The FDA recently announced that its inspectors may be knocking on your door as early as July 20 to conduct long-overdue domestic inspections. Once given the green light, inspectors’ first priority will be to conduct “mission critical” inspections of facilities considered to be of highest risk.
Continue ReadingWhile U.S. product recalls were relatively flat from the second to third quarter, expect an upsurge in the weeks and months to come as regulators – under growing pressure from Congress and consumer groups – turn their attention to currently unregulated categories. Part of that pressure on regulators is a result of past handling of product safety issues.
Continue ReadingThe big story from the Q2 2019 Recall Index we’ve just released isn’t as much about the number of events or units recalled as it is the recall environment companies are finding themselves in. While Congress focuses on safety-related regulatory processes at the CPSC, and FDA tries to find its way on matters related to cannabis and CBD oil, companies are finding a regulator that is stricter and more sensitive to pressure from lawmakers.
Continue ReadingThe Consumer Product Safety Commission has been in the hot seat lately, criticized for its handling of recent children’s and infant product recalls. The latest chapter in the “failure to act” saga features in-home elevators that are putting children at risk. While it appears the agency is trying to regain control of the story by issuing a safety warning in recent days, it may be too little too late.
Continue ReadingACConventional wisdom suggests that automation and robotics should make products safer by removing the potential for human error adding more precision to production. But some industries are finding that automation is a double-edged sword. The food industry, in particular, has experienced a string of product recalls whose origins can be traced back to automated systems. Take factory farming, for example. Food Quality & Safety Magazine
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