85 million more Takata airbags may face recall
April 14, 2016, Time
There are still 85 million Takata airbag inflaters in American cars that the company may have to recall if their safety cannot be proven, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has said. Since 2014, 28 million cars have been recalled due to inflaters that have a tendency to explode and send metal or glass shrapnel shooting at car passengers. There are inflater links to 11 deaths and at least 100 injuries, the most recent event occurring several weeks ago, taking the life of a 17 year old.

California proposes Prop 65 MADL for ethylene glycol
April 15, 2016, National Law Review
The California Environmental Protection’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment proposed a Proposition 65 Maximum Allowable Dose Level (MADL) for oral exposure of 8,700 micrograms per day. Ethylene Glycol, a substance used in the production of several packaging materials, was added to the list of chemicals known to the State of California to cause reproductive toxicity under Prop. 65 on June 19, 2015.

Glyphosate: authorize for just seven years and professional use only, urge MEPs
April 13, 2016, European Parliament News
In a resolution passed by European Parliament Members, the EU Commission was urged to renew the marketing of glyphosate for seven years instead of 15 years, the usual term for such activities. MEPs call for an independent review of and the publication of all scientific evidence that the European Food Safety Authority used to assess glyphosate, which has sparked concern about the carcinogenicity and endocrine disruptive properties of the herbicide, used in many farm and garden applications. The MEPs urged the Commission to not approve any non-professional uses of glyphosate.

Research Report: Regulations tied to product quality that will fuel growth of baby walker market through 2020
April 13, 2016, Marketwatch
Emphasis on improving product quality is a key trend predicted to accelerate growth of the Global Baby Walker Market, expected to reach USD 1.11 billion by 2020, according to a report by Technavio. The report notes “With strict mandatory government rules and regulations involving the manufacture of baby products like baby walkers being implemented around the globe, especially in developed countries, it has become imperative for the key players in this market to develop improved quality products that comply with all the rules and regulations. As a result, there has been an influx of high quality products which is set to fuel the market’s growth over the next five years,” the report states.

Commissioners Views: Commissioner Marietta Robison posts a joint blog with Commissioner Ann Marie Buerkle on 2016’s celebration of National Women’s History Month
March, 2016, cpsc.gov
The Commissioner noted that “Commissioner Buerkle and I were confirmed together by the U.S. Senate in 2013, and are currently the only women CPSC Commissioners.” She mentioned the panel that the two of them shared at the 2016 International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO) annual symposium. “Many times during our discussion we vehemently disagreed and other times we genuinely agreed, but our conversation was thoughtful, substantive and respectful,” she observed

Fixation on product approval has to go: FSSAI chief
April 13, 2016, livemint.com
In the case of proprietary food products, if ingredients are the same, there should not be any need for product approval every time, according to India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority CEO, Pawan Kumar Agarwal. His plan for ensuring food safety includes a focus on standards, as well as training, disseminating manufacturing best practices, hygienic practices, and hazard analysis and control and critical control points. He says that India’s standards “will have to be globally benchmarked. We cannot have different national and international standards, as it will create problems in import and export.”

Identifying chemicals at ports: New system claims efficiency and safety for detection
April 11, 2016, labmate-online.com
A company has introduced a new handheld system that it says identifies hazardous materials through non-metallic sealed containers and applicable for Hazmat incident management, military EOD, first response, search and law enforcement and screening at port and borders. The system uses a spectroscopy technology to detect individual chemicals and mixtures through barriers such as plastics, paper, card, sacks, fabric and glass.

Water Safety USA Launch
April 12, 2016, Reuters
A consortium of national governmental and non-governmental organizations concerned with water safety aims to empower people with resources, information, and tools to more safely enjoy and benefit from aquatic environments. The group hopes to help align various public safety messages and information from different sources to simplify its content and make the messages more effective. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission spearheads the federal government’s largest campaign in drowning prevention.

What your business needs to know about product traceability
April 12, 2016, Australian Food Network
If a business can get safety and traceability right, the public will have faith in them, a powerful position in a world where consumer confidence and brand loyalty are increasingly fragile. So what is traceability, and what do you need to know to achieve it?

New sensors help reduce supply chain risks
April 13, 2016, cso.com.au
Better sensors help companies reduce shipping risks and react faster to disruptions, but costs and deployment challenges are still slowing adoption. A survey of 337 executives from large global manufacturing and retail organizations revealed that only 15 percent said that the majority of data from the extended supply chain is accessible to them, but in 5 years that number jumps to 54 percent.

Prop. 65 chemical warning law changes take effect. Is your business ready?
April 2, 2016, Environmental Leader
Companies that do business in California may soon have to comply with new regulations under the state’s chemical-warning law. The 30-year old law requires businesses to disclose the presence of chemicals known by the state to cause cancer or reproductive harm. A new regulation now in effect allows California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) to develop a website that provides consumers with additional information about the Prop. 65 warnings, including the name of the listed chemical in the product or service, its concentration, and the estimated level of exposure.

China tax on overseas purchases set to kick in
March 31, 2016, The Wall Street Journal
China is tightening its grip on cross-boarder e-commerce, imposing a new tax system on overseas purchases that form a growing business catering to Chinese consumers with an appetite for foreign goods. In addition, a so-called parcel tax that is now imposed on foreign retail products that e-commerce firms ship into China, such goods sent directly to consumers will now be treated as imports, subject to tariffs and value-added and consumption laws. A willingness to pa more for branded, trusted products will be hurt least due to product safety concerns of Chinese consumers, according to a retail technology consultant.

Australian baby product’s “No ingredients from China” label ignites online debate
April 2, 2016, yibada.com
Bellamy’s Organic, a baby food product maker put this statement on one of its products, igniting on line debate among Chinese citizens according to a Global Times article: “This product does not contain any ingredients from China.” One on line comment posted: “The Chinese food safety (problem) seems notorious.”  A company representative said that photos of the label appearing on line “were probably not taken during the recent period,” clarifying that current Bellamy products carry the label “ingredients are 100 per cent from Australia.”

CPSC Commissioner’s Corner:
_______________________________________________
Somebody Always Pays:
Commissioner Adler discusses regulatory agency requirements for cost-benefit analysis and the impact this can have on the regulatory process and consumers.

CPSC’s departing General Counsel, Stephanie Tsacoumis:
Commissioner Buerkle salutes GC Tsacoumis’ professional accomplishments including handling negotiations with Gree for the largest civil penalty ever issued by the agency
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Ivanka Trump’s Chinese-made scarves are recalled
April 6, 2016, The New York Times
Donald J. Trump can now add his daughter’s line of Chinese-made scarves to his criticism of economic risks of manufacturing American products overseas. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled 20,000 of the Ivanka Trump-branded scarves for violating the U.S. Federal Flammability Standard. The scarves are made entirely of rayon and are considered a safety risk. A CPSC representative had noticed the scarves on line and agency experts acquired samples for testing. So far there have been no reported cases of injuries from an igniting scarf.

Millions of families still left at risk from faulty dryers
April 5, 2016, The Telegraph
Millions of families are being left at risk from faulty dryers as government fails to use its powers to intervene in a national safety “crisis” the country’s leading trading standards officer has said. Manufacturers Hotpoint, Indesit, and Creda are trying to fix and replace 4.3 million faulty dryers after customers were notified of a wide spread defect last October. The dryers, in which excess fluff can catch the heating element and cause a fire, have been linked to dozens of recent fires and explosions in homes.  A debate over reduced funding of government offices has resulted in a 40% reduction n the budget and staffing levels over the past 5 years at council standard training offices. Meanwhile, response levels to consumer calls of 10%-20% are criticized as “failing UK consumers.”

Gun Defects: No forced recalls, no oversight, no data
April 8, 2016, Bloomberg BNA
In the first of a 2-part series, Bloomberg examines the exception that guns hold from addressing gun defects that are now exempt from the definition of “consumer products” under the Consumer Product Safety Act. Class actions may be the only route for gun owners to get defects fixed if manufacturers don’t conduct voluntary recalls, a plaintiff’s attorney and consumer advocates say. Meanwhile, several House Democrats would like Congress to consider giving the CPSC the authority to regulate firearms, a politically difficult challenge caught up in the controversies surrounding guns generally.

Total Recall: Do consumers drop brands after products fail?
April 2, 2016, The Motley Fool
What is the impact on a company’s brand when a recall takes place? Luckily, there’s plenty of research on how recalls impact a company’s brand. Unsurprisingly, the effect all depends on how companies respond to customers after they’ve messed up. A 2020 report said that brands could actually build stronger loyalty with their customers after a recall so long as they respond responsibly.

All tiny magnet balls may not be dangerous
March 31, 2016, Courthouse News Service
An administrative law judge rule that tiny-magnet balls sold by a Denver-based company Zen Magnets are not inherently unsafe because they only pose a hazard when individuals do inadvisable things with them.  The ruling by Administrative Judge Dean Metry, came after a U.S. District Judge ordered the firm to recall small but powerful magnets because of a Consumer Product Safety Commission conclusion that when more than one of the magnets are ingested they are attracted to each other in the digestive system, creating a substantial product hazard or even death. Judge Metry came to a different conclusion: “After considering the entire record, consisting of both documentary and testimonial evident, the ALJ fines (sic) the agency did not prove all SREMS (spherical rare earth magnets), as sold by the respondent, are substantial product hazards.”

EU tyre label under scrutiny-authorities begin 24-month project
April 8, 2016, Tyre Press
The absence of effective 3^rd party testing control has been a criticism of European tyre labeling since its introduction in November, 2012. A two year project funded by the EU Commission aims to bring accountability into tyre labeling. Between March, 2016 and February, 2018 inspectors from 13 EU countries and Turkey will test the rolling resistance and wet grip performance of 150 tyre models to compare the actual characteristics with each model’s EU tyre label rating, a task that will involved checking some 15,000 individual tyres and inspecting 1,500 documents.

Watch Yourself: Is your business prepared for product liability issues?
March 29, 2016, business.com
Sometimes a company can be tempted to rush the process of bringing a new product to market.  Research, analysis, product development, risk assessment, production and distribution all take time. Making a mistake during this process can be very costly. This blogger shares the steps that go into a proactive program to develop products that are safe, that include a litigation risk assessment.

Lumber Liquidators agrees to $2.5 million settlement with California clean air agency
March 22, 2016, reuters.com
The company said it has reached a settlement with the California Air Resources Board to resolve an inquiry into its laminate flooring products sourced from China. It agreed to pay $2.5 million to the agency to resolve the matter, concluding the review by California with no formal finding of violation or admission of wrong doing by Lumber Liquidators. The company’s shares rose as much as 15.6% following the announcement in a regulatory filing.

CPSC: Record $15.45 million settlement from manufacturer
March 24, 2016, cpsc.gov
Three different Gree Electric entities reached a provisional settlement with the Consumer Product Safety Commission for the sale of dehumidifiers under 13 different brand names that posed unreasonable risk of serious injury to consumers. Fact patterns that drove the civil penalty included: failure to report, making misrepresentations to CPSC staff, and falsely displaying UL safety certificates on their products. The settlement is provisional until the public has had an opportunity to comment. Commissioner Joseph Mohorovic, who voted to accept the agreement, voiced reservations that too few of the “compelling facts” were reflected in the public-facing settlement statement.

NFL: Deeply flawed concussion research and ties to big tobacco
March 24, 2016, The New York Times
Confidential data obtained by the Times shows that more than 100 diagnosed concussions were omitted from a highly touted NFL study, making the rate of concussions appear less frequent than they actually were.  League officials acknowledge that they did not make clear that “clubs were not required to submit their data and not every club did.” A neuropsychologist says that by excluding so many concussions, “you’re not doing science here, you are putting forth some idea that you already have.” Ties between the NFL and tobacco industry organizations and lobbyists indicate sharing information and strategies in dealing with critics.

CPSC Commissioner Buerkle:  Cautions against ‘one size fits all’ regulatory approach
March 17, 2016, Blog by Commissioner Ann Marie Buerkle
In remarks at a recent Toy Industry Association conference, CPSC Commissioner Ann Marie Buerkle said that “as a government regulatory agency we should proceed with caution.  While regulations are a necessary part of government, we must take a reasonable and balanced approach.” Her blog describes her visit to the annual toy fair in New York City.

CPSC Commissioner Robinson: Why she urged Commission to revise previous Delegation of Authority
March 1, 2016, The Robinson Report, cpsc.gov
During the recent ICPHSO (International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization) product safety symposium, Commissioner Marietta Robinson explained her rational for revising a previous Delegation of Authority approved by the Commission in 1981. In that revision, approved by the Commission,  it was stated that voluntary correction action plans for cases in which a death has occurred (Category A classification) be approved by the Commission, while also delegating to the Executive Director the authority to approve voluntary Corrective Action Plans in cases where hazards were determined to be in the categories B, C, or D. The definition of category A hazards are those where a “risk of death or grievous injury or illness is likely or very likely, or serious injury or illness is very likely.”  Since 1999, she notes, there has not been a single hazard that staff determined was a “Class A”, even in cases involving a very serious hazard.

Fewer children’s products recalled, but too many still in use
March 22, 2016, Chicago Sun Times
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said “this past year was the lowest rate of children’s product recalls that we’ve seen n probably 10-15 years, so we’re very happy about that.” But she cautioned that there is still danger in the marketplace at a press conference where a report released by advocacy group Kids In Danger showed that of each product being recalled, only 8% of units were being taken out of use.

Australia: CHOICE calls for cot mattress firmness test to be made mandatory
March 23, 2016, Sidney Morning Herald
Three well-known brand name cot mattresses failed a safety check designed to reduce the risk of infant suffocation, prompting calls from consumer group CHOICE to make Australia’s voluntary “firmness” test mandatory.  The companies vowed to further investigate their products that failed the test as Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission prepares to review the cot standard this year.

Blog: Applauding agency action on recycled rubber and artificial turf
March 23, 2016, The Hill
Three industry spokespersons praised the announcement of a comprehensive study by the federal government on the safety of recycled rubber infill used in thousands of artificial turf fields across the country.  Due to the public discourse on the topic being ‘fraught with misconception,’ the bloggers note that they “reaffirm that…existing studies clearly show that these products are safe and have no link to any health issue,” while at the same time supporting additional research by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Stamford boosts water safety with help from Federal Grant
March 22, 2016, greenwichtime.com
The Connecticut city is one of 5 municipalities receiving money from a new program announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission targeting swimming pool safety. The CPSC is distributing $780,000 to help local governments enforce the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Act of 2007. Stamford received $131,000 in grant funds to support children swim safety education programs, as well as to train health and recreation staff in water safety skills to pass on to the public.

Australia goes beyond recall, bans hoverboards
March 20, 2016, theregister.co.uk
Self balancing scooters, the source of numerous product alert notices in Australia are now subject to a wide-ranging ban from the Australia Competition and Consumer Commission. Ignoring the ban would put manufactures and retailers at risk of million dollar fines. The source of the scooter problems are lithium ion batteries which have the potential to explode or start fires. A French shipbuilder says that it’s not just scooters or other vehicles that are at risk due to the shoddy products offered by some producers. Japan submarines, a French executive claims, require a vessel packed with lithium batteries in order to win a competition for Australian ship orders, even though “there’s no proven lithium ion technology today.”

Hoverboards face new ban, but not for safety reasons
March 17, 2016, journal-news.com
The controversial scooter product is under fire again but not for safety violations.  The U. S. International Trade Commission has issued a ban on “certain personal transporters” that infringe on a patent held by Segway, the company that created a two-wheel electric-powered vehicle. Thirteen companies were cited in a complaint filed with the Commission by Segway, leading to the international agency’s decision to institute a ban on the products.

Study from Irish Food Safety Authority Supports BPA safety, says American Chemicals Council
March 16, 2016, reuters.com
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has released a study that analyzed nearly 150 goods and beverages representative of the normal Irish diet for a range of chemicals, including bisphenol A (BPA) that is primarily used in connection with protective coatings for food and beverage cans. An official with the American Chemistry Council says that “based on compelling research, government bodies around the world have clearly stated that BPA is safe as used in food contact materials.”

Software, autonomous tech, raise vehicle recall stakes
March 17, 2089, wardsauto.com
Nascent advanced technology and safety systems already are showing up on vehicle recall lists and will become an increasing factor in industry warranty and compliance efforts, according to some experts. Based on one firm’s analysis, a typical luxury vehicle contains more than 1 billion lines of software code, compared to less than 1 million lines of code for the Space Shuttle, or 2 million lines for the average fighter jet.

FROM U.S. TO CHINA: CONTROLLING AND SAVING THE HOVERBOARD INDUSTRY

>China’s hoverboard makers are banding together to try to save the industry
March 6, 2016, quartz.com
More than 100 Chinese hoverboard sellers, assemblers, and component suppliers have formed the Hoverboard Industry Alliance in order to respond to product bans and restrictions announced in various countries spanning the globe, and to work with organizations that set standards for safety and patents in the U.S., China, and elsewhere. In 2015, the industry exported $4.6 billion in hoverboard sales. Making money on the latest fad was the easy part; turning hundreds of manufacturers used to cut throat competition into a reliable, organized supply chain will be harder.

>Columbia University bans hoverboards over fire hazard; restricts drones
March 11, 2016, New York Daily News
The university has banned hoverboards and restricted drones from all over its campus properties, the university announced in a recent e-mail notification. Students caught violating the ban could face disciplinary action.  Hoverboards now join a lengthy list of consumer products that are banned on the campus, ranging from candles and deep fryers to electronic cigarettes and fog machines.

>Blog: Hoverboard regulations attempt to balance safety and fun
March 9, 2016, regblog.com
With some online retailers reporting a sale every 12 seconds on CyberMonday, the hoverboard won acclaim as one of the most popular holiday season purchases in recent years. Subsequent incidents, allegations, and actions by local, state, and federal officials in the U.S., as well as other countries around the globe, have changed that assessment. A Philadelphia blogger reviews the status of one of 2015’s most controversial products of the year.
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Health Canada assesses monetary penalties against company under Canadian Product Safety Act for first time
March 14, 2016, The National Law Review
Administrative penalties were assessed against Orange TKO Industries of Calgary. The company failed to comply with an order of the Minister of Health to recall an all-purpose cleaner that did not meet labeling and child resistant packaging requirements for consumer chemical products. While Health Canada has no authority to assess penalties for late reporting, unlike the CPSC, penalties can be assessed for not complying with an order from the Minister of Health. The penalty assessed was $75,000 Canadian dollars.

Product recalls hit all time high fueled by car and food scandals
March 14, 2016, theguardian.com
The number of product recalls in the United Kingdom increased by 26% to 310 in 2014/15 from 245 the previous reporting period, according to a London law firm. The number of car recalls rose to a total of 39, a 30% incrase from the previous period, led by the GM potentially faulty ignition switch problem and Volkswagon’s emission testing scandal using software to cheat diesel emissions tests. Horsemeat found in food, and plastic found in Mars candy bars were cited as fuelling the increase in food recalls, and hoverboards were cited in a product safety alert leading the list of recalls in the consumer product area.

Tool helps companies use safer chemicals in products
March 8, 2016, environmentalleader.com
A group has released the GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals Hazard Assessment Guidance, a tool that adds information for using the GreenScreen List Translator as a first step in identifying hazardous chemicals in products. Clean Production Action (CPA), an advocacy organization that promotes sustainable products and chemicals notes that the Translator scores chemicals based on information from more than 40 hazard lists developed by authoritative scientific bodies, including the EU’s REACH Regulation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) categorizations and chemical hazard classifications by countries using the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS)

Top ten ethics & compliance predictions & recommendations for 2016
March 7, 2016, jdsupra.com
A global survey by an ethics and compliance organization has yielded a list of predictions and recommendations for what this means to companies and organizations. Among the predictions are the rise of the millennial mindset, and transitioning to a more global center of gravity for ethics and compliance. Responses to these predictions are increased training and orientation programs for staff and board members, keeping key-decision makers involved and up-to-date, and getting help to stay informed about the legal and regulatory landscape.

Australia: Thermomix is “absolutely safe”: Company releases statement following burns incident
March 7, 2015, hospitalitymagazine.com.au
In October 2014, the company posted advice to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) product safety recalls Australia website that stated in rare circumstances a “potential product defect” relating to the Thermomix TM31 sealing ring “could lead to a scald or burn.”  Recently a Perth mother experienced second-degree burns to her chest and body alleging a faulty seal on the product was responsible for the incident.

Crumb rubber concerns downplayed: school districts reluctant to address turf fields until definitive health hazard shown
March 9, 2016, smdailyjournal.com
Local California school officials harbor some concerns about the synthetic turf, but school districts in the South San Francisco area have no plans to prohibit use of the fields in place until hard and fast evidence is presented that clearly defines the risks students may face.  By the end of the year, a study of the potential health risks of crumb rubber is anticipated from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Center for Disease Control, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Maine towns declare food sovereignty, claim ‘home rule’ trumps state, federal regulations
March 7, 2016, bangordailynews.com
Sixteen Maine towns in seven counties have declared food sovereignty with local ordinances giving residents the right to produce, sell, purchase, and consume local foods of their own choosing.  The movement for local control started after state and federal authorities passed laws in 2010 curtailing what local farmers could sell directly to consumers. A judge has ruled in a state case that such local ordinances are only valid when not preempted by state law.

UK: Brexit move ‘could raise compliance issues’
March 9, 2016, prw.com
With the UK plastics industry effectively declaring itself against the idea of the UK leaving the European Union, the importance of the regulatory framework is emerging as an important reason to preserve the country’s members.  The UK referendum looms on June 23, and some are posing an option based on following Norway’s rout and joining the European Free Trade Association’s European Economic Area, which requires members to implement some but not all EU legislation.

Feds to investigate safety of crumb rubber turf fields
February 16, 2016, boston.cbslocal.com
Three federal agencies will investigate the safety of crumb rubber turf used in playgrounds and playing fields all over the country. The Environmental Protection Agency, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Center for Disease Control made a joint announcement on their intention to determine if there are possible health risks to young athletes. Crumb rubber is recycled tire and a source of concern to health advocates for several years. “Some of the government’s best and brightest scientists” are working to determine if it is harmful,  according to CPSC Chairman Elliot Kaye.

Two sides of the crumb rubber controversy:

>Artificial turf safety: Proven with science
A collection of research studies and links to each complete report is provided by FieldTurf, a Tarkett company, producer of synthetic turf. The studies were done by public and private organizations and agencies, each concluding there is no evidence from “available data” that tire derived crumb rubber artificial turf causes cancer.

>Turf Wars: How safe are fields where we play?
An investigative report by ESPN spotlights a list of 200 athletes with cancer, 158 of whom are soccer players and of these 101 who are goal keepers. Data gaps of previous studies in the area of ingestion and absorption are now a focus of attention and research into assessing the risk posed by the synthetic turf.

CPSC Guidance: Companies with non-compliant hoverboards can be required to recall
February 18, 2016, cpsc letter of guidance
The agency has notified manufacturers, importers, and retailers, of self-balancing scooters that it considers such scooters that do not meet voluntary safety standards referenced in their letter of guidance to be defective and an “imminent hazard.” If found at import, the products may be detained or seized, and if found domestically may be subject to recall.

Local bill could mean helmet required for hoverboard use
February 18, 2016, nj.com
A bill that would require hoverboard riders under the age of 12 to don helmets and other protective gear before hitting the streets passed a Philadelphia city council committee. The legislation would amend the city’s traffic code and call for users of any “self propelled mobility device” to wear wrist guards, elbow pads and knee pads.

UK Government takes stand on product recalls
February 18, 2016, applianceretailer.com
The UK has asked industry to play a crucial role in the country’s consumer protection efforts. Business Minister Anna Soubry has announced that the government will support the development of a business-led online website that will communicate information to consumers and allow companies to share best practices based on past experience in managing recalls.

Midyear Report: CPSC Voluntary Standards
February 3, 2016, cpsc.gov
Fifteen new, revised, or reaffirmed voluntary safety standards for which the CPSC monitors activity or provides technical support were identified in an FY 2015 midyear report recently released.  Overall, 81 different products are identified and tracked in the report, including the objective of the standard under development, the name of the CPSC employee leading such activity, and the status of the standard’s development

Puzzling Prescription: Pharmaceutical industry trends pose new regulatory and recall changes
February 17, 2016, reuters.com
Among the challenges faced by the pharmaceutical industry are the explosion of counterfeit drugs, which will likely impact recalls in 2016 and beyond, according the the Q4 j2015 Stericycle Recall Index. Furthermore, there has been an acceleration of  new medications approved by the FDA for the U.S. market—45 approvals in 2015, versus half that number 10 years ago.

Mattel resurrects ThingMaker as a 3D printer
February 12, 2016, usatoday.com
The toy maker has revealed the reboot of a product first developed in the 1960s as part of its push into 3D printing. Mattel made the announcement of the $300 device just before the Toy Fair trade show in New York. Products that can be printed on the device include toy fairies, dolls, dinosaurs, robots, skeletons, and jewelry.

UL launches safety and quality services for juvenile products in Asia
February 17, 2016, reuters.com
The Northbrook, Illinois based safety organization says it now has Shanghai and Shenzhen laboratories equipped with new state-of-the-art test equipment. Products serviced by the company will include baby walkers, infant bouncer seats, infant bath seats, carriages and strollers, and high chairs.

Opinion: Supply Chains: danger ahead
February 18, 2016, computerworld.com
Among the many things that can complicate the supply chain for multinationals, legislation and regulations can be the hardest to master. New regulations require new data gathering and reporting, and are further complicated by mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and partnerships. State, national, and international legislation requires understanding on the part of companies if they are to maintain compliance and avoid the disruption and distraction by various authorities.

Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. to pay $13.2 Million in fines to settle DoJ probe
February 1, 2016, Reuters
The fines resolve a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the import of certain flooring products in 2013. The company also agreed to an organizational probation of 5 years, implementation of a strict environmental compliance plan, and independent audits. The charges were linked to the “use of timber that was illegally logged in Far East Russia,” as well as false statements on Lacey Act declarations which obfuscated the true species and source of the timber.

Report: Lumber Liquidators flooring has low cancer risks, can trigger breathing problems
February 11, 2016, Tribune News Service
The national retailer sold Chinese-made flooring that emits hazardous levels of formaldehyde, a federal investigation found. The CPSC oversaw the testing of the product, which the report says “found the flooring gave off enough formaldehyde gas to irritate the eyes, nose and throats of many people” as well as triggering breathing problems in people with certain health conditions like asthma. The report concludes that the formaldehyde also increased cancer risks by a small amount.

Hot toy has hidden dangers
February 11, 2016, wapt.com
A $1 million mansion burned down in Nashville recently after firefighters said a hoverboard sparked a fire that spread so quickly that a teenage girl narrowly escaped. Experts have said that lithium-ion batteries inside the boards can overheat and burst into flames.  Across the country, 40 fires like the one in Nashville have been investigated.

2016 Emerging issues in the children’s product industry
February 9, 2016, Lexology
Anticipating issues that will impact the children products industry, 3 regulatory attorneys suggest trends that are likely to occur this year.  Among these trends are TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act) and the regulation of chemicals, Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act Section 104 Notices of Proposed Rulemaking, recall effectiveness, crib bumpers, and importing consumer products.

Public health researchers map world’s ‘chemical landscape’
February 12, 2016, medicalexpress.com
Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have created a map of the world’s chemical landscape. The map serves as a catalogue of 10,000 chemicals for which there is available safety data that they say can predict the toxicity of many of the 90,000 or more other substances in consumer products for which there is no such information.  It was designed to help regulators, manufacturers and scientists get a good idea about whether chemicals for which there is little research are harmful or not.

 Chipotle meeting outlines food safety to workers and message for public
February 9, 2016, The New York Times
The Chipotle Mexican Grill chain closed more than 2,000 restaurants for four hours to hold a “virtual” town hall meeting with its employees about steps it said it was taking to improve food safety and regain consumer’s trust. Chipotle has experienced six food safety failures involving norovirus, salmonella, and E. Coli since July, with 500 customers reporting illness. The company announced a $10 million program to help small farmer suppliers with new requirements for more testing.

The solution to drone safety is to empower the smallest ones
February 9, 2016, The Hill Blog
A spokesman for a consumer drone company posts a blog endorsing legislation introduced by an Oregon Congressman to regulate the products by operational purpose, rather than operational safety.  He notes that search-and-rescue missions are a life-saving purpose that can be enhanced by empowering the smallest class of drones through a “micro” drone regulatory category in 2016.

Managing data and the supply chain from soup to nuts
September 9, 2016, Infoworld
Campbell Soup, the food manufacturing giant behind such brands as Pepperidge Farms, Prego, and V8 made national headlines and praise when it announced intentions to become the first major food company to start disclosing GMO (genetically modified organisms) ingredients in its products. There’s “no question” that it will mean major technology and labeling changes for a very complex supply chain, says an industry software provider.

Researchers probe power of nanotech
February 11, 2016, mndaily.com
A research collaboration between the Universities of Minnesota and Wisconsin-Madison has been studying the effects of an additive used in electric car batteries. Their goal is to improve the nanocompoumds added to lithium-ion batteries like those used in cell phones, computers, and more recently, electric cars.

FDA seeks $5.1 billion total for FY 2017, including funds to implement food safety law, improve medical product safety and quality
February 9, 2016 fda.gov
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is requesting an 8% increase over the enacted budget of 2016. The overall request includes a net increase of $14.6 million in budget authority and $268.7 million in user fees for initiatives tied to several key areas, including the implementation of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, and efforts to improve medical product safety and quality.