Record number of recalls in US bring raft of safety tests

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WASHINGTON, Nov 11 (AFP): A wave of recalls in the United States, including the withdrawal from sale of several products aimed at children, has sparked a surge in the number of product safety tests which are uncovering yet more dangerous items.
Last month, the Consumers Union dubbed 2007 "the year of the recall," saying a record number of dangerous foods and unsafe products had been pulled off the shelves in the United States.
"One million cribs with side rails that can separate and strangle infants, 175 million pieces of children's jewelry made with hazardous levels of lead, and 30 million pounds of ground beef contaminated with the deadly e-coli bacteria all appeared on the list of recalls for 2007," the non-profit consumer group said in a statement.
The latest massive recall came Wednesday when 4.2 million Chinese-made toy bead sets were taken off sale because they contained a substance that has a similar toxic effect as GHB, the so-called date rape drug, when ingested.
"Children who swallow the beads can become comatose, develop respiratory depression, or have seizures," the US Consumer Product Safety Commission said.
The same day, nearly 400,000 Chinese-made toys, most of them miniature cars, were recalled for containing unacceptable levels of lead paint.
And Thursday, 175,000 Curious George plush toys and 51,000 sets of children's sunglasses were recalled, also for having high levels of lead in their decorative paint.
Since the wave of recalls, many involving products made in China, began gathering speed this summer, consumer protection groups, officials from different states and even individuals have begun conducting safety tests on all manner of products.