Chinese import woes

[styky]

25,000 BBQ grills recalled over fire hazard
Improper assembly at root of problem
Last Updated: Monday, July 27, 2009
Some 25,000 Blue Ember outdoor barbecues have been recalled after users across North America reported several grill fires, some of which caused nine injuries, including two cases of major burns.

The recall covers liquid propane and natural gas outdoor barbecue grills with the words "Blue Ember" printed on the hood. The affected barbecues are cabinet-style grills that come in two colour combinations — silver and black, and silver and grey.

Health Canada said in a release that if the affected grills are not assembled properly, the burner hose could be exposed to excessive heat, posing a possible fire and burn hazard.

The importer, Fiesta Barbeques of Brampton, Ont., is voluntarily recalling the barbecues in co-operation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada.

Only grills that have certain model numbers (FG50045, FG50057, FG50069, C1072-30744, C1072-30754) and have the serial numbers indicated below are affected.
Serial numbers Serial numbers Serial numbers
06000003-06000258 07026461-07029020 07054209-07055232
06000273-06001552 07031581-07031780 07057025-07057152
06001568-06001623 07039133-07039260 07063581-07064220
06001749-06002004 07039965-07040220 07060809-07062216
06002017-06006184 07042333-07042410 07062345-07062394
06006845-06006972 07043113-07043200 07074317-07074572
06007101-06008636 07046826-07048617 07074829-07075212
06008765-06009660 07048978-07049361 07087237-07089106
06009917-06010044 07050898-07050997
07020701-07021340 07073549-07074188
07051009-07054080 07064605-07065244

Consumers have reported 31 instances of grill fires in Canada associated with the use of the barbecues. Health Canada says 15 of these incidents were "possibly related" to the hazard involving the grease pan. There have been no reports of resulting injuries.

In the United States, there have been 161 reports of grill fires resulting in nine injuries, "including two incidents of major burns on different parts of the body, six incidents of minor burns, and one incident involving temporary hearing loss," said Health Canada.

Health Canada has advised users to immediately stop using the recalled grills and contact Fiesta to receive a free new grease pan and assembly instructions.

"Consumers are also advised to not use the grill until the new grease pan assembly has been installed," Health Canada says. "Consumers should also inspect the gas burner hose and regulator, which will be replaced free of charge if there are signs of damage."

Around 25,366 affected grills were sold at a number of retailers (including Sears, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, The Brick Warehouse, and A & P Canada stores) nationwide between November 2006 and May 2009.

The grills are manufactured in China. For more information, people can contact Fiesta by phone at 1-866-956-0396 or visit the Blue Ember website.

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/0 ... ll522.html

[styky]

6 Surprising Findings from the Chinese Drywall Report
The Chinese drywall scandal is now nearly a year old. And while incidents of Chinese drywall being installed in homes have all but stopped, complaints of bloody noses, sinus infections and vomiting spells for pets and people, widespread corrosion and blackening of copper tubing and wiring and "rotten egg" smell continue to roll in. Last spring, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission conducted 44 investigations into consumer complaints about drywall. Few of the complainants provided evidence that their drywall came from China, but the report included no shortage of devastating medical reports, panicked letters written to government officials and photographs of corroded metal. Here are six surprising findings from the report.
By Stephen Ornes
Published on: November 10, 2009
Full story - http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_jo ... zz&mag=pop

[styky]

Chinese Drywall 'Test Case' Opens As 2100 Other Families Await
Courthouse News Service - Sabrina Canfield -
NEW ORLEANS (CN) - A young family's 1688-square-foot home was ruined by 180 boards of defective drywall, and "their dream of ownership ... <a href=Chinese Drywall 'Test Case' Opens As 2100 Other Families Await>continued</a>

[styky]

China finds more toxic milk powder

By CHRIS BUCKLEY, Reuters

Last Updated: July 9, 2010
BEIJING - Chinese authorities have seized 38 tonnes of milk powder laced with a toxic additive that killed children and sparked a nationwide uproar in 2008, official media reported, underscoring the stubbornness of food safety failings.

Samples of milk powder found in northwest China's Gansu and Qinghai provinces had levels of the chemical melamine up to 500 times beyond the permitted limit, and suspected tainted powder has also turned up in the country's northeast, said the report from the Xinhua news agency on Friday.

The exposure of tainted milk products in a poor and remote parts of China's northwest has underscored the persistence of food safety problems that have alarmed consumers and sparked criminal scandals that led to executions and official sackings.

Two years ago, at least six children died and nearly 300,000 children fell ill from drinking powdered milk laced with melamine, an industrial compound added to fool inspectors by giving misleadingly high results in protein tests.

Faced with outrage from consumers and anguished parents and an international outcry, Beijing blamed officials in north China's Hebei province for covering up the problem dairy products, sold mainly by Hebei's now bankrupt Sanlu Group, which was partly owned by New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra.

China executed two people last November for their role in the scandal.

The Xinhua report did not mention any deaths or illnesses blamed on the latest batches of toxic dairy products.

"The authorities have demanded strict investigations and punishment and the preventing of any problem milk powder entering the market," it said.

Police traced tainted milk powder discovered in Gansu province to a dairy factory in neighbouring Qinghai province. The company had bought the powder from elsewhere and kept it in a village near the factory. Officials seized 38 tonnes of "problem milk powder," said Xinhua.

"Tests showed levels of melamine 500 times above the accepted level," said the report.

Traders had bought the tainted milk from Hebei province, possibly buying up batches supposed to have been destroyed after the 2008 scandal, said Xinhua.

Melamine can cause kidney stones, and is used to make plastics, fertilisers and concrete. Its high nitrogen content allows protein levels to appear higher when added to milk or animal feed, allowing traders to disguise substandard products.

http://www.torontosun.com/news/world/20 ... 55461.html

[RedDog]

And just wait. Their cars are on the way. Everyone keep tow straps and fire extinguishers at the ready.

[Angleland]

At one time, 'made in Japan' implied 'junk'. That baton has been passed to the Chicoms. To the 'junk' designation should be added 'use at own risk' and more importantly 'produced by Slave Labour'. Funny how our unions sem to have little objection.

[Right-Wingnut]

At one time, 'made in Japan' implied 'junk'. That baton has been passed to the Chicoms. To the 'junk' designation should be added 'use at own risk' and more importantly 'produced by Slave Labour'. Funny how our unions sem to have little objection.

There are many significant differences though.

When "Made in Japan" meant junk, everything coming in from Japan was clearly labelled as such. It was mainly cheap toys, electronics and tools. I don't recall seeing any food from Japan in the 50s.

Today, Chinese junk is coming in through the backdoor, thanks to greedy unions who have priced themselves out of existence and greedy companies out to enhance their bottom lines without fully disclosing how they are doing it.

Day by day we learn that our consumer packaging laws have been so watered down that its almost impossible to tell where stuff is made. Chinese ingredients do not have to be disclosed on a bottle of ketchup if it is packed in North America. Chevy Equinoxes have chinese engines.

Two nights ago I was shopping in a Sobey's store and bought some frozen vegetables. The Sobey's private label "Compliments" had an attractive looking package of frozen spinach. I checked the fine print and found it came from Belgium. I bought it (naively, perhaps, assuming it was actually grown in Belgium.)

I next looked at a very appealing-looking package of beans produced by a company whose name is Europe's Best. Under the misguided perception that the beans must have originated somewhere within a few thousand miles of the Irish coast, i nevertheless turned the pack over and was astonished to learn that it was marked as a "Product of China". I don't recall them moving the European border. As you might guess, I didn't purchase it.

A quick googling of that company just now reveals that Europe's Best is owned by the Smucker jam folks - whose products I have been buying up to and including my last trip to the store. Since I am very much a "truth in advertising" kind of guy, I will be letting them know by email that they will no longer be getting my business. I certainly wouldn't continue under the belief that their jams and other products do not contain communist chinese ingredients. Bye bye Smuckers.

LMAO - I just took a look at the Smucker product lineup on their website and see a whole host of brands I will now avoid. Bicks pickles, Folgers, Crosse and Blackwell, Crisco, Carnation, Gatusso etc etc.

[Rambo Wong]

Canadians need to be poisoned for the way they treated chinese people on the railroad and the way white nations bullied China since the opium war where you forced us to use drugs.

[braveheart]

Canadians need to be poisoned for the way they treated chinese people on the railroad and the way white nations bullied China since the opium war where you forced us to use drugs.

And in the presnt day there are no chines gangs that control drugs in Canada?

[Yoda]

Canadians need to be poisoned for the way they treated chinese people on the railroad and the way white nations bullied China since the opium war where you forced us to use drugs.

Showing your true color

[Rambo Wong]

So you think western products are perfect ?

[mingless]

So you think western products are perfect ?

So you think Canadians need to be poisoned?

[mingless]

Canadians need to be poisoned for the way they treated chinese people on the railroad and the way white nations bullied China since the opium war where you forced us to use drugs.

BTW, in the Opium War, Britain forced the Chinese government not to clamp down on opium traffic - the decision to use the drugs lays squarely at the feet of those Chinese who elected to do so.

[drummer]

BTW, in the Opium War, Britain forced the Chinese government not to clamp down on opium traffic - the decision to use the drugs lays squarely at the feet of those Chinese who elected to do so.

Great. So you are for legalizing the drug trafficking business in US and Canada, right?

[drummer]

I certainly wouldn't continue under the belief that their jams and other products do not contain communist chinese ingredients. Bye bye Smuckers.

It may work for food products but If you want to avoid buying Chinese in general, there is not much consumer products left to buy. Practically no piece of electronics or plastics is manufactured these days outside East Asia.