Consumer groups want Ikea to recall dresser
April 27, 2016, Palm Beach Post
Four groups have urged the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to “take strong immediate action to better protect children from the tip-over hazard of certain Ikea Malm dressers.” It is the third confirmed tip over death from the product, and follows two deaths that took place in July, 2015. The company launched a repair and education campaign but did not issue a recall. CPSC Chairman Elliot Kaye said “Companies need to move fast and work with us on a comprehensive plan that offers their customers every necessary measure required for the sake of safety.”
Protecting European consumers: toys and clothing top the list of dangerous products detected in 2015
April 25, 2016, Europa.eu
The European Commissioner published new figures showing that in 2015, more than 2,000 dangerous products triggered EU-wide alerts. There were 2,072 alerts and 2,745 follow up actions registered in their RAPID Alert system. A key challenge is the increasing share of products bought online from outside the EU. The number of online shoppers has grown by 27% between 2006 and 2015.
Mark Your Calendar: BPA Prop 65 warnings required as of May 11, 2016; styrene also added to Prop 65 list
April 28, 2016, National Law Review
Effective May 11, 2016 businesses exposing consumers to BPA in consumer products must provide a “clear and reasonable” warning on “labeling, shelf tags, shelf signs, menus or any combination thereof” unless exposure is 1,000 times below the no observed effect level (NOEL) for BPA. This follows a Notice of Emergency Action notice issued in early April by California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), to allow temporary use of a standard point-of-sale warning message for bisphenol A (“BPA”) exposures from canned and bottled foods and beverages. >On April 22, 2016 OEHHA added styrene to the list of chemicals known to the state to cause cancer. Warnings will be required for all exposures to styrene above the established No Significant Risk Level 12 months after styrene’s addition to the list on April 22, 2017.
Commissioner Viewpoints:
Commissioner Adler statement on petition to modify standard for flammability of clothing textiles
April 12, 2016, cpsc.gov
CPSC Commissioner Robert Adler issued a statement challenging an industry petition to modify how the agency conditions samples for flammability testing of clothing textiles in 16 CFR Part 1610. He writes: “The problem with their approach is that they would have the Commission weaken an already weak standard such that highly flammable fabrics would be introduced into the market.” In calling it a “weak standard” he comments, “I am not exaggerating.”
MADE IN…WHICH COUNTRY?
April 26, 2016, Nielsen
A Nielsen Global Brand-Origin Survey polled more than 30,000 on line respondents in 61 countries to understand consumer sentiment about product origin across 40 categories. Many consumers appear to have strong preferences about the origin of the products they buy, but how important is this attribute really when they consider a purchase? How does it stack up against other selection factors? “The short answer: It matters—a lot.”
China’s consumer revolution: digital demand, global scale
April 27, 2016, The Diplomate
One of the leaders of digital media in China engages in a media interview and states that “China’s on demand economy is light years ahead of the West in terms of ease of ordering, delivery, and payment.” Andrew Ballen, recognized among China’s top 100 digital entrepreneurs and innovators, says that two factors drive this dominance. The existence of three state-owned mobile providers versus the West’s “panoply” of mobile provider networks, and two dominant payment systems. He says that the West is “fragmented” with service providers, while China’s quasi-monopolies can accelerate innovation and catalyze market adoption. However, what you order may not be what you get.
Council creating awareness around blind safety
April 28, 2016, Derry Now
A local district council in Ireland is proactively working to create awareness around blind safety in an effort to prevent accidental deaths from blind cords. Internal blind cords were responsible for the deaths of 32 children between the ages of 15 months and 36 months in Britain since 1999. Of these incidents, 16 occurred since the beginning of 2010 and were “avoidable” according to a local official. Delegations of local councils in Northern Ireland visited 232 blind manufacturers and suppliers to ensure all products placed on the market were “safe and comply with the regulations.”
Report ‘paves the way’ for regulation of endocrine disrupters in Europe
April 28, 2016, cosmeticsdesign-europe.com
A group of seven researchers from European and American independent institutions and universities say their work could pave the way to end a nearly three-year long stalemate over legal requirements concerning endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Their report challenges the need for impact assessment studies as a delay in protecting public health and claims that categories of classification now proposed by the European Commission are sufficient to proceed.
Product Regulations: What you don’t know can hurt you—and even destroy your business
April 22, 2016, jdsupra.com
U.S. government agencies with myriad regulations can impose millions of dollars in fines and penalties for violations and can completely disrupt business and customer relations. Many obligations, particularly the mandatory reporting of product defects apply to manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers.
Blog: What China’s food safety challenges mean for consumers, regulators, and the global economy
April 21, 2016, The Brookings Institution
China’s revised Food Safety Law, enacted in October, 2015, is intended to strengthen the regulation of food companies in China and enhance oversight along the supply chain. Like other issue areas, the challenge is not in setting regulations, but in implementing them. Improving food safety will require reducing the trust deficit. Consumer anxiety about food stems as much from distrust of regulatory authorities as it does from distrust of unscrupulous food producers.
