Munchin is one of those brands where you may not realize it but you probably have a few Munchkin items in your cupboard and you don’t even know it. They make everything you can think of from bath toys and training toilet seats to sippy cups and travel accessories.

But it seems this particular product, Munchkin Deluxe Bottle and Food Warmer with Pacifier Cleaning Basket 2-in-1 Design, has been found to be prone to overheating, several of which ignited, causing damage to countertops. No injuries have been recorded but please be sure to flip over the warmer and check the lot number.

The lot number is an alpha-numeric code on the bottom of the unti (i.e. TP-1487) Only warmers bearing lot number “TP-1487” are included in this recall.

For additional information, contact customer service toll-free at (866) 619-8673 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at Munchkin.Com

Sited Links:
CPSC Munchkin Product Recall Press Release
Munchkin Deluxe Bottle & Food Warmer with Pacifier Cleaning Basket [Product Page]

   

These cheap little lapel pins must have a lot of lead in them, that’s all I can say. “Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects,” is what it says in the recall press release. Well, sure I could have figured that out, but what are we talking about, a chunk of pure lead or just lead-coated? Are we talking about 600ppm (600 parts per million = 0.06% = 600 micrograms/gram = 600 milligrams/kilogram) or much higher?

The recalled lapel pins have images depicting 12 video game characters. The lapel pins vary in size, ranging from 1- to 2- inches in height. The characters Diddy Kong, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Mario, Mario Kart, Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Starfox, Waluigi and Wario were sold individually. Mario, Princess Peach and Samus were also sold as a set.

The top-line symptoms of lead poisoning are;

The symptoms of chronic lead poisoning include neurological problems, such as reduced cognitive abilities, or nausea, abdominal pain, irritability, insomnia, metal taste in oral cavity, excess lethargy or hyperactivity, headache and, in extreme cases, seizure and coma. There are also associated gastrointestinal problems, such as constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, poor appetite, weight loss, which are common in acute poisoning. Other associated effects are anemia, kidney problems, and reproductive problems.” ~ Wikipedia | Lead Poisoning

This is by no means a small recall with over 71,000 units in question. The pieces sold between $1.50 and $4 a piece. File this under, cheap toys made dangerously cheap.

Sited Links:
CPSC | Ninetendo Recalls Lapel Pins Due to Lead Risk
Wikipedia | Lead Poisoning

   

We all know that parents who give their kids fast food are going to hell in a hand-basket, right? Sometimes you just don’t feel like making them lunch - again. Maybe, you’re craving one of those $6 burgers, yourself. There are many reasons we use to convince ourselves that it’s okay to splurge every once and awhile and get your kids one of those little kid’s meals.

Fast food restaurants do a good job straddling the line when it comes to proper disclosure of nutritional information for their menu items, some don’t disclose the amount of trans-fats in their menu items, others don’t break-out the nutritional value of their beverages or condiments. Yes, condiments - check out the nutritional value of the condiments at Carl’s Jr. - mind-boggling numbers [House Dressing 320 calories, 34g fat, 4.5g saturated fat, 25g cholesterol, 480g sodium, 2g sugar].

Here’s a snapshot of what your kid is consuming when he or she gets a kid’s meal compared to the recommended daily allowance as dictated by the USDA. I will base this on a four year old boy (will call him “Timmy”), weighing thirty nine pounds and is forty two inches high and is expected to have an average of sixty minutes of exercise activity a day (follow the link below for a daily nutrition calculator based on age). Based on this profile, this kid should eat 1,400 calories a day - basically a bit more than half of what I eat (average adult male; between 2400-2700 calories/day). That means Timmy should have the following per day;

• 1,150mg sodium (about half a teaspoon)
• 150mg cholesterol (Keep total fat intake between 30 to 35 percent of calories for children 2 to 3 years of age and between 25 to 35 percent of calories for children and adolescents 4 to 18 years of age, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils.)
• Kids this age should be eating 1.5 cups of fruits and vegetables a day. This will account for proper amounts of natural fiber, carbohydrates and sugar (as well as important vitamins and minerals)

I could go on here with a daily nutritional breakdown but, this sets the stage for the whole kid’s meal breakdown. Here are the nutritional numbers for some of the more popular kid’s meals out there (numbers based on information attained from company websites);

• McDonald’s Happy Meal [Chicken McNuggets (4pc). Small French Fries, 1% Low Fat Chocolate Milk Jug (8 fl oz)] - 520 calories, 25g fat, 6g saturated fat, 4.5g trans-fat, 35g cholesterol, 720g sodium, 12g sugar
• McDonald’s Happy Meal [Cheeseburger, Small French Fries, 1% Low Fat White Milk Jug (8 fl oz)] - 710 calories, 28g fat, 10g saturated fat, 4g trans-fat, 50g cholesterol, 1050g sodium, 26g sugar
• Carl’s Jr. [3-piece Chicken Breast Strip, Kid's French Fries, (** does not list info for any beverages, approximation based on found standards)] - 780 calories, 37g fat, 6g saturated fat, 50g cholesterol, (no listing of trans-fat), 1360g sodium, 31g sugar
• Carl’s Jr. [Kid's Hamburger, Kid's French Fries, Small Coke (** does not list info for any beverages, approximation based on found standards)] - 820 calories, 29g. fat, 8.5 saurated fat, 60g. cholesterol, (no listing for trans-fat), 1210g. sodium, 43g sugar
• Burger King [Chicken Tenders (4pc), Small Fry, Small Coke) - 530 calories, 24g fat, 6g saturated fat, 4.5g trans-fat, 820g. sodium, 31g sugar
• El Pollo Loco [Popcorn Chicken, Small Fries, Small Coke (** does not list info for any beverages, approximation based on found standards)] - 551 calories, 23g fat, 4g saturated fat, 0g trans-fat, 1039g. sodium, 30g sugar

Lots of fat, lots of sodium and lots of sugar. I think in this post Fast-Food Nation age of enlightenment, this information comes as no surprise. But as a parent when you let these numbers soak in a bit, it’s kind of staggering. Much like their grown up counter-parts, these kid’s meals give our precious ones a full day’s supply of fat, cholesterol, sugar and sodium all in one sitting. And if your a family on the go or the kind of family that does drive-through on a regular basis, you can start to see the impact these meals are making on your kids.

Play around with some of the nutritional calculators and see what it will take to reverse the calorie count on some of these kids meals. I found that with the calculator listed (below), Timmy would have to exercise a full two hours a day to reverse a mere 400 calories, but it doesn’t reverse the long-term impact of taking in all those trans-fats, sodium and so forth.

Something to think about the next time you’re waiting in line at the drive-thru.

Sited Links;
McDonalds | Nutritional Info for Happy Meals
Carl’s Jr. | Nutrition
Burger King | Nutritional Brochure
El Pollo Loco | Nutritional Guide

Related Links;
USDA | Dietary Guidelines For Americans
Baylor College of Medicine | Healthy Eating Calculator

   

News Flash - toys that are made cheaply may fall apart and pose choking hazard, or may contain lead (get this) because they are made - cheaply. That’s right folks. If you are buying toys at a discount store or dollar store (maybe a cute little impulse buy for the kid, niece, cousin, etc.) you may want to pause for a moment and think why the toy is so cheap.

Perhaps you should ask yourself, “how are they able to make a remote control formula one racing car and sell it for a dollar and still turn a profit?” And the answer is - because the manufacture it the cheapest way possible and perhaps by turning a blind eye to how much lead is in the paint and how well the small pieces are secured.

The four recent recalls listed below represent millions of units of these cheap $1 dollar toys. If I were to venture a guess about why products like this continue to show up on the shelves of stores around the country, it’s because people still buy them. So the lesson of the day for us, the Consumer is, don’t buy these cheap little toys for the young ones.

Follow the links below and check your kid’s toy bin for any questionable toys.

Related Links;
Toy Airplanes, Cars, and Motorcycles Recalled…
Toy Racing Cars Recalled by OKK Trading Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard
Plush Insect Toys Recalled by Dollar Tree Stores Due to Choking Hazard
Magnetic Dart Boards Recalled By Henry Gordy Int’l…

   

They were made in China, Shanghai to be exact. There have been twelve reports to the CSPC about small parts coming lose and posing a potential choking hazard. In short, they were either poorly designed (thus the fault of the Designer) or poorly manufactured (thus the fault of the Maker).

As a Consumer and concerned parent, accountability is paramount with these companies but it seems to be falling on deaf ears. I am starting to feel that ultimately the financial ramifications to the company shareholders’ (in this case, Toys ‘R’ Us) will determine swifter justice. By the looks of the their Safety FAQ’s, it seems they’re becoming keenly aware of the true impact of all the recalls that have hit the toy industry in the past year.

These two recalls affect 16,400 units of two Imaginarium-branded wooden activity centers due to potential choking hazards, the company recommends bringing the TRU’s Imaginarium Multi-Sided Activity Centers (manufactured by Taizhou Orient Toys Company Ltd.) and Jungle Activity Centers (Shanghai Cosmos Gift Industry Company Ltd.) back to a local Toys ‘R’ Us store for a full refund or credit.

Related Links:
CPSC | Imaginarium Activity Centers Recalled
Toys ‘R’ Us Safety FAQs

   

There has been an ongoing (read; growing) recall on Honduran cantaloupe because of links between it and a recent outbreak of Salmonellosis. The recalls are growing because the infected fruit is from a specific Honduran grower and packer, Agropecuaria Montelibano, that many different brands use. There have been cases of the Salmonella Litchfield outbreak throughout North America.

To date, the FDA has received reports of 50 illnesses in 16 states and nine illnesses in Canada linked to the consumption of cantaloupes. No deaths have been reported; however, 14 people have been hospitalized. The states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.” ~ USFDA, March 22nd, 2008, Cantaloupe Recall Info

Sure, you’re throwing away a couple bucks but the chances of that fruit sitting in an un-refrigerated area for a notable length of time is pretty high. As stated by the FDA, ” leftover cut cantaloupe should be discarded if left at room temperature for more than two hours.” That accounts for fruit left out (at room temperature) but what about when it was sitting out on the docks for hours?

I am not saying this happens to all perishables but after working in the restaurant and hotel industry (reputable places, too) for over ten years I will say this - it is not unheard of for perishables to sit in places that are less than “optimal” for “undetermined” amounts of time. So in the case of that cantaloupe sitting in the frig, so as they say in the food industry, “when in doubt, throw it out.”

The symptoms for Salmonella are diarrhea, fever, vomiting, and abdominal cramps 6 to 72 hours after infection. Salmonella and its various strains are a food-born illness meaning you can only get it from consuming the food in question. But it should be pointed out that the very young and old are susceptible to the most severe symptoms due to their impaired immune systems. In extreme cases it can infect a person’s bloodstream and lead to life-threatening infections.

Related Links:
FDA Warns of Salmonella Risk with Cantaloupes from Agropecuaria Montelibano
T.M. Kovacevich International, Inc. Recalls Cantaloupe Because of Health Concerns
Fresh Express Foods Recalls Cubed Cantaloupe
Wikipedia | Salmonellosis

   

Based on the ticket sales to date and the cross-talk generated by Al Gore’s “Inconvenient Truth” a lot of us went out and purchased piles of energy efficient bulbs in an effort to thwart our own seemingly massive carbon footprint, right? Swapping one regular light bulb for a Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFB) will save about 260 pounds of carbon dioxide each year and save $25 to $45 in energy bills over the life of the bulb according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

We left the store all smug, thinking, “hey look at me, I’m making a difference, I’m saving the planet.” Eventually, those little gems are going to burn out and a lot of us are unknowingly going to toss them into the trash and away they will go to some mythical landfill. Little do we know, but those bulbs installed a short while ago are just future toxic waste.

That’s right, the fine print on those products are growing to the size of bold headlines because those CFB’s have trace amounts of mercury in them (5 mg. per bulb - to be exact). Remember, mercury is a dangerous nuerotoxin. These mercury laden bulbs end up in landfills, the mercury will inevitably end up in the soil and potentially the water system. Also, if these bulbs shatter in your home you need to take definite precautions when cleaning the area. There is a vast spectrum of stories and advice when it come to cleaning up these shattered bulbs - everything from guys in hazmat suits coming to your house to opening the windows of the house for a few minutes and picking up the shards with tape. The bottom line is they need special treatment.

Sited Links:
Washington Post | Disposing of Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
Business and Media | The Dangers of those Energy-Saving Bulbs

Related Links:
EnergyStar.Gov | Fact Sheet Mercury
US EPA | Recycling Fluorescent Bulbs
Wikipedia | Mercury Poisoning

   

Consider this the first recall of the season with a personal touch. In a seemingly sincerely open letter to their customers, Hobby Lobby, Inc. apologizes for their error. They apologized. Interesting. In an effort to retain their customers, they are offering a three dollar gift card to those who return the recalled items - The Easter Spinning Egg Tops or The Camouflage Easter Egg Treat Containers.

This is a admirable offer since the products in question retail between $1.99-$2.49. Thanks for the pocket change Mr. Hobby Lobby Man, that totally makes up for the fact that my kid has been playing with lead-laced toys. Yes, these plastic eggs were manufactured in China (surprise-surprise) and they have exceedingly high levels of lead in their brightly colored shells. As a parent, I concur with recent polls that measures and safety standards need to be revamped considering the current trends with manufacturing, and the sooner the better.

It’s seems fair to say that when you are buying products for the little ones, you need to look for explicit labeling with language like “non-toxic” or “lead-free” on it. There is plenty of paperwork being pushed around in Congress regarding this kind of issue so I expect, at the very least, some step toward madatory labeling on toys and baby products but still question whether the CPSC and the likes of will be able to keep up with all the foul play on the part of the manufacturers and the commissioning companies. In the meantime, read the labels and if they don’t say “non-toxic” you can assume they just may be toxic.

Sited Links:
CPSC | Hobby Lobby Stores Recalls Easter Egg Containers…
Hobby Lobby | Recall Statement and Information
Science Daily | Consumer Alerts Aren’t Enough to Protect Kids, Survey Says

Related Links:
National Paint & Coatings Association | Lead-Hazards Legislation Introduced in Both Houses of Congress
Associated Press | Plastic Easter Eggs Linked to Lead Paint

   

A Canadian recall has been released today for two seperate brands of pear juice marketed toward toddlers - President’s Choice Organics Pear Juice from Concentrate for Toddlers and Beech Nut Pear Juice from concentrate with Vitamin C added.

Arsenic is a toxic heavy metal that may be carcinogenic and may pose developmental risks to children. How may have arsenic found its way into fruit juice you ask? Well, understanding where arsenic is used will help provide some clues. Arsenic and its compounds are used as pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and various alloys. Understanding that it’s used in insecticides and pesticides points to the possibility that these dangerous trace amounts of the arsenic may have been carried through the manufacturing process from the fruit.

What does this mean for those of us in the U.S.? You may want to look in your pantry and refrigerator and see if you have any pear juice for toddlers that is made in Canada, that would be a great start. There has not been any warnings or recalls from the F.D.A. as of yet.

Sited Links:
The Canadian Press | Pear Juice Recall Information
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) | Additional Recall Information
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) | Audio Report Regarding Recall
Wikipedia | Arsenic

   

I want to say first and foremost to anyone stumbling across this story - if you have a child that has swallowed a battery the first thing you need to do is call the National Poison Control Center and get that kid to the closest emergency room.

What I have learned this weekend is that those little button batteries can be very harmful to a kid if the battery leaks while in your system, especially if the battery gets stuck or hung up while passing through you. Understanding that the window of time before damage from these toxic chemicals doing bad things to your kids insides is relatively small, get in the car and take them to the ER and make sure they get in to see a doctor ASAP.

I got a call from my wife around 5pm on Friday saying she was on her way to pick me up to take my youngest son (12 mos.) to the emergency room because he swallowed a small button battery. A button battery is one of those small dime or nickel sized batteries we use for watches, cameras, musical board books or any number of small electronic items. Of course, we knew we were in for a long night. Sure enough, about two hours after admittance and five hours after he had allegedly swallowed it, we were guided through the busy hallways of the ER, which is quite the hopping place on a Friday night.

The X-ray Technician took an x-ray of his abdominal area and dashed to the next room with the plate, soon after he prompted me from across the hall into another darkened room simply by pointing to a screen out of my view. I poked my head around the corner and caught site of my kid’s y-ray and there it was like a bold “period” at the end of his “sentence” was the battery.

It had passed his esophagus, gone through his stomach and had started to go through his intestines (or at least that is what the doctor told me). I will spare you the vivid details of what ensued for the next several hours but we worked for the rest of the night trying to push, nudge and coax that little battery out of him.

Here lies the implicit dangers when a battery is swallowed;

Hazard from electrolyte leakage, mercury and/or acid toxicity, or alkali burns or a perforated esophagus. If the battery leaks the corrosive nature of the potassium hydroxide or similar alkaline could cause a perforation or what’s called a mediastinitis (which from what I can gather from staring at medical dictionaries is it is a dangerous and/or damaging inflammation of the mediastinum, in this case the esophagus).

My son did not pass the battery that night but was very lucky nonetheless. After much discussion with the medical staff, my son was released from the ER at about 3:30am on Saturday morning under the caveat that he must return in 12 hours with or without battery in hand - for a follow up. After a good long rest and healthy (late) breakfast, he pooped it out. We had additional conversations with the Pediatric Gastroenterologist and he had determined that in our case the fact that it has passed through the “danger zone” (esophagus, and stomach are said to be were these batteries get stuck and pose the biggest danger) that we could let nature do its job but if it hadn’t passed in twenty four hours we would have to bring him in.

The first thing my wife did was to call the National Poison Control Hotline (800-222-1222) for recommendations which is of course prudent but there is also a 24-hour resource - National Button Battery Ingestion Hotline (202-625-3333). The fact that there is a dedicated effort just for this issue is telling. Over a seven year period there have been almost 2,400 cases of batteries being swallowed by kids.

Sited Links:
General Thoracic Surgery | Thomas W. Shields
National Capital Poison Center
Dr. Greene | Battery Safety