Business/Law
Posted on June 13, 2011 in Business/Law, Consumer Goods, FDA, Health & Medicine, Recalls
- Toyota Motor Corp. recalled 50 Venza and Sienna vehicles after determining that they had been equipped with faulty drive shafts.
- The Walnut Cheese Company, doing business as Avanti Foods at 109 Depot St. in Walnut, Ill., voluntarily recalled mozzarella cheese manufactured April 21 because it may contain antibiotic residues.
- Bell Sports recalled 33,600 bicycle helmets sold at WalMart and online at Amazon.com because a plastic chin strap buckle can break.
- Hewlett-Packard has, for the third time, expanded a recall of laptop batteries for HP and Compaq computers. The batteries can overheat and burn customers.
- Some Heinz Strained Meat baby food products are being recalled due to a problem with their glass containers. The glass could break off during normal use.
- Toyota recalled 106,000 first-generation Prius cars for faulty steering due to a nut that may come loose.
- Kahn Enterprises has recalled its Beeni Baby Hats due to an asphyxiation hazard.
- Remote control model helicopters made by Horizon Hobby Inc. are being recalled due to a laceration hazard.
- Gripper Shaker musical instruments imported by Woodstock Percussion Inc. are being recalled because the handle can separate from the shaker, exposing a rough edge and posing a laceration hazard.
- Elna sewing machines imported by Janome America Inc. are being recalled because the wiring inside the machine may short circuit, causing a fire.
Posted on June 8, 2011 in Business/Law, Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine, Parenting, Recent Studies
The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to replace the food pyramid with a plate icon in the upcoming week, a source told CNN Saturday. The new image is intended to help make Americans make healthier choices with food.
The Food Guide Pyramid was introduced in 1992, and was replaced in 2005 by MyPyramid. The original version displays grains, vegetables and fruit at the bottom of the pyramid, suggesting that they should be eaten often. Foods to be eaten sparingly, like meats and dairy, were found towards the top of the pyramid. The 2005 version had vertical, rather than horizontal, blocks representing the various food groups. It also displayed a figure stepping up the side of the pyramid as a reminder to exercise.
The pyramid image has been criticized as confusing for consumers, as well as not providing important distinctions between fruits and vegetables and poultry and red meat. The USDA said in a statement this week that the new food icon would be “part of a comprehensive nutrition communication initiative that provides consumers with easy-to-understand recommendations, a new website with expanded information, and other tools and resources.”
Posted on June 2, 2011 in Business/Law, Consumer Goods, Technology
A new iPhone application will allow anyone with a mobile phone to receive payments from chip-enabled credit or debit cards. The app is set to launch in Sweden next month.
Swedish startup iZettle is behind the new technology, designed to empower the 20 million small businesses around Europe that are currently only able to accept cash payments. CEO and co-founder Jacob de Greer told the Wall Street Journal: “If you are a plumber or an electrician, you could take a payment there and then, rather than have to invoice your customer and then wait for days for them to pay you.”
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey has already launched a similar product in the U.S. called Square. Most U.S. debit and credit cards still rely on swiping magnetic strips as opposed to chip cards, so the iZettle version is viewed as more secure.
The app also allows customers to email a receipt to themselves and share news of their purchase via their Facebook account.
Posted on May 28, 2011 in Business/Law, Consumer Goods, FDA, Recalls
It gets your hair sleek and shiny, but is it worth the health risk? Members of Congress are requesting that the FDA issue a recall of the popular hair straightening treatment sold in salons under the name of Brazilian Blowout, after concerns about unusually high levels of formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde is considered a suspected carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency. An Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) study measured samples of two products and found that they contained average formaldehyde levels of 8% for the Brazilian Blowout Solution and 8.8% for the Brazilian Blowout Acai Professional Smoothing Solution. The latter product is labeled “formaldehyde free.” Oregon OSHA requires companies to disclose formaldehyde levels of more than 0.1%.
Lawmakers are asking that the FDA test chemical hair straighteners and recall those that have unusually high levels of formaldehyde. The FDA is currently collecting and evaluating data on the straighteners, and encourages consumers to report complaints to the products on its website.
Posted on May 26, 2011 in Business/Law, Parenting, Technology
The Consumer Union is urging stronger protections for underage users of Facebook, worried that preteens may not understand the implications of sharing photos and other personal information. In a letter to Facebook, the Consumer Union requested that the social media giant beef up security measures to keep kids under 13 off the site.
Facebook’s current policy is that users must be at least 13 years old, but the rule is rarely followed. Consumer Reports conducted a survey last month that found as many as 7.5 million children under 13 had active accounts. Federal law places restrictions on websites that collect personal information from preteens.
According to an article published in Fortune magazine, Mark Zuckerberg thinks the site should be available to children younger than 13 as an educational tool. He told the magazine that education should be started at a “really, really young age.”
A congressional hearing on the topic of underage Facebook users found that it was “indefensible” that Facebook had only 100 employees monitoring the activities of millions of users. The company depends on other users to report underage users. Consumers Union called for Facebook to make the default setting for underage users “friends only,” instead of automatically making information public to all 16,900 people on the site.
Posted on May 24, 2011 in Business/Law, Health & Medicine
A government audit of seven hospitals uncovered a patient’s worst nightmare: 151 security weaknesses that leave online medical records exposed. Two reports released by the inspector general of the Health and Human Services Department show that the drive to connect hospitals and doctors so that they can electronically share patient medical information has a series of security breaches that could leave it open to hackers.
The information typically includes identifiers such as names, birth dates and Social Security numbers that can be used to steal identities or send false hospital bills. The reports stressed that the security gaps need to be addressed quickly in order to “ensure a secure environment for health data.”
The auditors found that the government agency encouraging the nation to move towards electronic records does have some safety procedures in place. However, the agency has not issued general security requirements for the computer systems at the hospitals and at doctors’ offices, where information could plausibly be stored.
Auditors also determined that 4 out of the 5 types of security weaknesses discovered could be classified as “high impact,” meaning that they could result in losses of valuable information that could even lead to severe injury or death. The hospitals where the breaches were found are located in California, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, and Texas, but have not been identified due to the possibility of hackers using the information.
Posted on May 16, 2011 in Business/Law, Consumer Goods, FDA, Health & Medicine, Parenting, Recalls, Recent Studies, Technology
- Research in Motion is recalling 1,000 PlayBook tablets sold at Staples stores after discovering that some of the tablets cannot properly install setup software.
- Rose & Shore, a supplier to Togo’s Sandwiches, is recalling 15900 pounds of pastrami meat after discovering Listeria Monocytogenes in one lot.
- Telstar Products recalled 317,000 of its Telstar and Electra brand energy-saving lightbulbs because they can overheat and cause fires.
- Janssen, a unit of J&J, is recalling four batches of the HIV/AIDS drug Prezista over a “musty smell.”
- Retailer Meijer Inc. recalled infant slipper socks that could lose an attached ball and pose a choking hazard.
- General Motors recalled 136,500 of its 2011 model year of Chevrolet Cruze, GMC Savana and Chevrolet Express vehicles in three recalls.
- The CPSC reissued a 2009 recall for Maclaren umbrella strollers because 37 people have been hurt since the initial recall. The recall includes all Maclaren strollers sold before November 2009.
- Bimbo Bakeries USA Inc. recalled certain lots of Entenmann’s bagged Pop’Ems Doughnuts and Bimbo brand 8-pack Donitas sold in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming after receiving complaints of a foul odor and consumers suffering from diarrhea and nausea after eating them.
- UJ Trading recalled 18.500 Danbar Knight Hawk Toy Helicopters because the battery can overheat when charging, creating a fire hazard.
- Goodness Gardens Inc. recalled a single lot of chives because it may be contaminated with Listeria Monocytogenes. Included in the recall is lot number 0201111 with the date of May 6, 2011, on it.
Posted on May 14, 2011 in Business/Law, Health & Medicine
Johnson & Johnson and other drug makers will revamp the pain drug acetaminophen in an effort to curb accidental overdoses, switching to a single concentration in over-the-counter remedies for children.
The companies plan to voluntarily discontinue the more concentrated infant drops and sell just a single concentration of infants’ and children’s medicines containing acetaminophen. The appropriate dose will still vary by age of the child.
Acetaminophen is the most commonly used drug to treat fevers and pains in children. According to a 2008 study, 23% of caregivers had given infants under 2 years of age a single-ingredient acetaminophen medicine during the previous week.
This is the latest in a series of steps taken by Johnson & Johnson to quell consumer concerns in the wake of numerous recalls. In another meeting later this month, the company is expected to discuss adding to the labels to include dosing instructions based on children’s weight.
The medicines currently come in different concentrations depending on whether they are intended for adults or children. The variations in concentrations have occasionally confused parents, leading to overdoses.
Posted on May 3, 2011 in Business/Law
The Federal Trade Commission is filing suit against 10 companies that allegedly posed as legitimate news websites in order to market acai berry weight-loss products. According to the report, the sites often borrow the names of major news outlets like CNN and ABC while publishing articles that describe a reporter’s “experience” with acai berry supplements. The fake news sites often make claims that the reporter lost 25 pounds in a matter of weeks.
The FTC complaints detail how the defendants post ads on search engines and high-volume websites that drive traffic to the fake news sites. The news sites then link to other sites where merchants sell the products. The FTC said it has received complaints from consumers who paid between $70 and $100 for weight-loss products after they were deceived by fake news sites.
The FTC filed five of its cases in U.S. District Court of Northern Illinois and the rest in other federal courts, asking that the defendants be prevented from making false claims and customers reimbursed. So far, judges in seven of the 10 cases have entered injunctions prohibiting the practices while also requiring the defendants to preserve their assets and give the FTC a full accounting of products sold and revenue collected.
Posted on April 30, 2011 in Business/Law, Health & Medicine, Parenting
McDonald’s Corp. says a lawsuit seeking to stop the fast food chain from providing toys in its Happy Meals should be dismissed because parents can choose not to buy the meal for children. According to the lawsuit, McDonald’s uses the toys to lure kids into the chain restaurant.
The plaintiff, Monet Parham of Sacramento, California, says that McDonald’s is violating California consumer protection laws by offering the meals. Parham isn’t the first to criticize the highly successful Happy Meals: other parents, health experts and lawmakers say that the marketing strategy might encourage childhood obesity.
McDonald’s contends that Parham was not misled by advertising of the Happy Meals, nor did she rely on any information from McDonald’s. The hamburger giant had the case moved to federal court, although the plaintiff wants the case back in front of a California judge.
If Parham wins the lawsuit, it could be a groundbreaking development in the U.S. food industry. Obesity-related lawsuits have been defeated for years, aided by some state laws that ban such lawsuits.
