The company said it is taking this precautionary step after finding the bacteria B. cepacia in a small amount of product made at its plant in Gross Gerau, Germany. There have been no reports of illness. However, the bacteria could cause serious infections for individuals with a compromised immune system, or those with chronic lung conditions, such as cystic fibrosis. B. cep acia poses little medical risk to healthy individuals.

P&G detected this problem during routine quality control at the plant and promptly took action. The company's analysis to date shows this problem is limited to a single batch of raw material mixture involving three lots of product. These three lots were sold only in the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom.
The lot numbers of the products involved are:
9239028831: United States
9224028832: United Kingdom
9224028833: Germany

This lot number is listed on both the outer carton and the bottle. Consumers should simply discard the affected product as they would any OTC medicine.

P&G is removing the product in question from store shelves and has informed regulatory authorities in the affected countries. P&G said it found the bacteria B. cepacia in a small amount of product from U.S. lot 9239028831 and is conducting testing on the U.K. and German lots that have been produced from the same batch of raw material mixture.

Anyone who has these specific lots of this product can call P&G for a replacement coupon or refund at the following numbers:

From the United States, please call: 1.877.876.7881 (Hours of operation: Monday - Friday, 9AM - 6PM US ET, Saturday - Sunday, 9AM - 4PM US ET)

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says the recall includes nine models of Chinese-made single and double umbrella Maclaren strollers, which have been sold around the country since 1999.

The fingertip amputations occurred when children placed their fingers in the hinge mechanism of the recalled strollers.

The recall includes the following stroller models: Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller.

Prices for the strollers ranged from $100 to $360.

The company is offering free repair kits to fix the stroller problem. Details are available at http://www.cpsc.gov.

The company says the plastic coated lumber on the horizontal ladder (monkey bar/swing beam) can weaken over time due to rotting of the whitewood (spruce, pine and fir species), resulting in a fall hazard.

The recall involves wooden play sets with swings, slides and ladders. Each set has an overhead monkey bar ladder that acts as both the monkey bar and swing beam, and an end ladder coated with cranberry or green plastic.

See Pictures

The instruction manual has the name "Adventure Playsets" and one of the following model numbers printed on the cover:

Durango 1-AP016 and 1- AP018
Yukon 1-AP052

Tacoma 1- AP017 and 1-AP051
El Dorado 1-AP016

Bellevue 1-AP048, and 1-AP012
Dakota 1- AP046

Sherwood 1-AP049
Sedona 1- AP002

Ventura 1-AP008
Madison 1- AP006 and 1-AP015

Belmont 1-AP003

Note: The Bellevue,Tacoma and Durango swing sets were previously recalled due to detaching frames and a fall hazard.

The sets were sold at Walmart, Toys R Us, Academy Sports, Menards, and Mill stores nationwide, and online at Walmart.com, ToyRUs.com, Willygoat.com and through the DMSI catalog from January 2004 through December 2007 for between $300 and $600.

Consumers should immediately stop using the swing sets and contact Adventure Playsets to receive a replacement kit.

For more information, contact Adventure Playsets toll-free at (877) 840-9068 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's Web site at www.adventureplaysets.com. Consumers can also email the firm at custservice@adventureplaysets.com

Twenty-eight people may have become ill after eating beef produced by Fairbank Farms of Ashville, N.Y., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. All but three of the suspected infections are in the northeastern U.S. and 18 are in New England, said CDC spokeswoman Lola Scott Russell.

Fairbank Farms recalled almost 546,000 pounds of fresh ground beef that had been distributed in September to stores from North Carolina to Maine. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's recall notice, dated Saturday, said the possibly tainted meat had been sold in numerous ways, from meatloaf and meatball mix to hamburger patties.

One of the deaths was an adult from Albany County, N.Y., who had several underlying health conditions, according to the state Health Department. The other fatality was previously reported by New Hampshire, where health officials said a patient died of complications.

The CDC did not specify the states where people were hospitalized. Kidney failure is found in the most severe cases of E. coli. In less serious cases, the potentially deadly bacterium can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration.

Some of the ground beef was sold at Trader Joe's, Price Chopper, Lancaster, Wild Harvest, Shaw's, BJ's, Ford Brothers and Giant stores in packages that carried the number "EST. 492" on the label. Those products were packaged Sept. 15-16 and may have been labeled with a sell-by date from Sept. 19 through Sept. 28, meaning they're no longer being sold as fresh product in supermarkets, Fairbank Farms said.

The rest of the ground beef, packaged in wholesale-sized containers under the Fairbank Farms name, was distributed to stores in Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. That meat was likely repackaged for sale and would likely have differing package and sell-by dates.

The USDA was urging customers with concerns to contact the stores where they bought the meat.

Ron Allen, Fairbank's CEO, urged consumers to check their freezers for the recalled ground beef.

Companies subject to such recalls are allowed to cook tainted meat to kill the bacteria and then use it in other products, a common practice in the food industry.

That won't happen in this case, the company said.

"At the end of the day, this product ... is going in the garbage," said company spokeswoman Agi Schafer.

Located in the southwestern corner of New York a few miles from the Pennsylvania line, Fairbank Farms has had two other voluntary recalls over the last two years, according to the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

In September 2007, the company recalled 884 pounds of ground beef products because they may have been contaminated with E. coli, the agency said. And in May 2008, it recalled 22,481 pounds of ground beef products that may have contained pieces of plastic.

Symptoms of E. coli infections usually show up three to four days after a person eats contaminated food, although in some cases it can be as long as eight days. Officials said anyone having symptoms should immediately contact a doctor.

Russell, the CDC spokeswoman, said the E. coli strain involved in the recall, 0157:H7, infects about 70,000 Americans a year and kills 52.

After dropping for a few years, annual recalls of ground beef and other beef products contaminated with E. coli have rebounded, with at least a dozen recalls through October 2009, according to USDA data.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York wants federally mandated E. coli inspections of all ground beef.

"This is a stark reminder that food is still going straight to our kitchens and grocery stores without being properly tested to ensure its safety," Gillibrand said. "It's spreading too many diseases and costing too many lives. ... It's time to address the gaps in the inspection process."

___

Associated Press writer Jessica M. Pasko contributed to this report from Albany, N.Y.

Learn more about the settlement

The proposed class action settlement will resolve 22 suits filed against Mattel and Fisher-Price and major retailers on behalf of millions of families who bought defective toys as gifts before they were taken off the market.

In the settlement, Mattel and Fisher-Price agree to provide
refunds or other reimbursement to those who purchased the Chinese-made toys. The reimbursement varies by the circumstances of purchase and return of the toys.

Company spokesman Wes Sherwood said 1.1 million Ford Windstar minivans will be recalled for repairs due to a small risk of fires.

He said another 3.4 million Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles with the same switches also will be recalled even though there have been no reports of fires with them. Those vehicles mainly are trucks and sport utility vehicles.

All vehicles covered by the recall are from the 1992 to 2003 model years.

Sherwood said this is Ford's seventh recall due to the Texas Instruments speed control switches. The recalls cover a total of 14.3 million vehicles and combined are the largest in Ford's history.

The Dearborn, Michigan, automaker will begin notifying vehicle owners of the recall by mail starting at the end of the month with instructions on how to get the repairs done.

Until then, Ford recommends that Windstar owners in the covered model years park their vehicles outdoors.

"With the Windstars that have shown some elevated risk, we would encourage people to park outside of their garage until they can have the recall performed," Sherwood said.

Ford is not recommending this for the other vehicles affected in this recall because they haven't shown the same risk of fires, he said.

The state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services originally said the products from Fisher-Rex Sandwich Co. that are subject to recall are identifiable by a six-digit product code that begins with 01. But department spokesman Brian Long said Monday that the the code is seven digits, beginning with 01.

Products with a five-digit code are not subject to a recall.

The recalled products were distributed to convenience stores, gas stations and other retail stores in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

No illnesses related to the products have been reported so far.

The company says it will be the largest U.S. recall in its history. Owners could learn about the safety campaign as early as next week.

Toyota and the government warned owners of Toyota and Lexus vehicles about safety problems tied to the removable floor mats. They say the mats could interfere with the vehicle's accelerator and cause a crash.

The recall will affect 2007-2010 model year Toyota Camry, 2005-2010 Toyota Avalon, 2004-2009 Toyota Prius, 2005-2010 Tacoma, 2007-2010 Toyota Tundra, 2007-2010 Lexus ES350 and 2006-2010 Lexus IS250 and IS350.

Owners should take out the floor mats on the driver's side and not replace them.

Toyota's previously largest U.S. recall was about 900,000 vehicles in 2005 to fix a steering issue.

The agency says the beds' mattress support slats and side support railing could break and causing the bed to collapse.

So far, Big Lots has received 14 reports of the bunk beds' support slats cracking or breaking. Four minor injuries have been reported.

The beds were sold nationwide from May 2008 through February 2009.

Click here for more information.

The Star-News of Wilmington reported Wednesday that New Hanover County Schools officials are rushing to get stadium light poles at Ashley and Laney high schools inspected.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission warned poles manufactured by Whitco Co. LP of Fort Worth, Texas can crack and topple over.

Ashley has moved Thursday's junior varsity football game to rival West Brunswick and taped off its fields.

Laney will move its home football game Friday to a neighboring Wilmington high school if the inspections cannot be done or problems are found.

Greg Thomas with Wake County schools says school officials are aware of the recall and are looking into it, but has no information as of yet.

CPSC has confirmed nine incidents in which Whitco Co. LP poles installed from about 2000 through 2006 fell. To date, CPSC is not aware of any injuries.

Whitco Co. LP, formerly located at 7700 Wyatt Drive in Fort Worth, is no longer in business. The poles can be found at facilities such as recreational parks and fields, schools, and outdoor stadiums. The poles are constructed of steel with a galvanized coating, and can range from about 70 to 135 feet tall, and weigh from about 1 to 4 tons.

CPSC recommends that Whitco Co. LP outdoor steel stadium light poles be inspected by a qualified professional immediately to reduce the risk of poles falling over and crushing a patron or bystander.

Name of Product: Office Max Task Chairs

Units: About 216,000

Importer: OfficeMax Inc., of Naperville, Ill.

Hazard: The back and the base post of the chair can break while in use, posing a fall hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: OfficeMax has received about 35 reports of the chair backs or posts breaking, including 15 reports of injuries involving lacerations, muscle strains, contusions and concussions.

Description: The recall involves OfficeMax Task Chairs with model numbers OM182 and OM96614. The model number is located under the chair's seat on a white UPC label. The chairs are charcoal or dark charcoal in color and have black plastic arms and a rolling plastic and metal base.

Sold at: OfficeMax stores nationwide, on the firm's Web site www.officemax.com, in OfficeMax catalogs, and through direct commercial sales to businesses from September 2003 through July 2008 for between $40 and $65.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the chairs and return them to any OfficeMax store for a full refund or a $55 gift card if the consumer does not have a receipt.

Customer Contact: For additional information, contact OfficeMax at (800) 283-7674 anytime, or visit the firm's Web site at www.officemax.com.

CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting

For a complete list of items involved in the recall, click here.

For a complete list of the blinds and shades included in the recall, click here.

• Model #0914 - Electronic Project Workshop - SOLD FROM MARCH 1994 THROUGH DEC 2003 -UPC: 0-50743-00914-3
• Model #0920/612237 - Little HandiWorker Workhorse - SOLD FROM MARCH 1999 THROUGH JUNE 2009 - UPC 0-50743-10920-1 or UPC 0-50743-61223-7
• Model #4146 - Home Improvements 2-Sided Workshop - SOLD FROM FEBRUARY 2001 THROUGH JANUARY 2009 - UPC 0-50743-04146-4
• Model #440Z - Swirlin' Sawdust Workshop - SOLD FROM APRIL 2004 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2008 - UPC 0-50743-38540-7
• Model #4028 - Black Pickup Truck with Tools - SOLD FROM MARCH 2000 THROUGH APRIL 2009 - UPC 0-50743-04028-3
  
  See Pictures of all These Products
  

The toys were sold on various web sites such as http://www.littletikes.com and mass merchandise retailers nationwide, including Toys "R" Us, from March 1994 through June 2009 for between $25 and $100.

Consumers should immediately take the toy nails away from young children and contact the firm for a free replacement toy nail.

For more information, contact Little Tikes at (800) 791-2737 between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. ET Saturday, or visit the firm's Web site.

CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx.

 

Target has received eight reports of the buckle opening  and three reports of children with bruises.

This recall involves Circo booster seats with manufacture date codes XJ0811, XJ0812, XJ0901, and XJ0902. The plastic booster seat is blue with green trim and has white straps. The manufacture date code is printed on the backside of the seat next to the consumer warning information. “Circo” can be found on a label located in the front of the seat.  

The recalled booster seats were sold in Target stores nationwide from December 2008 through June 2009.

Consumers should immediately stop using the booster seat and return the item to the nearest Target store to receive a full refund.

The U.S. CPSC also announced its Top Ten list of recalled children’s products as part of the agency’s “Resale Round-up” campaign.  To look at those ten items, click here.

Tanimura & Antle Inc. of Salinas issued the voluntary recall Wednesday for cartons of bulk or wrapped romaine marked with the lot code 531380. The lettuce was harvested between June 25 and July 2, and sold to retail, wholesale and food service outlets across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

Company officials say technicians are reviewing the firm's food safety procedures.

Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, especially in young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. No illnesses have been reported.

The alarms can be identified by two buttons, "HUSH" and "PUSH AND HOLD TO TEST WEEKLY," which are located on the front/center of the alarm. Only date codes 2008 Aug. 01 through 2009 May 04 are included in the recall.

So far, there has been two reports of the smoke alarm malfunctioning. But, no injuries reported.

The smoke alarms, made in China, were sold nationwide at retail, department and hardware stores from August 2008 through May 2009 for between $30 and $40.

Consumers should contact Kidde, at (811) 524-2086, to receive a free replacement smoke alarm.

For more information, including model numbers involved in recalled, click here.

The recall involves Kolcraft Travelin' Tot play yards as well as similar products made by the company and sold under the brand names like Carter's, Sesame Street, Jeep, Contours, Care Bear and Eric Carle Play Yard.

Some of the recalled play yards may include a changing table or a bassinet attachment, a mobile, a vibrating unit or a parent organizer.

The product was sold nationwide at Babies R Us, Walmart, Kmart, Sears, Target and Internet retailers from January 200 through January 2009.

So far, the company has received 347 reports of the rail collapsing, resulting in 21 injuries to young children, including bumps, scrapes, bruises and one concussion.

Consumers should immediately stop using the play yard and contact Kolcraft at (866) 594-4208 for a free repair kit.

For more information, including pictures and model number, click here.

The Canton, Mass.-based company said Tuesday none of its products was contaminated and the withdrawal of the beverages from its stores was a precaution to ensure customer safety. It has about 6,400 franchised restaurants in the United States and says it serves 3 million customers a day.

Plainview, Minn., supplier Plainview Milk Products Cooperative announced it had voluntarily recalled its instant nonfat dried milk and whey protein because of potential salmonella bacteria contamination. It says there were no reported illnesses.

Dunkin' Donuts says it expects to resume hot chocolate and Dunkaccino sales shortly. The chain sells 52 types of doughnuts and more than a dozen coffee drinks.

The company said the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control are investigating reported E. coli illnesses that might be related eating the dough.

In a statement, the FDA said there have been 66 reports of illness across 28 states since March. About 25 people have been hospitalized, but no one has died.

The FDA advised consumers to throw away any prepackaged, refrigerated Nestle Toll House cookie dough products in their homes. Retailers, restauranteurs and employees at other food-service operations should also not sell or serve any of the products.

Nestle spokeswoman Roz O'Hearn said "this has been a very quickly moving situation," adding the company took action less than 24 hours after hearing of the problem.

O'Hearn said the company will "cooperate fully" with the FDA's investigation.

The recall includes refrigerated cookie bar dough, cookie dough tub, cookie dough tubes, limited edition cookie dough items, seasonal cookie dough and Ultimates cookie bar dough. It extends to chocolate chip dough and other varieties, including gingerbread, sugar and peanut butter cookie dough. It does not affect any other Toll House products, including ice cream that contains Toll House raw cookie dough.

The FDA also said consumers should not try to cook the dough, even though eating cooked dough would be safe, because consumers might get bacteria on their hands and on counters and other cooking surfaces.

E. coli is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration and, in the most severe cases, kidney failure.

Several batteries have reportedly overheated and ruptured, resulting in small fires that caused minor property damage. No injuries have been reported. You're advised  to remove the recalled battery, only use the AC adapter then contact HP to dtermine if the battery is included in the recall and to request a free replacement battery.

For more information click here or here.

• About 211,000 Under Armour athletic cups, manufactured in China and imported by Under Armour Inc. of Baltimore, Md., because they can break if hit. The company has received five reports of cups breaking, including one report of an injury. The recalled cups were sold at sporting goods stores and Under Armour outlets around the country and at www.underarmour.com between January 2006 and March 2009. Details: by phone at 888-823-0343; by Web at http://www.underarmour.com/productsafety or http://www.cpsc.gov.
• About 44,000 Majestic 360 floor cleaners, manufactured in the United States by HMI Industries Inc. of Strongsville, Ohio, because the wiring can overheat and pose a burn hazard. The company has received 40 reports of overheating and damaged carpets. The recalled cleaners were sold by independent distributors around the country between September 2004 and August 2006. Details: by phone at 800-566-5606; by Web at http://www.Filterqueen.com or http://www.cpsc.gov.

This recall involves Senseo one-cup coffeemakers with model numbers HD 7810, HD 7811, HD 7815, HD 7820, HD 7832, and HD 7890. Model numbers are located on the bottom of the coffeemaker. Date codes are printed on the bottom of the coffeemaker. Coffeemakers made in China have date codes 0727 through 0847; coffeemakers made in Poland have date codes 0627 through 0847.

The items were sold at Wal-Mart, Target and Safeway stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com between July 2006 through March 2009 for between $60 and $140.

Consumers should immediately stop using the coffeemakers and contact Philips for instructions on receiving a free replacement unit.

For additional information, contact Philips toll-free at (866) 604-0051 between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sundays. Consumers can also visit the firm's Web site at www.senseoexchange.com.

The recall involves the store’s 12 ounce bags of Harris Teeter Natural roasted and salted pistachios.

The recalled items can be returned to the store for a full refund.  The company’s supplier, Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc. shut down after recalling nearly two million pounds of nuts that may be contaminated with salmonella.