Health Canada Finds Lead In Children's Jewelry Products

Health Canada has issued an advisory today warning consumers that some children's jewelry products sold in Canada have been found to contain excessively high levels of lead.

CBC reports that two days ago, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission released a similar advisory where toxic cadmium was found in cheap jewelry imported from China. Cadmium, a carcinogen and heavy metal more toxic than lead can cause  harmful effects on the development of children as well as children's behaviour, even at low amounts. Walmart and Claires across North America were found to be selling this low-priced jewelry.

In the AP investigation, 103 pieces of low-priced children's jewelry were tested for cadmium. In 12 of the items, the toxic metal made up at least 10 per cent of the metal components and in some cases, as much as 90 per cent.

Health and consumer agencies in Canada and the U.S. are concerned that cadmium, which is a carcinogen, might be increasingly substituted for lead in inexpensive jewelry.

Health Canada Safety Tips

• Check your child's jewelry. If you suspect it may contain lead or cadmium, throw it out in your regular household waste.
• Do not give young children adult jewelry to wear or play with; it may contain lead or cadmium.
• Do not allow children to suck or chew on any jewelry.
• If your child has sucked or chewed regularly on jewelry which you think may contain lead or cadmium, ask your doctor to test your child's blood for lead or cadmium.
• A child who swallows a jewellery item containing lead or cadmium is at high risk of developing serious health effects. Contact an emergency medical service if you believe your child has swallowed an item containing lead or cadmium.
• Check for product recalls by contacting the retailer, manufacturer or Health Canada.

 You can find descriptions and photos of four jewelry items that have been identified during the routine testing. Please visit Health Canada for more information.

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RECALL: Beef Products From National Steak and Poultry

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Oklahoma company National Steak and Poultry began a voluntary recall of approximately 248,000 pounds of beef products due to possible e. Coli bacteria contamination.

Officials from the U.S Department of Agriculture said that so far there have been illnesses reported in six states including Iowa, Kansas, Colorado, South Dakota, Washington, and Michigan.

The types of beef included in the recall consisted of beef shoulder, tender medallions, philly steak, sirlion steak, boneless beef tips, sirlion tips, and others. The brands include Carino's Boneless Beef, EGN, KRM, Moe's Beef Steak and various National Steak and Poultry products.

All of the recalled beef had packages labeled with EST. 06010T and were all labeled National Steak and Poultry. For more information call 866-439-7348 or visit www.nationalsteak.com for a list of the recalled products and their case codes .

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Recall: Amby Baby Motion Beds/Hammocks For Infant Suffocation

Health Canada is advising parents and caregivers to immediately stop using Amby Motion Beds, due to a potential suffocation hazard. They say the "inclined sleeping surface increases the risk of the infant rolling and becoming wedged in a position where they can no longer breathe."

Two infants have died from suffocation in the United States while using these products and three other incidents have been reported. One resulted in an injury from metal fragments falling into the infant's eye. The other two incidents did not result in injury.

The Amby Baby Motion Bed consists of a steel frame and a fabric hammock which are connected by a large spring and a metal crossbar. These hammocks were only sold online through the company's website.

To date, Health Canada has not received any reports of incidents or injuries in Canada related to these products. Nevertheless, these products should be disassembled and disposed of in such a way that they cannot be used again. Consumers are also encouraged to notify Health Canada should they find these products for sale.

Health Canada is recommending that children under six years of age not be placed in any hammock as infants and young children are susceptible to considerable fall, strangulation, and suffocation hazards. For more information, please see Health Canada's Policy Statement for Hammocks Intended To Be Used By Infants And Young Children.

Health Canada reminds parents and caregivers that the safest place for an infant to sleep is alone in a crib. For more information on crib requirements in Canada, as well as the safe use of cribs, see Health Canada's Crib Safety Booklet. For more information on safe sleeping practices for infants, see Health Canada's Consumer Information - Safe Sleep Practices for Infants.

For further information, consumers may contact Health Canada's Consumer Product Safety Bureau by phone toll-free at 1-866-662-0666, or by email at cps-spc@hc-sc.gc.ca (if contacting via e-mail, please indicate the province or territory from which you are corresponding).

Recall Alert: Heinz Mixed Cereal For Babies May Contain Ochratoxin A

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Heinz Canada have issued a warning stating that the Heniz Mixed Cereal for babies should not be consumed due to elevated levels of Ochratoxin A.

Ochratoxin A is a mycotoxin produced by some fungi that can grow in certain food crops such as grains, grapes and coffee beans. Ochratoxin A has been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a possible human carcinogen.

The 227 g packages of Heinz Mixed Cereal, a Baby Cereal, Stage 2, From 6 Months have the UPC code 0 57000 02516 8 as well as the best before codes: BB/MA 10 DE 26 and BB/MA 10 DE 29 which can be located on the top left hand corner of the package.

So far, no illnesses associated to the consumption of this product have been reported however the product has been distributed nationally.

The CFIA is advising people not to consume this product however if your child has already consumed this food, they say there is no need for other actions since "Even the highest levels of ochratoxin A found in these products are not high enough to pose a health risk when consumed as part of a normal diet over the short term."

The manufacturer, Heinz Canada, North York, ON, is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

For more information, consumers and industry can call one of the following numbers:

Heinz Canada at 1-800-565-2100.

CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).

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Fresh Spinach Recall Due To Salmonella

Health officials are warning people not to buy an American brand of bunched fresh spinach due to Salmonella warnings.

CBC reports that the affected product is sold under the Queen Victoria brand name, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The spinach is wrapped with a twist tie bearing the Queen Victoria logo and was distributed to stores in Ontario between Sept. 8 and Sept. 17.

The warning also applies to product on shelves in B.C., Saskatchewan and Manitoba between Sept. 5 and Sept. 17.

The CFIA noted that no illnesses associated with the consumption of the spinach have been reported.

Salmonella bacteria can lead to serious health problems for young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune system.

In otherwise healthy people, it can cause short-term problems such as fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

The CFIA said that vegetable importers were voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace.

RECALL: Maple Leaf Foods hot dogs

Maple Leaf Foods issued a recall on a variety of popular brands of hot dogs due to listeria contamination.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, in a news release, advised customers to dispose of many products, all made by Maple Leaf Foods at its Hamilton, Ont., plants.

The products recalled include:
Hygrade Wieners, sold in 450-gram packages with a best-before date of Sept. 16

Shopsy's Deli-Fresh All Beef Frankfurters (value pack), sold in 3 x 675-gram
packages with a best-before date of Sept. 17

Deli-Fresh All Beef Frankfurters, sold in 450-gram packages with best-before dates of Sept. 8 & Sept. 17

Shopsy's Deli-Fresh Regular Frankfurters, sold in 450-gram packages with a best-before date of Sept. 8

Hot Dogs Original Wieners, sold in 450-gram packages with best-before dates of Sept. 8 and Sept. 17
Top Dogs All Beef Wieners, sold in 450-gram packages with best-before dates of Sept. 8 and Sept. 15

Top Dogs Original Wieners, sold in 450-gram packages with best-before dates of Sept. 9, Sept. 10, and Sept. 15 Top Dogs Original Wieners BBQ Size, sold in 450-gram packages with a best-before date of Sept. 9 Top Dogs Wieners 33 per cent less fat, sold in 450-gram packages with best-before dates of Sept. 8 and Sept. 15.

The wieners were sold in stores nationally.

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RECALL: Delstar and Compliments brand lunch meats

Delstar Foods Inc and Compliments brands deli meats are being recalled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency due to contamination of Listeria monocytogenes. The Delstar-brand products included in the recall are the smoked beef eye of round, pepperoni, smoked and cooked roast beef round and all-beef salami. The Compliments-brands include corned beef, pastrami, beef eye of round pastrami, roast beef, Montreal-style smoked meat and smoked beef round and cooked roast beef round club packs.

The packages bear the establishment number 308 with a best before date between Aug. 26 and Oct. 1.

Even though food contaminated with Listeria bacteria may not look or smell bad it can still cause listeriosis which can result in neck stiffness, severe headaches, nausea and high fever.

The affected products have been distributed in Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta , British Columbia, Yukon and the Northwest Territories. The manufacturer is voluntarily recalling the products from the marketplace.

The recalled deli meats have a "Best Before" date between "09AU26: and "09OC01," Aug. 26 and Oct. 1. They were distributed in Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

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