January 2011 recalls

 

January 2011 recalls

Thousands of items and food products that Americans use regularly are pulled off the market by retailers and producers every day due to serious potential health risks.

From children's toys and clothing to meat and over-the-counter items, here's a roundup of this month's product recalls. Massive recalls include:

Food products

A Toronto company issued a recall on cilantro, curly parsley and Italian parsley because they could be contaminated with a potentially fatal organism. The herbs were distributed to various markets (which ones?) between December 14 and December 28, 2010.

Additional food recalls
Potential health risks from the following food recalls include elevated levels of lead, Listeria contamination and salmonella.

Children's products

Potential dangers for these recalled children's products include ingestion and choking hazards.

About 7,000 Cool-it Soothers teething rings sold at small children's specialty stores nationwide. Any reported injuries?

About 1,500 baby rattles sold in specialty children's stores nationwide from November through December 2010. Any reported injuries?

Children's toys & clothing

About 18,000 children's hooded sweatshirts and jackets with a drawstring sold at nationwide wholesalers from June 2002 through January 2010 have been taken off the market. The drawstrings pose a strangulation or entrapment hazard to children

Consumer products

About 20,800 men's Sherpa shirts sold at Norm Thompson stores, catalogues and websites from September 2003 through November 2009 were recalled after they failed to meet the federal flammability standard (what are the potential risks?). Find out what happened in reported incidents.

OTC products

Johnson & Johnson, which has already taken a battering for a series of massive recalls, recalled nearly 47 million packages of Tylenol, Sudafed and other over-the-counter drugs due to insufficient cleaning procedures. Packages of Rolaids were also recalled. The recall does not require action by consumers.

Meat & seafood products

After a government inspection, a New Jersey-based company recalled about 226,400 pounds of ground beef that was sent to certain institutions. Find out what the U.S. Department of Agriculture found upon inspection.

It later expanded the recall to include boxes of Winn Dixie beef patties sold at grocery stores in five states (which ones?). So far, no sicknesses have been reported.

Electrical items

About 198,000 GE dehumidifiers sold at several retailers  throughout the country between February 2007 and June 2009 have been recalled. A component in the dehumidifier's compressor can short-circuit, posing a fire hazard. Several incidents have been reported resulting in damages.

Vehicles

General Motors expanded by about 25,000 a recall of 2011 pickups and SUVs that could have faulty rear axles. Learn about the safety concerns. Have accidents been reported?

The car company issued a more modest recall in late December for the same reason.