Recalls in April 2008

The recall applies to the 2004 through 2005 New Beetle and the 2003 through 2005 New Beetle convertibles equipped with a dual stage air bag system.

Federal safety regulators at NHTSA reported that the air bag system many have front crash sensors that contain a faulty circuit board that my crack under high temperature conditions.

The circuit board failure may cause the front air bags to deploy more forcefully than designed, increasing the possibility of injury, according to the NHTSA Web site.

NHTSA reported that the failure will cause the air back indicator light to illuminate.

VW dealers will inspect the New Beetle and replace any defective sensor when the recall begins in July.

New Beetle owners may contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987 or NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153).

Information leading to the recall came from consumer complaints to NHTSA and early warning data regarding warranty claims and field reports on the crash sensors within the air bag system, according to the agency.

April 14, 2008
At least 23 people in 14 states have been diagnosed with salmonellosis that was caused by the same strain of Salmonella that was found in the recently recalled unsweetened Puffed Rice and unsweetened Puffed Wheat Cereals produced by Malt-O-Meal, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

The recalled products were distributed nationally under the Malt-O-Meal brand name as well as under private label brands including Acme, America's Choice, Food Club, Giant, Hannaford, Jewel, Laura Lynn, Pathmark, Shaw's, ShopRite, Tops and Weis Quality.

The cereals have "Best If Used By" dates from April 8, 2008 (coded as "APR0808") through March 18, 2009 (coded as "MAR1809").

Consumers should throw out any product in their homes from these recalled lots. Grocery stores and other retailers should promptly remove the cereals from their shelves.

Salmonella is a type of bacteria that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Symptoms of foodborne Salmonella infection include nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.

In people with poor health or weakened immune systems, Salmonella can invade the bloodstream and cause life-threatening infections.

Individuals who believe they may have experienced an illness consistent with the symptoms described above after consuming a puffed wheat or puffed rice cereal made by Malt-O-Meal should contact their health care practitioner immediately and report the illness to their state or local health authorities.

On April 5, 2008, Malt-O-Meal voluntarily recalled the cereals because the companys routine testing found Salmonella in a product produced on March 24, 2008.

The FDA is working with Malt-O-Meal to determine the cause of the contamination and with the states and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify and prevent additional illnesses.

April 7, 2008    
Dollar Tree is recalling about 300,000 plush insect toys.They contain small parts, posing a choking hazard to small children.

The recalled plush insect toys come in six designs: Lady Bug, Bumble Bee, Caterpillar, Snail and two Butterflies. The toys measure nine inches to 10 inches in length. The lady bug is black with six legs, a red back with four black dots and orange eyelids. The bumble bee is black and yellow with six legs, sheer white wings and red eyelids. The caterpillar has four sections that are yellow, pink, green and orange with seven legs connected on each side and purple eyelids. The snail is yellow with dark pink eyelids and a two tone brown shell. One butterfly is blue and yellow with sheer purple wings with four orange dots and light pink eyelids. The second butterfly is a two tone pink with blue eyelids and sheer green wings with four yellow dots. The product number is 903995 and UPC is 6 39277 03995 8 with a date code of 71.

They were sold at Dollar Tree, Dollar Bill$, Dollar Express, Greenbacks, Only One $1, and Deal$ stores nationwide from March 2007 through December 2007 for about $1. The toys were made in China.

Consumers should immediately take the recalled plush insect toys from children and return them to the store where purchased for a full refund.

For additional information, contact Dollar Tree Stores Inc. at (800) 876-8077 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firms Web site at www.dollartree.com.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

April 1, 2008    
Gecko Alliance is recalling about 1,670 Serenity Spa Hot Tubs. The hot tubs spa control can overheat, posing a fire hazard.

Gecko Alliance has received 28 reports of the spa control overheating, including one incident of damage to spa equipment. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves the Hydropool Serenity Series Spa hot tubs with serial numbers 01350XXXX through 03210XXXX. The serial numbers are printed on the right side of the spa control. The Gecko spa control (SSPA-1) has model number 0202-205097 printed on it.

The units were sold by Hydropool dealers throughout Northeastern United States in Serenity brand spas from January 2002 through December 2004 for between $3,900 to $8,200. They were made in Canada.

Consumers should immediately stop using the hot tubs and reduce the water temperature control to the minimum setting. Consumers should contact Gecko Alliances Back-Pak support center to receive the free retrofit enclosure kit. The kit will be provided with a full set of instructions. Instructions also are available at www.back-pak.com. Consumers should not use their spa until after the retrofit enclosure kit is installed.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact the Back-Pak support team toll-free at (800) 784 3256 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET or visit www.back-pak.com.

The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).