In the News: December 9, 2013

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Robert Adler Becomes Acting Chairman of U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
December 4, Reuters
With the departure of Inez Tenenbaum, Robert Adler has moved into the role of Acting Chairman at the CPSC.  Read about Chairman Adler’s background and some significant staff appointments in his office…

“The Product Mindset” 2013, a UL global study
December 4, CIOL
UL recently released a study that seeks to better identify the concerns and priorities of manufacturers and consumers, ensuring closer alignment, as well as gain insight into the consumers’ decision-making process. Read about the study and some surprising results about operating in a global landscape…

5 Quick Questions: Globalization and the Supply Chain
December 5, Manufacturing.net
Globalization has had a tremendous impact on supply chain management.  Read five reasons why and what manufacturers should know while operating on a global scale…

Food Recall Reporting ‘Hugely Inconsistent’, finds Trace One
November 28, Food Navigator
The United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency is issuing alerts to only a fraction of reported food incidents.  Learn why this is happening and the concerns it raises on a National level…

California’s Prop 65 Bandwagon Rolls Over another Safe, Useful Chemical
December 6, ASCH
The State of California is beginning to update the list of chemicals that require a Proposition 65 warning.  Read about a controversial addition to the list…

Port Surveillance News: CPSC Uses Pilot Risk Assessment Tool to Strengthen Import Safety Program
December 2, Reuters
The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s import surveillance program is aimed at stopping harmful products from entering the marketplace in the United States.  Read about tool the Agency is using to help accomplish this goal…

 

Posted in Chemical Hazards, Children's Products, Food Safety, Global Developments, Product Safety Rules, Product Standards, Supply Chain

In the News: December 2, 2013

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Consumer Safety Chief Leaves a Small Agency with Bigger Powers
November 29, New York Times
November 29 marked the end of Chairman Inez Tenenbaum’s term with the Consumer Product Safety Commission.  Read an assessment of her term, controversies surrounding her leadership and where the agency is today…

Industry Announces Joint Initiative for Consumer Magnet Standards
November 28, Watch List News
The International Consumer Magnets Association announced voluntary standards in consumer products aimed at repairing a fractured industry.  Learn about the new standards, the approach to safety and what it means for recent magnet controversies…

ECGC & D&B host Export Risk Management Conclave 2013
November 29, Fibre 2 Fashion
Recently held in India, was the “Export Risk Management Conclave.” The Conclave was designed to discuss risks faced in the export value chain across the country and how they can be mitigated. Read about the Conclave and how exporters are trying to mitigate their risk…

Lego Pledges Supply Chain CO2 Cuts, Joins Climate Savers
November 27, Environmental Leader
90% of the CO2 related to the production of Legos comes from the company’s supply chain.  Read about the company’s initiative to remove 10,000 metric tons of CO2…

How to Develop a Successful Supplier Management Program
November 27, Bio Research On-line
Johnson and Johnson realized that with more than 10,000 suppliers that vertical management of procurement was nearly impossible.  Learn about the company’s initiative to manage their procurement process and integrate suppliers into overall management…

Blog: Talk of Safer Chemicals Advances at Greenbuild Expo 2013
November 22, Greenbiz.com
At a recent conference, the Green Building Council devoted a day to chemical disclosure and elimination from building materials.  Read about how these topics impact consumer product safety and the retailers who sell consumer products…

Posted in Chemical Hazards, Global Developments, Innovation, Risk Assessment, Supply Chain, Sustainability

In the News: November 25, 2013

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China Considers Consumer Goods Safety Law
November 19, China Daily
China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), has announced that there will be a draft of new product safety laws by 2015.  Learn what the first product safety law is likely include here…

Food and Product Safety Body Merger was a Failure: audit office
November 15, Dutch News
The Netherlands attempted to merge three government inspection agencies into a single body.  Read about what happened and why…

Ontario Government Eliminates Double Reporting For Consumer Electrical Products
November 14, Mondaq
In 2011, Canada passed the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act.  One of the unintended consequences of the act was to create a double reporting requirement on some products.  Read an update on the reporting requirement and which products are impacted…

Building Supply Chain is Tough in India: Sameer Sain
November 21, Business Standard
Supply chain development presents some unique challenges in India, particularly in the food and beverage sector.  Read about the challenges and why they are unique in India…

P&G Reports Continued Improvements in Its Sustainability Programs
November 21, Supply Chain Brain
Procter and Gamble released a report highlighting improvements the company has made to their sustainability programs.  Read the elements of the program and the improvements over the last year…

Obama Set to Sign US Rx Supply Chain Security Law
November 21, PharmaTimes
The US Drug Quality and Security Act will be signed by President Obama.  Learn about the new law and the impact it will have on the pharmaceutical supply chain…

 

Posted in Food Safety, Global Developments, Product Safety Rules, Supply Chain, Sustainability

In the News: November 18, 2013

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Expanding What It Means to Be a Supply Chain Leader
November 13, EBN On-line
Recently 250 companies were evaluated on their supply chain and supply chain operations.  Read the companies who came out on top and what put them there…

New Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Proposal Would Reverse 39 Year Precedent by Making Voluntary Recall Agreements Legally Binding on Companies
November 13, National Law Review
The CPSC held a hearing last week that has raised some questions about recall agreements with the agency.  Learn about the controversial proposal and what impact it could have on your company…

Blog:  Liability Looms for Generic Drug Safety Labeling Changes
November 11, Pharmexec.com
The FDA is a proposing a rule that will allow generic drug manufacturers to alter safety warnings before the brand name product does.  Read what this might do to patient understanding of the warnings and the impact it could have on the brand named manufacturer…

Integrating Sustainability ‘Biggest Challenge for Business’
November 13, Environmental Leader
A recent survey indicates that only 1 in 5 businesses have fully integrated sustainability into their operations.  Read some of the challenges the companies face…

New Rating System for Organic and Eco-Friendly Toys from EcoToys
November 13, Digital Journal
Chemical hazards are everywhere, but attention can be focused on children’s products and toys.  Learn about a new rating system that will examine the chemicals and materials used in children’s toys…

Toyota Will Weather Safety Concerns
November 17, Seeking Alpha
It recently became news that three Toyota models failed a crash test administered by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which exceeds government standards.  Read what happened, and why Toyota will likely weather the storm…

 

Posted in Children's Products, Global Developments, Innovation, Product Liability, Product Standards, Supply Chain, Sustainability

In the News: November 11, 2013

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Silver Nanoparticle use spurs U.S. Consumer Database
November 11, CBC News
Silver nanoparticles are in many of the goods purchased everyday around the world, and research is ongoing to the impact they have on safety.  Which ones?  Read about a new database that captures products that contain the material…

Intertek’s Joseph Mohorovic Nominated by President Obama to Serve as Commissioner of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission
November 7, Reuters
2013 has brought many changes to the leadership of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.  Here is the latest nominee and some of his background in product safety…

Hot Topics in Procurement and Supply Chain in Taiwan
November 5, Examiner.com
The supply chain field is becoming more complex, and more professional.  Read these hot topics in supply chain management in Taiwan…

In a Resurgent Market, Supply Chain Is Key
November 6, Business 2 Community
Many manufacturers order supplies as close to production time as possible, which makes the margin for error in production small.  Learn how you can maximize information to make sure your supply chain is operating at its optimum level…

It’s Wise To Be Proactive: Learn About New Food Safety Regulations Now
November 4, Manufacturing.net
The Food Safety Modernization Act is beginning the implementation stage.  Read about some of the proposed rules, and what food manufacturers should be aware of prior to the finalization of the new food safety rules…

Buckyball Recall Stirs a Wider Legal Campaign
October 31, New York Times
The Administrative law action against Maxfield & Oberton, and Craig Zucker, its founder, is proceeding.  Read the status of the action, and the potentially troubling impact it is having in the consumer product manufacturing community…

 

Posted in Chemical Hazards, Food Safety, Global Developments, Product Liability, Product Safety Rules, Supply Chain

In the News: November 4, 2013

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Who is Company Doe anyway? Appeals court to consider how much to disclose when companies challenge complaints on CPSC’s online database
October 28, Lexology
Litigation is moving forward between the Consumer Product Safety Commission and “Company Doe” over a report of harm on saferproducts.gov.  Read about the status of the litigation, and why there is controversy surrounding the anonymity of “Company Doe”…

China Overhauls Consumer Laws
October 28, Daily Observer
China has overhauled product safety laws for the first time in over 20 years.  Learn about the changes, and how they may have international implications…

World’s Largest Consumer Companies Share top-of-mind Issues
October 27, Daily Mirror
KPMG and the Consumer Goods Forum recently polled 442 executives of leading consumer product companies.  Read what keeps these executives up at night and where product safety is on their list…

Product Liability Litigation on the Rise in Israel
October 31, Globes
Product liability lawsuits are on the rise in Israel, and many of these cases are against companies far outside of Israel.  Learn about the rise and litigation and what you need to know if you sell products in Israel…

TIA Goes to China
October 30, Gifts and Decorative Accessories
The Toy Industry Association traveled to China recently to present an educational seminar to local Chinese manufacturers. Read about the seminar and the other business TIA conducted while in Shanghai…

Blog: Waste into Profit: The Next Phase of the Sustainable Supply Chain
October 30, Environmental Leader
The sustainable supply chain could be an essential part of doing business in the 21st century.  Learn what one company is doing to repurpose end of life products and materials…

Posted in Children's Products, Global Developments, Product Liability, Product Safety Rules, Supply Chain, Sustainability

In the News: October 28, 2013

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SGS Urges Hazardous Chemical Test at Start of Supply Chain
October 22, Fibre 2 Fashion
The textile and footwear industry has a multi tiered supply chain, and uses many chemicals during the manufacturing process. Learn about a solution that could help track and understand what chemicals are used during the manufacturing process…

Sindh Government asked to Protect Consumer Rights
October 23, Express Tribune
Food Safety and quality control are issues that cause concern around the globe.  Read about the concerns in Pakistan, and what the government is trying to do…

Interview: How New Product Rules will Improve Safety for Consumers
October 17, European Parliament News
European Parliament adopted two new reports on October 17 related to product safety.  Read about the new rules and how they may impact Europe and beyond…

Blog:  The Tile Shop: Poisoned Tile, Bad Actors, Unsustainable Margins, and a Stock Ready to Crack
October 21, Seeking Alpha
Reputation is important to any company.  Read about one company’s alleged actions and product safety violations are harming their reputation and potentially their stock price…

Legal Risk Management: What Every Manufacturer Should Do Now
October 17, Manufacturing.net
Good risk management could be the determining factor about whether your company can survive a major crisis.  Read some basic risk management recommendations and how they can protect your company during a crisis…

Blog:  10 Steps to Developing an Industry Sustainability Program
October 23, Greenbiz.com
Industry collaboration is a developing trend in corporate sustainability programs.  Read steps your company can take to work with your partners to develop a successful program…

Posted in Chemical Hazards, Food Safety, Global Developments, Innovation, Product Liability, Product Safety Rules, Product Standards, Supply Chain, Sustainability

In the News: October 21, 2013

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Target Unveils Sweeping Changes to Product Safety Standards
October 16, Contra Costa Times
A major retailer has begun a program to examine the safety of household cleaners, children’s products and cosmetics.  Read about the ground breaking Sustainable Product Standard program here…

Getting Real About Chemical Risks
October 14, Chemical and Engineering News
Chemicals are everywhere in the home.  However, there are approximately 80,000 chemicals used in products found in the home that have undergone little safety testing.  Read about how EPA has struggled to find a method to economically and efficiently measure toxicity, while both industry and government seek ways to calm public anxiety over chemicals…

Blog: Your most Powerful Marketing Tool? Your Sustainability Story
October 17, Greenbiz.com
What is a “green consumer?” Why are they important to your business?  Read about the green consumer and why you should care…

Provisional Deal on Product Safety Directives Reached during Lithuania’s EU Presidency
October 15, The Baltic Course
In a meeting on October 11, regulators reached an agreement on eight product safety directives. They are aimed at protecting consumers and protecting producers from problematic imports.  Read about them here…

Partnering with the Regulators: The Role of Third-Party Accreditation in Food Safety
October 11, QA
Accreditation has become increasingly important as the CPSIA has taken form.  Learn about different accrediting bodies across various industries and what it could mean to your testing program…

Efficient Supply Chain Mechanism Key to Boosting Competitiveness
October 9, Vietnam News
As the globalization of the supply chain takes hold, it is imperative to see where the different links in the chain connect.  Read about some challenges in Vietnam and what they might have to do to solve them…

 

Posted in Chemical Hazards, Food Safety, Global Developments, Innovation, Product Safety Rules, Risk Assessment, Sustainability

In the News: October 14, 2013

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The End of the Class-Action Carnival
October 10, Bloomberg Business Week
Class action law suits gained favor in the 1960’s when multiple cases were bound together handled as one.  Read about some recent developments in the United States Supreme Court which seem to be shifting the tide away from these massive class action law suits, settlements, and attorney’s fees…

Results Elude New Consumer Accident Panel
October 7, Japan Times
In Japan, after nearly a year after its inception, a consumer accident panel has fallen well short of a stated goal of 100 investigations into consumer accidents.  Read how many cases they have taken on, and why their efforts have fallen short…

Food Labs Integral to Changing World of Food Safety
October 7, Food Safety News
Test labs are playing an increasing role in regulated product industries.  Read specifically about food labs, and how they are expanding their efforts in food safety…

10 Ways the Shutdown is making us Less Safe
October 8, Washington Post
As the United States Government enters the second week of a government shutdown, the effect is being felt across industries who are concerned about product safety.  Read a detailed account of how the government shutdown is affecting the safety of consumers everywhere…

Hardware Companies get Relief till Jan on Product Certification
September 26, Live Mint
India has delayed product certification requirements until January for electronic hardware manufactures.  Read about the requirements, and why they have been pushed back…

Blog: Why your Company Will Implement Supply Chain Visibility Tools
October 9, Supply Chain Brain
The author argues that supply chain visibility tools will become a necessity for companies that operate in the supply chain in years to come.  Learn the drivers of this trend and how they may impact your company…

Posted in Food Safety, Global Developments, Innovation, Product Liability, Product Standards, Supply Chain, Sustainability

In the News: October 7, 2013

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Shutdown Implications Extend to Food and Product Safety
October 1, New York Times
The United States Government was shut down on October 1, 2013 for the first time since the Clinton Administration.  Read how the shutdown will impact the regulatory agencies responsible for safety…

Blog: Why Product Strategy is Key to Innovation and New Markets
October 2, Greenbiz.com
Sustainable/green business practices have garnered a lot of attention recently.  What about sustainable products? Learn how you can make the jump to sustainable product lines…

Blog:  Can you Believe Independent Consumer Products Testing?
September 28, Examiner
What happens when a product test gives your company a false fail?  What happens when it is reported?  Read the impact it could have on your product and brand…

Hilary Devey: The Retail Demand Chain
October 3, The Retail Bulletin
Overall customer experience is currently one of the primary drivers of the global supply chain.  Read what this means for retailers, and how flexibility is a requirement in today’s consumer driven world…

Product Life-cycles Create ‘Gap’ in Electronics Supply Chain Filled by Unauthorized Components
October 2, Supply Chain Brain
In certain products, there can be a product life-cycle gap caused by the wearing of certain component parts faster than others.  Read about the life-cycle gap and how it is impacting the electronic industry…

Companies get a New Tool to Manage Supply Chain Chemicals
September 13, Greenbiz.com
Poor chemicals management is becoming an increasing problem in the global supply chain. Learn about some tools to help your company manage chemicals in the supply chain…

 

Posted in Chemical Hazards, Children's Products, Food Safety, Global Developments, Innovation, Product Standards, Supply Chain, Sustainability