Cra-Z-Art toy jewelry kits found to have high lead levels; New York AG urges CPSC recall
April 22, 2016, The New York Times
New York State attorney general Eric T. Schneiderman said that his office opened an investigation to determine how toys with dangerously high levels of lead ended up for sale at leading retailers. Some of the jewelry sets from the arts-and-crafts brand Cra-Z-Art contained as much as 10 times the amount permitted by federal safety limits. The attorney general, who has no authority to order a product recall, urged the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue a nationwide recall, which the agency is now looking into according to CPSC Chairman Elliot Kaye.
IKEA issues another safety warning over furniture range after third child is killed
April 20, 2016, WGN-TV
The multinational furniture company first issued a warning about the Malm range back in July, 2015 after two children were killed when drawers and wardrobes fell on them, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. IKEA is investigating the incident, and emphasized that “the best way to prevent tip-over of chests of drawers is to attach products to the wall with the included restraints and hardware per the assembly instructions.”
Editorial: The consumer game of whack-a-mole with chemical dangers
April 23, 2016, Bangor Daily News
An announcement by Campbell Soup Co. in March that it would phase out BPA in all its cans inadvertently highlights the short comings of U.S. chemical regulations. BPA is an endocrine disruptor that can interfere with the reproductive, immune and developmental systems. Now, it turns out, some of the chemicals used in place of BPA also are dangerous, suggesting that testing and disclosures of the risks of alternatives must speed up.
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Auto industry global pressure over emission testing and misleading data
>Volkswagen reaches deal in U.S. over emissions scandal
April 22, 2016, The New York Times
The German automaker agreed to fix or buy back nearly 500,000 diesel cars in the U.S. that are equipped with illegal emission software. But the settlement announced in federal court in San Francisco leaves open numerous legal and financial issues stemming from the carmaker’s admission that it rigged diesel vehicles to cheat on pollution tests. The costs of the recall will be higher than the $7.6 billion Volkswagen initially set aside for the violations, according to one analyst. The car maker announced it has raised this amount to $18 billion.
>VW deal doesn’t fix deeper problems in emissions testing
April 21, 2016, Public Radio International
The framework deal allows owners to choose whether they’d like their cars to be purchased by the carmaker or fixed, but details of the deal between the carmaker and U.S. regulators, including buy back prices, won’t be finalized for weeks. Fees for environmental clean up and a fund to promote green automotive technology that haven’t been set yet will push the total much higher than the $1 billion total expected from compensation for car owners. Despite the deterrent of record high settlement costs, it will still be easy for manufacturers to game the system in an emissions testing process that is flawed.
>Mitsubishi Motors mileage scandal widens, U.S. regulator seeks information
April 22, 2016, Reuters
U. S. auto safety authorities said they were seeking information from the Japanese car manufacturer, as media reports that Mitsubishi submitted misleading data on at least one more model than disclosed and likely several others. Japan’s 6th largest automaker admitted this week that it had overstated the fuel efficiency of 625,000 cars, wiping off around 40% of its market value, or $3.2 billion in 3 days.
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China: An overview of the new food safety law
April 19, 2016, Food Safety Magazine
The revised law came into effect in October, 2015. In December the China Food and Drug Administration published draft amendments to the implementing regulations for public consultation. Among the changes are a new centralized system of enforcement, new record keeping requirements, and registration of food importers, importing agencies, and manufacturers. On line food platforms, health foods, baby foods, and genetically modified foods are among other revisions to be implemented under the new law.
Secure Beginnings, LLC is supporting stricter regulations for crib mattresses after suffocation of 7-month old baby
April 18, 2016, PRNewswire
The Detroit-based manufacturer of breathable crib mattresses is supporting a petition to create higher standards of testing and regulation for baby sleep surfaces. The infant’s family filed the petition following the death that occurred when the infant was put down for a nap in a portable play yard. The cause of death was originally attributed to sudden infant death syndrome, but the family successfully argued in a California court that the cause of death was suffocation from the non-air permeable mattress pad. An $8 million verdict was awarded against Evenflo Co. the product’s manufacturer, in favor of the family.
Trader sold 100 mattresses that didn’t meet fire safety standards
April 14, 2016, Bournemouth Echo
The Trader, who sold the defective mattresses was spared an immediate jail sentence. He was found guilty of supplying two mattresses and possessing 213 mattresses for sale which did not meet the requirements of the British Standard for fire safety. He was also found guilty of an offense under the General Product Safety Regulations as he was unable to identify his supplier of the mattresses to the trading standards service.
EU importers calls for a free trade deal with China
April 21, 2016, euractiv.com
The European Union’s top association of retailers is calling for a free trade agreement with China that “goes against the current political climate in the EU vis-à-vis China.” In a position paper, the Foreign Trade Association states that China accounts for 54 percent of its members’ non food product imports. “At the same time, China is gaining importance as an export and investment destination for FTA members,” the FTA paper says, citing potential benefits of $89 billion to China and $83 billion to the EU.
