May 2009
29 posts
Chinese authorities vow to ensure food safety as... →
BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) — Chinese authorities Sunday pledged to use the new Food Safety Law as a platform to intensify monitoring and law enforcement, hoping to curb repeated food scandals battering the industry’s reputation and consumer confidence.
AFP: China-made children's products unsafe: state... →
BEIJING (AFP) — Nearly half of the clothing and a third of the furniture made for children in China’s top manufacturing province is unsafe, with many products containing harmful chemicals, state media said.
The Price of Cheap: When China's Products Fail,... →
It was a David and Goliath battle from the beginning: a small American photo paper distributor suing the largest national photosensitive materials manufacturer in China. Only this time, David may come up short.
“I cannot agree with some foreign media allegations that China has become a major...”
– Bian Zhenjia, deputy commissioner of the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA)
AFP: China defends safety of drug exports →
BEIJING (AFP) — Chinese pharmaceutical exports are safe, a senior official said Tuesday, dismissing media reports that the country was a major exporter of fake or shoddy drugs as “sensational.”
Product safety law too costly, manufacturers say -... →
Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act in August 2008 in response to the discovery of high lead content in toys imported from China. But U.S. businesses contend the law has made it impossible for them to sell products that pose no health threat to children.
“I fear that we may just be at the tip of the iceberg on what could be a natural...”
– Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va
Senators express outrage over Chinese drywall -... →
Several U.S. senators expressed outrage over problems associated with Chinese drywall during a Senate subcommittee hearing Thursday.
Senate Chinese Drywall Hearing Yields Few Answers →
Lawmakers on a Senate subcommittee got to hear first-hand yesterday about problems associated with defective Chinese drywall. Officials from federal agencies, including the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), as well as homeowners who are dealing with Chinese drywall in their homes, were among those who testified at the Senate’s first-ever hearing about the growing, national problem....
Small businesses seek relief from product safety... →
Small manufacturers pleaded with Congress for relief from a law that made millions of dollars’ worth of products illegal in February because they might contain excessive levels of lead and industrial compounds known as phthalates.
Concern, scrutiny growing on Capitol Hill over... →
ASHINGTON — Senators and federal regulators joined today in efforts to resolve health and structural problems linked to the use of Chinese drywall in thousands of new homes.
Robin Wilson: If These Dry-Walls Could Talk ! →
Drywall…a basic necessity for a typical home - but what if those walls were corroding your appliances, electrical wire and causing your family to have respiratory problems or to flee due to chemical smells?
Is your leather sofa making you sick?: Consumer... →
We’ve been following some interesting safety news from across the pond. The BBC News in the United Kingdom has been reporting that more than 1,600 people have suffered skin rashes and chemical burns from their new Chinese-made leather sofas. Reports say that one person has died.
Chinese Poison Train: Use Free Trade To Promote... →
National Journal has an interesting article about the intersection of free trade and globalization with increased food safety abroad and at home. Rather than reject shipments of Chinese fish for being raised in disgusting environments, the US should require trading partners to set and enforce their own strict food safety standards and use globalization as a way to promote better standards...
“We now know there are three things in there that aren’t in other drywall...”
– Sen. Bill Nelson, Florida Democrat
Nelson: Chinese drywall tests confirm differences... →
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tests of high-sulfur Chinese drywall have confirmed differences between the imported material and U.S.-made drywall, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said Tuesday.
Fake cigarettes, fake smoke, real nicotine --... →
From a distance, it looks like Tal Broustin is lighting up a cigarette, right in the middle of Arundel Mills, a clear no-no. And he is trying to get others to take drags, too, luring passersby to his kiosk by asking if they are trying to quit smoking.
“It could be months before we can confidently address the scientific...”
– U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Chinese drywall concerns head to Capitol Hill -... →
The first congressional hearings on Chinese drywall will be held on Capitol Hill next week.
HP Battery Recall - WSJ.com →
WASHINGTON (AFP)—Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) is recalling some 70,000 batteries for notebook computers because of a fire hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Thursday.
China's food export back to growth in... →
BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) — China’s food export reached 2.62 billion U.S. dollars in March, up 8.9 percent from a year earlier, presenting the first year-on-year growth in the last five months, said General Administration of Customs (GAC) here on Monday.
E-cigs gain ground amid safety concerns --... →
BEIJING - With its slim white body and glowing amber tip, it can easily pass as a regular cigarette. It even emits what look like curlicues of white smoke.
China's Bad Medicine - WSJ.com →
hina has had more than its share of embarrassing — and in some cases, deadly — incidents of drug quality. In January this year, two people died and nine were hospitalized after using counterfeit diabetes drugs in Xinjiang province. In 2007 and early 2008, a dangerous chemical was intentionally added to heparin, the widely used blood thinner, to fool quality tests. The allergic...
“I share your concerns and can assure you that EPA is working with our federal...”
– EPA administrator, Lisa Jackson
EPA taking defective drywall issue seriously, feds... →
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has outlined to Gov. Charlie Crist its plans to investigate defective drywall, including ongoing analysis of drywall samples sent from Florida and work to develop an indoor sampling plan.
China: Blast at illegal fireworks factory kills 13... →
Chinese state media say an explosion in an illegal fireworks factory has killed 13 people and injured two.
Under armored: Recall of athletic cups makes a lot... →
Don’t you just hate it when a product is recalled because it fails to do the very thing it was created to do? Take this week’s recall of 211,000 athletic cups by Under Armour because they can break if hit. Ouch. Under armored indeed!