The list just keeps expanding. When will people realize it is the source and the process at the source? From today’s AP news wire: Toys and children’s necklaces made in China were recalled Wednesday, including five more items from the popular Thomas Friends Wooden Railway product line, because they contain dangerous levels of lead.RC2 Corp.’s […]

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Reports are out today about bracelets a Boston-based charity used contain lead. The reports include information about a 9-month old baby getting lead poisoning after accidentally ingesting one of the bracelets. Lead poisoning can lead to brain damage, particularly in children. The bracelets came from the Friends of Mel Foundation which got the bracelets from […]

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The California state Department of Public Health thought it was doing a good thing by giving out lunch boxes to school children in order to promote healthy eating. One thing happened though on the way to helping children, the lunch boxes were painted using lead paint. Where did they come from? One guess – China. […]

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The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) issued an alert about more cases of sick dogs that they believe are linked to jerky pet food treats sourcing from China. The AVMA alert indicates that: multiple brands of jerky treats manufactured in China have been making pets sick. Symptoms of illness have included vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy. […]

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Obviously we’re making an impact on China. From the headlines in US newspapers one could believe China is really going to change. NOT Just as these articles are appearing in US newspapers, there is a related article sourcing from Beijing (our emphasis added): BEIJING (XFN-ASIA) – China has warned domestically-registered companies that they are not […]

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Reuters reported yesterday that China’s President was ready to boost international co-operation. Don’t you believe it. The top can say all it wants. It can agree all it wants but the underlying culture is the problem. China’s a great country but they are early in their movement to market capitalism. Right now it is their […]

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Wednesday September 5, 2:57 am ET By Anne D’Innocenzio, AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Mattel Inc.’s reputation took another hit after the world’s largest toy maker announced a third major recall of Chinese-made toys in little more than a month because of excessive amounts of lead paint. The latest action, which involved about […]

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The systems designed to protect us were developed in a different era for a different era. Agencies such as the Consumer Protection or Food and Drug Administration were built when products were made in the local country. We need a new approach that represents the current situation where products are sourced from around the world. […]

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You know something is dramatically wrong with our consumer protection system when the specialized business press starts to write about it. Business Week recently reported that the Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC, is More Paper Tiger than Watchdog. Besides pointing out that it is understaffed and underfunded, something that is true regardless of the […]

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Light is finally being shined onto the dark aspects of current federal practice. As we increasingly source products globally we are actually reducing the oversight and inspection given to products coming from other countries the NY Times reports. …Consumer advocates say the increased recalls and hazard reports make a different case: that too many flawed […]

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