Is there arsenic and lead in your fruit juice? Probably, says this Consumers Report

Apple juice can contain high levels of arsenic and leads, new Consumers Report says

Most of us heard Dr Oz’s cry for concern a few months ago regarding potentially dangerous levels of arsenic in apple juice. The U.S. FDA (Food & Drug Administration) promptly dismissed Dr Oz’s accusations, slapping him on the hand for scaring consumers and explaining that low levels of arsenic naturally occur in foods we eat.

Well, it looks like Dr Oz may have been right all along (I want to know who tipped him off!), and now the Consumers Union, which publishes the famous Consumer Reports, has now made official the result of their tests on many brands of apple juice and grape juice (88 to be exact) found in stores around the country. The results are quite alarming. Not only did most fruit juices show arsenic levels higher than the federal standard, but the same applied to levels of lead. Yes, there may also be lead in your apple juice. And we thought we just had to worry about that red paint from China… And the tainted pet food. And… I’ll stop there.

A concerning fact about this contamination is, many kids drink a large amount of juice every day, so the arsenic and lead levels they swallow could quickly add up. Another scary fact? Even organic fruit juice doesn’t seem to be completely spared for these high levels of arsenic and lead. Just when we thought we were safe if we stuck to organically grown foods.

It looks like this Consumer Report is shaking up the FDA (at least a little) and the agency announced it  is considering collecting additional data on fruit juice samples to see if there is reason for concern. You can read the full article from NPR on this new fruit juice survey and the concerns it’s raising for consumers in the US (and possibly in other parts of the world).

You can also see how the apple juice or grape juice you buy for your family stacked up in this Consumer Reports test survey.

This report is not too worrisome for my family as I rarely buy fruit juice. I don’t drink it, my husband doesn’t either. My youngest refuses to drink any juice (and now I won’t push him). My five year old would drink fruit juice by the gallon if I let him. But I don’t, because as it goes in one end, it usually comes out right the other, so he just can’t have it. I’ve always pushed my kids to eat real fruit instead and now I’ve got another good reason to do so.

Are you planning to make any changes to your fruit juice buying habits after reading this Consumer Report and survey? Do you think there should be a reason for concern or are we overreacting?

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phil&teds USA recalls metoo clip-on chairs, finally

Stop using dangerous phil&teds metoo clip-on chairs

Well, it took three months for phil&teds USA to get on board with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and admit their product is unsafe, but they finally did it!

On May 15, 2011, the US CPSC urged phil&teds USA to recall their metoo clip-on chairs because of fall and amputation hazards, but the company refused to do so, only addressing the issue by making a “repair” kit available the US CPSC deemed unacceptable.  Yesterday phil&teds USA admitted the product is unsafe and consumers should be allowed to return it for a refund.

It had to take all 19 reports of the chairs falling from tables, including five reports with injuries, for the company to react. Two reports of injuries involved children’s fingers being severely pinched, lacerated, crushed or amputated. The three other reports involved bruising after a chair detached suddenly and a child struck the table or floor.

This really makes you wonder whose best interest phil&teds USA has in mind – their consumers or their corporate greed… A flagrant example of a company who makes baby and children’s products but doesn’t believe in safety first, even when they screw up. Knowing how they address safety issues, I wouldn’t recommend this brand of products to any parent, especially when you realize how expensive most of their products are. Shame on you, phil&teds USA.

Visit the US CPSC website for the complete announcement of the phil&teds USA recall and pass it along to your friends, for their children’s safety.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission urges consumers to stop using phil&teds metoo clip-on chairs

Stop using dangerous phil&teds metoo clip-on chairs

If you own a phil&teds metoo clip-on chair or know someone who does, please read this news carefully. What’s terrifying about this announcement is that it’s not an “official” recall. Why? Because phil&teds USA, the baby gear company, hasn’t agreed to a recall with terms acceptable to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Instead of simply recalling the defective and dangerous chairs, phil&teds decided to provide parents a repair kit. Unfortunately the US CPSC doesn’t find this kit acceptable at avoiding accidents. So the US CPSC is doing its best to protect consumers by urging parents to stop using the chairs all together.

What’s wrong with the phil&teds metoo clip-on chairs?  The best way to understand the dangers this product can cause to a child is to watch the US CPSC’s video about the phil&teds metoo clip-on chairs. Babies/children can get injured for a number of reasons:

• The confusing installation instructions, which may cause the problems below
• The chair can detach from the table, causing the baby/child to fall down on the floor
• If one side of the chair detaches, the seat can tilt and trap the baby/child’s fingers in the hinge, crushing or possibly amputating those fingers

With so many parents using baby gear and relying on baby gear manufacturers to keep their children safe, it’s hard to believe a company would avoid a costly (but safe) recall. Phil&teds doesn’t seem to mind. Maybe it’s because they’ve already spent enough money on the phil&teds stroller recall a few months ago and they can’t afford to lose more money. The phil&teds stroller recall involved amputated fingers also – go figure.

I’m glad my kids are growing out of the little baby gear but this makes me wonder whose best interest is at heart – ours and our kids, or a company’s bottom line. This is putting a lot of pressure on parents to keep their babies and children safe. Who needs the additional burden of unsafe baby gear?

Please spread the word and let your friends know about this announcement.The US CSPC’s safety notice about the phil&teds metoo clip-on chairs, including which models are affected, is available on the agency’s website.

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B.O.B. single and double strollers recalled due to strangulation hazard

Overall the quality of B.O.B. strollers is excellent and you’ll see the recall below is easily fixable. But if you or someone you know owns a B.O.B. stroller, you’ll want to take care of this before you take your kids out on their next ride.

Name of Product: B.O.B.® single and double strollers
Units: About 337,000 in the US and 20,000 in Canada
Hazard: A drawstring on the stroller can get wrapped around a child’s neck, posing a strangulation hazard.
Injuries/Incidents: There has been one report of an 11-month-old girl who got entangled at the neck by the stroller’s drawstring. The child was freed by her mother.
Description: This recall involves 11 models of B.O.B. single and double strollers. All of the recalled strollers have a yellow/orange drawstring at the rear of the canopy which is used to gather loose fabric when the canopy is pulled back.

Read the full recall notice for B.O.B. strollers on the U.S.C.P.S.C. website, including the serial numbers being recalled.

B.O.B. single and double strollers recalled due to strangulation hazard

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