Last June, we were warned about counterfeit toothpaste packaged as “Colgate” sitting on the shelves of several dollar store chains.

The fake product contained Diethylene Glycol.

Today, we find out there is more toothpaste containing Diethylene Glycol, this time in pet toothpaste.

PetEdge is voluntarily recalling Top Performance brand ProDental Toothpaste with Toothbrush kit because the toothpaste could contain diethylene glycol. Only one product, which comes in two flavors, is affected:

Top Performance® ProDental Toothpaste with Toothbrush kit 1.4 oz.,

Item No. TP128, Beef flavor: UPC 721343128151, Mint flavor: UPC 721343128564

Diethylene glycol can cause headaches and illness, or in high doses, renal failure or death. Diethylene glycol is found in antifreeze and other solvents. Stores have been asked to immediately discard any ProDental 1.4 oz. Toothpaste of either flavor.

[Hat Tip: Michelle Oshen]

Just think…

If Menu Foods had handled the initial news of the pet food recall a bit better (ie, informing customers that there was a problem, and pulling all of their products immediately), they wouldn’t be in this position now would they? Oh sure, they would still be losing money, but I think customer confidence wouldn’t have dropped so low if they had been more concerned with the animals than their bottom line when they first became aware there was a problem.

Menu Foods Income Fund, still struggling with the fallout from its massive recall of tainted pet food, posted a third-quarter loss Wednesday and said that customers who accounted for more than a third of its sales in 2006 will no longer do business with the company.

Menu said it lost $19.3-million, or $1.01 a unit, in the third quarter ended Sept. 30. That compared with a profit of $1.3-million, or 7 cents a unit, in the same period a year earlier.

Revenue fell to $78.1-million from $90.1-million a year earlier, and the company’s forecast was bleak.

“The fund has been informed that customers whose volume represented approximately 37 per cent of sales in 2006 will no longer be purchasing these products from Menu,” the company said. “The effects of this lost business will be felt over time.”

As well, customers whose 2006 volumes accounted for almost 14 per cent of sales “have already stopped doing business with Menu,” it said.

Menu’s recall, first announced in March, has been expanded several times

Companies responsible for 14 percent of their sales have already stopped doing business with them and an additional 37 percent say they wont be back. Can the company survive with just 49% of the business they had in 2006?

It’s been 242 days since they informed their investors that there was a problem. That press release was clearly marked, “NOT FOR RELEASE OVER US NEWSWIRE SERVICES”.

Any idea that they actually cared about what was happening to the animals who ate their products is insane. They didn’t care then, and it’s clear, based on their customers still leaving in droves, they don’t care now.

Will Menu Foods be forced into bankruptcy because of this? I really don’t care. It’s not about them, it’s about the thousands of pets that have been lost because of the tainted product.

The heat is on, so China has suspended exports of Aqua Dots. Um… I am sure companies were no longer accepting shipments anyway, but whose keeping track, right?

China’s government has suspended exports of toys covered with a toxic chemical that have been subject to recalls from Australia to the United States after sickening children, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported Friday.

China’s move came as seven more U.S. children were reported ailing after ingesting Chinese-made toy beads because of the toxic chemical coating, bringing the total of U.S. children sickened to nine, according to a spokeswoman for the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

…

Tests showed they were coated with the industrial chemical 1,4-butanediol. When ingested the chemical metabolizes into the “date-rape” drug gamma hydroxy butyrate, and may cause breathing problems, loss of consciousness, seizures, drowsiness, coma and death. In addition to the nine in the U.S., three children in Australia have taken sick.

…

In the latest case, the Aqua Dots or Bindeez were supposed to have been coated with nontoxic 1,5-pentanediol, a chemical commonly used in computer printer ink. But that chemical generally sells for three or four times the price of the toxic compound found on the tainted toys, 1,4-butanediol.

This is but another example of cost cutting measures designed to effectively increase the death rate in the United States.

Curious George Plush Dolls Recalled By Marvel Toys Due to Risk of Lead Exposure

and

Children’s Sunglasses Recalled by Dollar General Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

Yes, they both contain lead and they both were made in China.

There’s some more information on the Aqua Dots recall.

Millions of Chinese-made toys have been pulled from shelves in North America and Australia after scientists found they contain a chemical that converts into a powerful “date rape” drug when ingested. Two children in the U.S. and three in Australia were hospitalized after swallowing the beads.

Isn’t that nice. When ingested, the Aqua Dots metabolize into gamma hydroxy butyrate, the date rape drug. No one knew this? No one tested the chemicals used on the Aqua Dots? No one double checked to see what the chemical interactions would be?

And this was the toy of the year in Australia last year?

The marketing for this product has been so heavy, that even we broke down and bought some for our youngest. Of course, our youngest is well above the labeled age requirement, and he knows better than to put toys in his mouth and such.

But what about the exposure through the skin? He played with those Aqua Dots a lot, and sprayed them with water, and because he’s a kid, he would re-arrange them and play with them while they were sticky. What happens when those chemicals are absorbed through the skin? I bet the so called experts don’t even know.

Needless to say, the “toy of the year” seems to be the most immediately lethal (if ingested). Maybe they should have called them Aqua Dates.

Toy Cars Recalled by Dollar General Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

Schylling Associates Recalls Duck Family Collectable Toy Due To Violation of Lead Paint Standard

Schylling Associates Recalls Dizzy Ducks Music Box Due To Violation of Lead Paint Standard

Schylling Associates Recalls Collectable Toy Robot Due To Violation of Lead Paint Standard

Northern Tool & Equipment Recalls “Big Red” Wagons Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

International Sourcing Ltd. Recalls Toy Dragster and Funny Car Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

Yes, they were all manufactured in China.

Apparently buying those Aqua Dots for our youngest son wasn’t such a good idea.

Name of Product: Aqua Dots

Hazard: The coating on the beads that causes the beads to stick to each other when water is added contains a chemical that can turn toxic when many are ingested. Children who swallow the beads can become comatose, develop respiratory depression, or have seizures.

Incidents/Injuries: CPSC has received two reports over the past several days of children swallowing Aqua Dots. A 20-month-old child swallowed several dozen beads. He became dizzy and vomited several times before slipping into a comatose state for a period of time, was hospitalized, and has since fully recovered. A second child also vomited and slipped into a comatose state and was hospitalized for five days.

Description: The recalled toy is a craft kit which allows children to create various multi-dimensional designs using small colored beads. The beads fuse together when sprayed with water. The recall applies to all models of Aqua Dots. The product is available in various different kits with accessories such as a drying fan, applicator pen, design templates for the beads, and spray bottle. The product is labeled for ages 4+.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled toy away from children and contact Spin Master to return for free replacement beads or a toy of equal value.

For more information about this recall, contact Spin Master at (800) 622-8339 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.aquadotsrecall.com

Of course, I think the parents of the 20 month-old should start explaining why their child was able to ingest so many of the Aqua Dots, when the toy is clearly labeled for ages four and up.

At the end of September, we had the recall of 300,000 to 21.7 million pounds of ground beef. Today, we have another recall of 1 million pounds.

Cargill Inc. said Saturday it is recalling more than 1 million pounds of ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli bacteria, the second time in less than a month it has voluntarily recalled beef that may have been tainted.

No illnesses have been reported, said John Keating, president of Cargill Regional Beef.

The agribusiness giant produced the beef between Oct. 8 and Oct. 11 at a plant in Wyalusing, Pa. and distributed it to retailers across the country. They include Giant, Shop Rite, Stop & Shop, Wegmans and Weis.

Cargill learned the meat may be contaminated after the Agriculture Department found a problem with a sample of the beef produced on Oct. 8, the company said. The bacteria is E. coli O157:H7.

A spokeswoman for Cargill said 10 states are included in the recall — Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

[Source: AP via Yahoo! News]

Heads up people.

General Mills says it’s recalling about 5 million frozen pizzas due to possible E. coli contamination.

The pizzas are sold nationwide, including in Georgia, under the Totino’s and Jeno’s labels.

General Mills says state and federal authorities have been investigating 21 E. coli cases in 10 states. Nine of the 21 people reported eating Totino’s or Jeno’s pizza with pepperoni topping at some point before becoming ill. Authorities say eight people have been hospitalized, and four have developed a type of kidney failure.

The voluntary recall covers pizzas with pepperoni produced since July, when the first of the E. coli cases occurred.

The company asks consumers to throw away the recalled pizzas. Replacements will be provided.

Now, I have a question.

How many of you still have pizzas you purchased in July in your freezer? I don’t know about you, but when we buy stuff like that, we usually eat it within a week or two around here.

It’s a little unsettling to know our kids have been eating that stuff for the past couple months. Thank God I overcook frozen foods.

I should start a lead contamination recall blog. This is getting really ridiculous.

Toy Figures Recalled by Henry Gordy International Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

Pearl-like Bead Attachment Sold with Girl’s Gift Sets Recalled Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard; Sold exclusively at Limited Too Stores

As expected, both of these items were made in China. How much longer do you think it will be before the US does anything to help stem the tide of lead tainted toys making it to the store shelves?