Manufacturers in other sectors would do well to heed the lessons that can be learned from watching current events.
Supply chain research studies ways to keep things moving
September 16, 2015, phys.org
Research being done at Penn State Harrisburg involves studying disruptive events, known as “black swans,” and the impact this has on supply chain management of retailers that rely on U.S. ports to import goods. Disruptive events can include labor disputes, weather events, and terrorist threats that require flexibility and keeping options open at all times.
