The Agency has issued a second updated Food Alert for Action on the incident concerning the Republic of Ireland recall of all pork and pork products produced from pigs slaughtered in the Republic of Ireland between 1 September 2008 and 7 December 2008, because of contamination of animal feed with dioxins.

Dioxins are chemicals that get into food from the environment and are associated with a range of health effects when there is a long term exposure to them at relatively high levels. Following on from further investigations into traceability of pork, pork products and fat, more distribution information about products from the Republic of Ireland has been made available to UK local authorities.

Local authorities have been sent details of UK companies that have received pork, pork products and fat from meat processors in the Republic of Ireland. Local authorities with responsibility for these premises have been told to take action, if necessary, using the powers under the Food Safety Act 1990. Other local authorities have been asked to have regard to these products being present on the market during their routine inspections.

In the original alert, issued on 9 December, 13 processing establishments in Northern Ireland were initially identified as receiving contaminated pork from the Republic of Ireland. Investigations by district councils with responsibility for these establishments have confirmed that ten establishments have removed affected products from sale. Local authorities have been told no further action is required in relation to these ten establishments. Investigations are continuing in relation to the three remaining establishments in Northern Ireland.

Local authorities have been reminded they should still have regard to the revised actions stated in the previous update, which can be found at the link below, concerning pork, pork products and fat known to have originated from the affected herds in the Republic of Ireland.

Source

Tags: Pork Update, pork chops, Irish

The following product safety recall was voluntarily conducted by the firm in cooperation with the CPSC. Consumers should stop using the product immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Toddler Girl’s Hat and Mitten Sets

Units: About 100

Retailer: Meijer Inc., of Grand Rapids, Mich.

Manufacturer: Aquarius Ltd., of St. Louis, Missouri

Hazard: The magnets in the hat can detach and fall out, posing a choking and aspiration hazard to young children. Magnets found by young children can be swallowed or aspirated. If more than one magnet is swallowed, the magnets can attract each other and cause intestinal perforations or blockages, which can be fatal.

Incidents/Injuries: Meijer has received one report of the magnet separating from the hat. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The recalled hats and mittens have two magnets sewn into each side of the hat and are cotton with pink, lavender, orange and aqua green stripes and various prints. Some of the hat and mittens have dark pink hearts with light pink stripes. “Aquarius LTD” is printed on the tag of the hat and mitten sets.

Sold at: Meijer stores in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky from August 2008 to October 2008 for about $12.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take these hat and mitten sets away from children and return to Meijer store for a refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Meijer at (800) 927-8699 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.aquariusltd.com, or e-mail the firm at marka@aquariusltd.com

Source

Tags: Mitten recall, Hat Recall, Mejier recall, Choking hazard, toddler girl

Found in various rooms of the home, large furniture such as TVs, chests, armoires, and appliances are staples in our homes. But these items can tip over and crush children, causing injury or death. Last year, CPSC identified this issue as one of the “top five hidden home hazards.” A new data report (pdf) from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff shows at least 180 tip-over related deaths between 2000 and 2006, 80 percent involving children younger than 10. The report also indicates that between 2005 and 2006 there were at least 40 reports of television or television and furniture related tip-over deaths.

These deaths and injuries frequently occur when children climb onto, fall against or pull themselves up on television stands, shelves, bookcases, dressers, desks, chests and stove oven doors. Televisions placed on top of furniture can tip over and cause a child to suffer traumatic and sometimes fatal injuries.

“Tip-over related deaths continue to be a problem. These tragedies can be prevented by taking precautions,” said Acting Chairman Nancy Nord.

To help prevent tip-over hazards, CPSC recommends the following safety tips below:

• Verify that furniture is stable on its own. For added security, anchor all entertainment units, TV stands, bookcases, shelving and bureaus to the wall or floor using appropriate hardware, such as brackets, screws, or toggles.
• Place televisions on sturdy furniture appropriate for the size of the TV or on a low-rise base.
• Push the TV as far back as possible from the front of its stand.
• Place electrical cords out of a child’s reach, and teach children not to play with the cords.
• Remove items from the top of the TV and furniture that might tempt kids to climb, such as toys and remote controls.

Water anywhere can be a potential drowning hazard. While pools are an obvious risk, parents should not let their guard down around other hazards such as bathtubs and buckets. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning parents that children need to be supervised around these common but sometimes hidden drowning dangers.

After pools, more children drown in bathtubs than in any other product in and around the home. From 2002 through 2004, CPSC has reports (pdf) of 221 children younger than 5 who drowned in bathing-related incidents. Most of these children were younger than 2 years old. Often these incidents involve caregivers leaving the room momentarily to answer the phone/door or to retrieve an item like a towel. In other incidents, an older sibling was left to watch a younger sibling.

Reported drowning incidents received by CPSC confirms another drowning hazard – buckets. CPSC has reports of 94 bucket-related drowning or submersion fatalities from 1999 through 2006. All but one of these deaths were to children less than 2 years old.

“A child can drown very quickly in only inches of water,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Nancy Nord. “Bathtubs, buckets, and other containers in and around the home pose drowning hazards all year long.”

CPSC recommends parents and caregivers follow these safety tips when children are around bathtubs, buckets, spas, or decorative ponds or fountains:

• Never leave young children alone even for a moment near any water. Young children can drown in even small amounts of water.
• Always keep a young child within arm’s reach in a bathtub. If you must leave, take the child with you. Never leave to answer the phone, answer the door, get a towel or for any other reason.
• Don’t leave a baby or toddler in a bathtub under the care of another young child.
• Never leave a bucket containing even a small amount of liquid unattended. Toddlers can fall headfirst into buckets and drown. After using a bucket, always empty and store it where young children cannot reach it. Don’t leave buckets outside where they can collect rainwater.
• Prevent children from gaining access to spas or hot tubs when not in use; always secure with safety covers and barriers.
• Learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). It can be a lifesaver when there are only seconds to act.

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