Home Depot sold items under recall, commission and company say
November 18, 2015, NJ.com
The home supply retailer and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that 28 products were sold by the retailer after they were subject to recalls. More than 2,300 affected units were sold between 2012 and this year, with about 1,300 going to consumers and the remainder to recyclers and salvagers who may have sold them.
Collaborating Across Borders: North American regulators working together to protect children from harmful toys
November 19, 2015, PRNewswire/CPSC news release
CPSC leadership met this with week in Mexico City with top regulators from Health Canada and the Mexico’s Consumer Protection Federal Agency (PROFECO) and promises to continue its push to keep unsafe children’s products off the market. The three jurisdictions vow to maintain their efforts at joint collaboration in industry training, consumer outreach and education, and trilateral product recall announcements, as well as in oversight of product safety chains and timely response to emerging hazards.
Automakers to Congress: Stay away from the ‘Internet of cars’
November 18, 2015, The Hill
Major car makers will be telling Congress “to keep its distance as the industry evolves to take advantage of the ‘Internet of cars’ “ in scheduled testimony this week. Representatives of Toyota, Tesla, and GM will tout the safety and comfort benefits of increasingly connected cars, under the shadow of 1.4 million Chrysler vehicles being recalled when researchers found a flaw that allowed them to remotely hack into vehicles.
Additive manufacturing will bring product power to the individual
November 20, 2015, engineeringnews.com
A team of South African researchers has been exploring the ramification of 3D printing and its potential to completely change the relationships between individual consumers, professional designers, and manufacturers. While the combination of 3D printing and the internet is clearing the way for revolutionary development, the researchers are also examining the impact this could have on functionality, reliability, and safety.
Report: Household furnishings, children’s products top consumer product recalls
November 20, 2015, manufacturing.net
Nearly two-thirds of all consumer product recalls in the third quarter consisted of household furnishings, children’s products, and clothing. The latest Stericycle recall index attributed 44% of recalls issued by the CPSC between July and September to furnishing, fixtures, appliances and housewares.
Global supply chain risks remain high
November 20, 2015, continuity.com
Global supply chain risk remained “stubbornly high” in Q3 2015 Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply Chain Risk Index, powered by Dunn & Bradstreet, as interconnected geopolitical developments threaten to redraw the supply chain map. The reliability of global supply chains has been undermined by the rise of radical Islam, a more assertive Russia, unstable commodity prices, and the prolonged fallout from the 2008 economic crisis.
What the future of product safety looks like
October 23, 2015, chainstoreage.com
Behind the scenes a tremendous amount of effort takes place to deliver on consumer expectations for safe products purchased during their holiday shopping. Delivering on this expectation requires clear standards, effective communications, a culture of compliance, and tight coordination, according to government, retail, and technology leaders in a recent industry webinar.
Chemical contaminants in foods–health risks and public perception
November 19, 2015, phys.org
A transition in the food industry due to globalization is creating challenges for food manufacturers, regulators, and consumers as well. Challenges include the interdependence of nations when sourcing and producing food, supply chain integrity issues, and the wider variety of chemical contaminants that raise consumer fears despite regulations that are in place to protect individuals.
Confidence in the European single market
November 15, 2015, Times of Malta
The 2015 edition of the Consumer Conditions Scoreboard analyzes how the single market is working for Europeans, as well as constraints hindering its full function. While the scoreboard reveals that retailers were not always aware of their legal obligations towards consumers, it also reports that consumer trust in public authorities is at 61% in the EU, and 69% among Maltese consumers.
F.D.A. takes issue with the term ‘Non-G.M.O.’
November 20, 2015, The New York Times
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues in its stance of not mandating disclosure of genetically modified ingredients on labels, which has added confusion to the mix for consumers and for most and for most companies that are voluntarily including more information on their packaging. The agency would prefer labels that say something like “not bioengineered” because it feels that the term “G.M.O. conveys an overly broad and inaccurate meaning when applied to food products.”
