Health Alerts - June 2001

Evenflo Co. Inc., of Vandalia, Ohio, is recalling 3.4 million Joyride infant car seats/carriers because the handles can release unexpectedly when the items are used as carriers. The seat can flip forward, posing a risk of injuries to infants.

There have been 240 reports of handles unexpectedly releasing, resulting in 97 injuries, including skull fractures, concussions, a broken leg, and scratches and bruises.

The recall involves all Evenflo Joyride car seats/carriers, made of white or gray plastic with seat pads of various colors and patterns. The seats have model numbers beginning with 203, 205, 210, 435 or 493.

Juvenile product, mass merchandise and major discount stores nationwide sold the car seats/carriers from January through December 1998 for about $30 when sold alone, $48 when sold as a Travel Tandem (with a detachable base), and $89 when sold with a matching stroller.

Evenflo will provide consumers with a free easy-to-install repair kit that helps secure the handle. Consumers should not carry the seat by the handle until it has been repaired, but they can continue to use the product as a car seat.

To receive a free repair kit, call Evenflo at (800) 557-3178 or visit www.joyridecarseat.com.

The Disney Store, of Glendale, Calif., is recalling 54,000 Princess Ariel (The Little Mermaid) costumes because the fabric can ignite and present a risk of burn injuries.

Two reports have been received of costumes igniting, resulting in one burn injury to a 4-year-old.

Sold in youth sizes 2-4, 4-6X and 8-10, the costume has a green skirt with two layers of netting on top and a sequined purple metallic bodice with a picture of Ariel. The Disney Store sold the costumes from July through October 2000, and the Disney Store catalog and DisneyStore.com sold the costumes from July 2000 through January 2001 for about $29.

Return the costumes to any Disney Store or to the Disney Store catalog for a refund and a $10 gift certificate. For more information, call (800) 328-5902 or e-mail [email protected].

The recall does not include the mermaid fin-like Princess Ariel costumes with the knee-length, sequined skirt, sold before July 2000.

Tony USA Inc., of Encinitas, Calif., is recalling 200,000 Easter egg garlands because the string can break and release the eggs, posing a choking hazard to children.

No injuries have been reported.

The garland is made of plastic egg-shaped beads in green, yellow, blue, purple and red, connected by a clear plastic string. Discount stores nationwide sold the items from February through April 2001 for about $2.

Return the garland to the store where purchased for a refund. For more information, call the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission at (800) 638-2772.

Dynacraft Industries Inc., of San Rafael, Calif., is recalling 38,000 boys’ mountain bicycles and 54,000 adult mountain bicycles.

The boys’ bikes are being recalled because the front-suspension forks can break, resulting in injury.

Dynacraft has received 33 reports of the front-suspension forks breaking, resulting in 32 injuries that included a blood clot in the brain, broken bones, cuts, bruises and chipped teeth.

The 20-inch, 21-speed, dual-suspension bicycles have the model name Next Shockzone written on their orange frame in black lettering, and include model number 8536-33.

Wal-Mart stores sold the bicycles nationwide from September 1999 through March 2001 for about $130.

Call Dynacraft at (800) 551-0032 to receive a free replacement fork and arrange for free installation. For more information, visit www.dynacraftbikes.com.

Bicycles with a label at the bottom of the fork that reads, “Fork made January 2000” or “Fork made July 2000” are not part of this recall.

The adult mountain bicycles are being recalled because the pedals can loosen and fall off, resulting in injury to riders.

Thirty-one reports of pedals falling off have been received. Injuries to riders include a concussion, broken bones, sprains and cuts.

The recall involves men’s and women’s 26-inch, 18-speed Magna Equator mountain bicycles with the model names “Magna” and “Equator” written in black lettering on the green-colored women’s and red-colored men’s bicycle frames. Women’s bicycles with model number 8546-84 and men’s bicycles with model number 8547-19 are included in the recall.

Toys R Us stores nationwide sold these bicycles from January 2000 through mid-April 2001 for about $69.

Call Dynacraft at (800) 551-0032 to receive a free replacement pedal/crank set and to arrange for free installation. For more information, visit www.dynacraftbikes.com/about_us.html.

ASICS TIGER Corp., of Irvine, Calif., is recalling 60,000 ear guards used in wrestling because the plastic protective shell can break when it is hit against a hard surface, resulting in injuries to wrestlers’ heads.

ASICS has received 10 reports of plastic shells breaking, resulting in three injuries to the side of the head and ear.

The recall involves ASICS Gel Wrestling Ear Guard with Neoprene, which includes two plastic earpieces covered with neoprene nylon. The ASICS red logo is on a label on the guard’s strap. The recalled guards have date codes beginning with 98 or 99 and come in white, red, purple, black, navy blue, royal blue, green or gold.

Sports specialty and team sport stores and catalogs sold these guards nationwide from June 1998 through March 2001 for about $25.

Return the ear guards to the store where purchased or to the firm for a free replacement. For more information, call (888) 380-8222 or visit www.asicstiger.com.

Creative Consumer Concepts Inc., Overland Park, Kan., and Whataburger Inc., Corpus Christi, Texas, are recalling 330,000 Whatagear compass toys because the plastic lens cover can come off, posing a choking hazard to young children. The toys were distributed with kids’ meals at Whataburger Restaurants.

Four reports of the lens covers coming off have been received, with no injuries.

The Whatagear compasses are plastic toys in various colors with a compass in the center and features such as a flashlight, magnifying lens or tools.

Whataburger Restaurants in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas distributed the toys from March through April 2001.

Return the toy to any Whataburger Restaurant for a free replacement. For more information, call (866) 327-2216; write to: Creative Consumer Concepts Inc., Attn: Compass, 10955 Granada Lane, Overland Park, KS 66211; or visit www.c3.to.

Kmart Corp., of Troy, Mich., is recalling 24,000 Martha Stewart Everyday brand tea kettles because boiling water can be expelled from the kettle’s spout, posing a burn hazard to consumers.

Kmart has received 14 reports of boiling water being expelled, resulting in three minor burn injuries.

The recalled tea kettles are stainless steel or white, sage or slate colored porcelain. Kmart sold the kettles nationwide from October 2000 through March 2001 for $25 to $30.

Return the kettle to any Kmart store or call Wilton Industries Inc. at (800) 273-9398 to receive a refund or a replacement tea kettle.

Two companies are recalling cigarette lighters because they do not have child-resistant mechanisms, presenting fire and burn hazards to young children.

No injuries have been reported.

DFS Group Ltd., of San Francisco, is recalling 65,000 cigarette lighters packaged in souvenir sets with ashtrays, pencils or pens.

The refillable, electronic ignition lighters have flip-up caps and bear location names such as Hawaii, Guam, Saipan, Las Vegas and USA. DFS stores in Hawaii, Guam, Saipan, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Portland sold these souvenir sets from January 1996 through April 2001 for $12 to $15.

Return the lighters to the DFS store where purchased for a refund. For more information, call (800) 225-2777.

Tools Exchange Inc., of Lynwood, Calif., is recalling 5,300 novelty cigarette lighters with two brand names:

• The “Hotery Pocke Torch” is a butane-fueled, torch-style lighter that comes in various colors and is shaped like a fire extinguisher. It was sold nationwide from January through December 2000 for about $7.

• The “Pocket Torch” is a butane-fueled, torch-style lighter that comes in red and dark gray, and is shaped like a fire hydrant. It was sold nationwide from January 1999 to October 2000 for about $7.

Return these lighters to the store where purchased for a refund. Call Tools Exchange collect at (310) 604-4444 for more information.

Gladstrong Investments USA, of Hacienda Heights, Calif., is recalling 13 million disposable lighters because the child-resistant mechanisms frequently are ineffective, posing a potential fire hazard.

Gladstrong has received one report of a 4-year-old who died after starting a fire with a Gladstrong lighter.

The recalled lighters were sold in various colors and have their brand name, Boda-Bing, Gil, Happy or Wax, stamped on both sides of their metal tops. The UPC bar code on the lighters’ labels is 0-80692-99930-1, 0-295114-0 or starts with 7-55998.

Convenience, drug and discount stores nationwide sold these $1 lighters from January 1998 through February 2001.

Return the lighters to the store where purchased for a refund. For more information, call (877) 666-0664.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers to avoid buying or consuming Dulmex brand tamarind candy lollipops labeled “Bolirindo” from Mexico because of high lead levels that may be associated with the product, especially its wrapper.

People, especially children, who consume high levels of lead can suffer serious damage to their central nervous systems, sometimes leading to permanent neurological damage.

The product is a soft, dark brown, tamarind fruit candy lollipop on a white or orange stick. It is wrapped in an orange-red wrapper with “Bolirindo” in white lettering and a picture of a brown tamarind fruit. The product is known to be distributed in California but also may be present in other parts of the country, particularly in Southwestern states.

Routine lead level testing of children conducted by the California Department of Health Services revealed at least three cases in which children may have suffered elevated lead levels as a result of contact with this candy. Preliminary findings indicate that at least the lollipop wrapper’s exterior may have exceedingly high concentrations of lead.

FDA is urging consumers not to consume these lollipops and to keep them out of children’s hands. Anyone who suspects they or their child may have consumed these lollipops should consult their doctor about having their lead level checked.

King Nut Company is recalling 1-ounce packages of Summer Harvest Brand Express Mix because they may contain undeclared peanuts, posing the risk of an allergic reaction in people with peanut allergies.

The product was handed out on Delta Express Air Lines, which flies out of Orlando, Fla., and services major cities in that state. No illnesses have been reported.

The recalled product comes in a red foil bag and has the date code T0106102.

For more information, call (800) 860-5464.

Solgar Vitamin and Herb Company of Leonia, N.J., is recalling 754 bottles of Solgar’s Digestive Aid 100’s dietary supplements because they may be contaminated with salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children and others with weakened immune systems.

Bottles of Solgar’s Digestive Aid 100’s were distributed from March 30 to April 20, 2001, to retail stores nationwide and in some foreign countries.

The product comes in a brown bottle with a yellow label and is marked with lot number 31993 or 30957.

No illnesses have been reported.

Return the product to the place of purchase for a refund. For more information, call (201) 944-2311.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to ingest a poisonous flowering perennial plant known as Autumn Monkshood after the plants were mistakenly labeled with the statement “All parts of this plant are tasty in soup.”

Valleybrook Gardens Ltd., a nursery in British Columbia, distributed the plants with the incorrect labels to other nurseries in British Columbia, Washington and Idaho, but full distribution is not known at this time.

The plants are packaged in blue plastic pots and are shipped in flats of eight or 16. This late flowering selection has tall spikes of deep violet-blue, hooded flowers.

Distribution started on March 4, 2001, and the first plants had been received in mid-April. Approximately 1,500 plants have been sold.

There are no known illnesses or injuries at this time.

If any part of this plant has been ingested, seek immediate medical attention.

For more information, call Valleybrook Gardens Ltd. at (604) 855-1177, ext. 111.