Nap Nanny mimics car seats cc Cschirp/Wikimedia Commons

The Consumer Product Safety Commission and company Baby Matters have recalled the first generation of Nap Nanny products. One death has been attributed to a Nap Nanny, but in that case the product was being used incorrectly. Baby Matters has offered an $80 coupon for the purchase of a new Nap Nanny to anyone who has a first-generation Nap Nanny.

The Baby Matters Nap Nanny

The Baby Matters Nap Nanny is a foam product intended to help restless and fussy babies sleep. Intended to re-create the position of a car seat, the Nap Nanny has a three-point harness. The harness is what is at issue in this recall; when used incorrectly, the harness does not hold the baby in place. First-generation Nap Nanny products do not have a D-ring to hold the Velcro harnesses in place. Only those without the D-ring are included in the recall.

What to do if you have the Nap Nanny

If you do have a Nap Nanny, your reaction to the recall depends on which product you have. If you purchased your Nap Nanny between January 2009 and July 2010, you most likely have a first-generation product. Call the Baby Matters company at 888-240-4282 to get a coupon for $ 80 (about 61 percent of the purchase price) off a new Nap Nanny. If you have a second-generation Nap Nanny with D-rings, visit the Nap Nanny website to watch a video on how to properly use the Nap Nanny.

Consumer Product Safety Commission under fire

The recall of Nap Nanny sleeping pads is just the latest in a long line of baby-product recalls. In the last year, the CPSC has recalled pacifiers, drop-side cribs, toys, booster seats, cradles and more. In 2008, Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which asked for standards to be set for baby gear. The CPSC has set standards for baby walkers and bath seats. Crib standards are forthcoming, and standards for other products are on the schedule. The CPSC has a serious problem: not much staff, but the responsibility for every product on the market.

Sources:

CPSC

USA Today

NapNanny.com

You can avoid the Wal-Mart chicken nugget recall by making your own. Image: Flickr/yoppy

In Wal-Mart stores around the country, Great Value brand chicken nuggets have been recalled. The Wal-Mart chicken nugget recall affects one pound, 13 ounce bags of nuggets labeled with the Great Value brand. Manufactured by Perdue, these nuggets have blue plastic in them.

Wal-Mart chicken nugget recall

The Wal-Mart chicken nugget recall was called by Perdue Farms, Inc. and the USDA on July 21. Some customers found chunks of blue plastic in their nuggets. To find out if your Wal-Mart chicken nuggets are a part of the recall, look for:

• A one pound, 13 ounce bag of nuggets
• Great Value brand labeling
• Establishment code number P-33944
• Case code 89008 A0160

Return the nuggets to the store where they were purchased in order to get a refund. The full cost of the recall will probably end up being around $500,000.

Blue plastic causes chicken nugget recall

The Wal-Mart chicken nugget recall is considered a “Class II” recall. This means that there have been no injuries and there is little to no risk of “adverse health consequences.” Perdue Farms has said that it expects that a “small plastic ring” was mixed in with the raw meat. The plastic was then chopped, pressed and cooked with the rest of the chicken nuggets. About 50,000 packages of chicken nuggets could have been affected by this mistake in the plant.

Making your own chicken nuggets

If you really love chicken nuggets but want to avoid the Wal-Mart chicken nugget recall, you can. Making your own chicken nuggets is quick, cheap, and healthy. All the ingredients for chicken nuggets will cost about $15, but will make three to four pounds — 12 to 16 servings. Start by chopping boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders into chunks. Mix bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and seasonings such as basil together. Dunk the chicken in milk, egg or melted butter, then into the bread crumb mixture. Bake at 350 for 10 to 20 minutes. Or, if you are brave, deep-fat fry in 450 degree oil for three minutes, and you’ve got nuggets. These freeze in plastic zipper-lock bags well, so you can always be ready with a budget, kid and time friendly chicken snack.

If your child has had the Rotarix vaccine, there is no danger to their health. Image from Picasa.

Yesterday afternoon, FDA drug regulators sent a notice to pediatricians, recommending that they stop using the Rotarix rotavirus vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline. The European Medicines Agency and Swissmedic have also issued this advisory to doctors in Switzerland and most of Europe. There does not appear to be any danger to humans, and the vaccine is not being recalled – yet. British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline manufactures the drug, and spent several million dollars – some of it from a loan company – on Roatrix’s development.

Rotarix is intended to vaccinate against diarrhea

Originally approved by the FDA for use in 2008, Rotarix is a vaccine intended for children. It vaccinates against the rotavirus, an intestinal infection that can cause severe dehydration. The virus is responsible for more than 600,000 children’s deaths each year worldwide. Rotarix is not the only vaccine on the market intended for this use – Merck’s RotaTeq was approved in 2006. Rotarix is a two-dose vaccine, while RotaTeq is a three-dose vaccine. The FDA estimates that Rotarix has been used to vaccinate approximately 1 million children.

PCV1 found in GSK’s Rotarix

The recommendation that doctors pause the use of Rotarix came after independent researchers found porcine circovirus 1 (PCV1) in the Rotarix vaccine. The PCV1 virus is not known to cause illness in humans or animals, and every health agency has stressed that there is no risk to anyone who has had the Rotarix vaccine. The reason they have asked doctors to stop the use of Rotarix is based, instead, on the fact that vaccines are supposed to be sterile and the virus is unexpected in the Rotarix drug.

What will happen to Rotarix

The FDA has announced that it intends to convene an expert advisory committee within the next few weeks to make recommendations on the use of rotavirus vaccines. GlaxoSmithKline has also issued a statement on the contamination of Rotarix, stating that they will continue producing the vaccine with the extraneous virus that originated in pigs until they could find an “acceptable substitute.” It is without question, though, that GSK will most likely have to do more toward its reputation credit repair in the future.

What to do if your child has taken the Rotarix vaccine

If your children have been given the Rotarix vaccine, there is no risk to to their health. PCV1 is regularly found in both the food supply and the environment, and is not considered dangerous. Both Rotarix and RotaTeq are multiple-dose vaccinations. If your children have had one dose of Rotarix, they will be fully protected if they are given two additional doses of RotaTeq. As with all vaccines and medications, keep a close eye on your children and talk to their pediatrician if you have any concerns.

Sources:

Reuters News Service
U.S. News and World Report
The New York Times

The recession and the automobile industry

The recession has been chronically difficult on the automobile industry and having this type of recall at its tail end is not good news for the Japanese automaker. According to Toyota’s released statistics, the recall is affecting over 4.4 million cars worldwide, with 2.48 million of them in the US. It includes some of the best selling brands like the Camry and Corolla. The issue involves the floor mats catching the gas pedals to create potentially dangerous situations. Part of the reason for the vastness of the problem is due to the similar parts the Japanese automaker uses for various brands of its cars. To cut costs, it creates similar parts in mass quantities and then uses them for a wide variety of its vehicles.

Did Toyota lag in responding?

Critics believe the company was inefficient with dealing with the recall. Masaaki Sato, author of various books reviewing Japanese automakers, told the Associated Press that he believes company president Akio Toyoda should have immediately given a public explanation of what happened. Sato (see http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/02/toyota-recall-could-have_n_445531.html) said, “He should have rushed over to the US or called a news conference in Tokyo. Toyota underestimated the seriousness of the problem.” In fact, looking back Toyoda largely ignored the issue and the media’s persistent request for some response. Since the time the issue was discovered, the company has made an announcement. In Davos, Switzerland, president Toyoda finally addressed the issue in hopes to repair customer perception and increase fast cash with new revenue.

Pressure from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

The fix for the pedal-mat issue is to install a steel shim several millimeters thick in the pedal assembly. This should create a buffer and eliminate excessive friction between the two pieces. Though the solution is so far effective, Sasaki acknowledged the company lagged in decision making. He added, “We put our customers first. But what happened as a result may have been unfortunate. But we stuck to our view to the end.” He also confirmed that the decision to have a recall came with pressure from the US NHTSA. The company has known about the recall since 2007, and that is what caused the highway authority to increase its demands.

The recall in 2010

Though it took three years for the recall to happen, it has yet to be seen what consumer perception is now that it finally is happening. Auto manufacturers experienced a particularly difficult recession and monitoring cash now is more important than ever. Hopefully in the future companies will know how to handle issues like recalls more tactfully.

(Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielctw/ / CC BY 2.0)

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Tylenol recalls in 2009

Image from Flickr.

There were a few small, specific Tylenol recalls in 2009. First, in September, Tylenol recalled 80-milligram Children’s Tylenol Meltaways packaged in bottles and blisters, 80-milligram Children’s Tylenol SoftChews packaged in blisters, and 160-milligram Jr. Tylenol Meltaways packaged in blisters. That recall was because of confusing dosage instructions.

Then, foreshadowing the Tylenol recall in 2010, in December Tylenol recalled Arthritis Pain Caplet 100 count bottles with the red EZ-Open Cap because users reported a moldy smell, and some experienced nausea and sickness. Well, apparently that nausea-inducing moldy smell was present in more than just the Arthritis Pain Caplet 100 count bottles with the red EZ-Open Cap. Tylenol parent company Johnson & Johnson might end up needing to hit up some money lenders to stay in the over-the-counter drug business.

Tylenol recall 2010

Here we are, day 15 of 2010. Johnson & Johnson division McNeil-PPC has issued recalls on the following:

• junior strength Motrin
• children’s Tylenol grape meltaway tablets
• extra strength Tylenol
• extra strength Tylenol rapid release gelcap
• extra strength Tylenol PM geltab
• Motrin caplets
• extra strength Rolaids fresh mint tablets
• St. Joseph Aspirin chewable orange tablets

Um, is that all? Furthermore, after the Tylenol recall of 2010, who is going to trust any of their products. The reason for the massive Tylenol recall of 2010 is, again, “unusual moldy, musty or mildew-like” odor, says CNN Money. The first instances of this problem were reported in 2008. Now the FDA has issued a warning to McNeil.

FDA response to Tylenol recall of 2010

Besides the warning letter, the FDA has released public statements, saying:

“The company should have acted faster. All companies have a responsibility to ensure high quality, safety and effectiveness of their products and protect consumers.”

The FDA says it will “aggressively investigate and solve the problem.” The warning letter says McNeil has 15 days to report on its efforts to address the current problem and prevent it from reoccurring.