Recalls in November 2010

About 495,000 Roman shades and 28,500 roll-up blinds and roller blinds are being recalled by Hanover Direct Inc., also known as Domestications, The Company Store, and Company Kids. About 90,000 Roman shades were recalled in October 2009.

The blinds and shades pose a risk of strangulation to children and infants.

The recall follows the death of a 22-month-old boy in Cedar Falls, Iowa who was found hanging by his neck from the outer pull cords of a Roman shade in May 2010. The outer pull cords were knotted at the bottom. He was rescued by his father but died later in the hospital.

In March 2008, a 2-year-old boy from Ocean View, Delaware climbed up on a toy chest to look out of a window and became entangled in the inner cords of a Roman shade. His parents removed the cord and no permanent injuries were sustained.

This recall involves all styles of Roman shades with inner cords, all styles of roll-up blinds, and roller blinds that do not have a tension device. A tension device is intended to be attached to the continuous loop bead chain or continuous loop pull cord and installed into the wall or floor.

The recalled blinds and shades were sold by Hanover Direct/Domestications, the Company Store/Company Kids; online at www.domestications.com and www.thecompanystore.com; and through catalog sales nationwide from January1996 through October 2009 for between $20 and $579.

Consumers should immediately stop using all Roman shades with inner cords, all roll-up blinds, and all roller blinds that do not have a tension device, and contact the Window Covering Safety Council at(800) 506-4636 anytime for free repair kits or visit www.windowcoverings.org.

Consumers who have roller blinds with a tension device should make sure the tension device is attached to the continuous loop bead chain or continuous loop pull cord and is installed into the wall or floor.

For additional information, contact Domestications or Hanover at(800) 453-1106 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET seven days a week, or visit the firm's websites at www.domestications.com or www.hanoverdirect.com

There has been one report of a near strangulation involving a 2-year-old boy who became entangled in the reins at his neck. The boy's mother freed him without injury.

This recall involves horse-on-a-stick toys with a bridle and reins. The toys are filled with polyester fiber and have a fluffy mane. The horse's ears are embroidered with the words "PRESS HERE" in red. The horse makes neighing and galloping sounds when the ears are pressed.

The toys, made in China, were sold by Love's Travel Stop and Country stores nationwide from May 2010 through July 2010 for about $6.

Consumers should immediately remove or cut the reins to eliminate the hazard. Consumers also can contact Big Ideas Marketing for instructions on how to remove the reins.

For additional information, contact Big Ideas Marketing toll-free at (888) 908-8697 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm's website at www.bigideasmarketing.com

Club Car has received two reports of brake pedals breaking. No injuries have been reported.

The recalled vehicles are Model 2010 DS golf cars and hospitality, utility and transport vehicles used for short-distance transportation. They are various sizes, models and colors. The vehicles can be identified by the serial number, which is above and to the right of the accelerator pedal. A list of models and serial numbers is below.

Authorized Club Car dealers nationwide sold the vehicles from April 2010 through July 2010 for between $6,000 and $17,000.

Club Car is providing a free inspection and replacement of the brake pedal. The company is contacting its customers directly.

For more information, contact Club Car at (800) 227-0739 , ext. 3580 between 8 a.m and 5 p.m. ET or go to the firm's website at www.clubcar.com (pdf)

Rollerblade USA has received 31 reports of loose bolts, including one report of a fall resulting in minor injuries that required medical attention.

This recall involves the following models of inline skates purchased since September 2009.

• Spark Pro, Men's (SKU# 00792200816), Black
• Spark Pro, Women's (SKU# 007923007E2), Anthracite (Grey)
• Spark 80, Men's (SKU# 00702800956), Black
• Spark 80, Women's (SKU# 007029009A6), Anthracite (Grey)
• Spitfire, Boy's (SKU# 00705500741), Black
• Spitfire, Girl's (SKU# 007056007Y8), Silver
• Spitfire S, Boy's (SKU# 00705700956), Black
• Spitfire S, Girl's (SKU# 007058009A7), Anthracite (Grey)
• Spitfire LX, (SKU# 00705000955), Silver

The skates were sold by sporting goods stores nationwide and on the Internet from September 2009 through July 2010 for between $80 and $160. They were made in Thailand, Vietnam and China.

Consumers should immediately inspect all wheel-axle and frame-mounting bolts to ensure that they are properly tightened. Rollerblade USA recommends regular inspection and tightening of bolts. After wheel-axle and frame mounting bolts are inspected and tightened if needed, products are acceptable for sale & use. Video instructions on bolt tightening and maintenance are available at www.rollerblade.com

For additional information, contact Rollerblade USA at (800) 232-7655 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST Monday through Friday or visit the firm's website atwww.rollerblade.com

Appleton, the only producer of BPA-free thermal receipt paper in the United States, announced Monday it has added easy-to-see red fibers to its paper.

In July 2010, laboratory tests commissioned by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a consumer group, found high levels of BPA on 40 percent of receipts sampled from major U.S. businesses and services, including outlets of McDonald's, CVS, KFC, Whole Foods, WalMart, Safeway and the U.S. Postal Service.

The chemical is used to coat the thermal paper used to print receipts used by major retailers, grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, fast-food restaurants, post offices and ATMs and are handled by millions of Americans every day.

Until now, consumers had no way to know exactly whether the receipts they received contained BPA or not since not every receipt contained it. The EWG study found receipts from Target, Starbucks, Bank of America ATMs and other important enterprises were BPA-free or contained only trace amounts.

Appleton says the red fibers will be in about 75% of the thermal receipt paper that they ship by the end of November. Appleton expects to have the red fibers in all of its thermal receipt paper before the end of first quarter 2011.

Appleton dropped BPA from its thermal paper formulation in 2006 out of growing concerns about the safety of the chemical.

"Four years ago, after reviewing toxicology reports and available studies, Appleton acted quickly to remove BPA from its thermal products," said Kent Willetts, Appleton's vice president of strategic development.

"We are committed to actively managing the safety of all our products and removing BPA was the responsible thing to do," said Willetts.

In the last few years, concerns over BPA have grown. In January 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expressed concern about the potential adverse health effects of BPA in infants and children, especially for applications with direct contact to food. 

Appleton found a solution to the BPA-problem in its security papers business.

"We took technology that is used for authenticating documents like bank checks, and we applied it to thermal receipt paper," Willetts explained.

The new receipts from Appleton are good for the environment, too.

The small red fibers are made of rayon, a recyclable cellulose fiber that is more biodegradable than cotton. The thermal receipt paper itself is also recyclable.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency invited Appleton representatives to participate in a partnership program called Design for the Environment, which involves multi-stakeholder alternative assessments to help reduce environmental releases of, and subsequent exposure to, BPA.

The first assessment focuses on finding safer alternatives to BPA for use as a developer for dyes in thermal paper.

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. says it has been notified by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) that one of the company's suppliers -- Ohio Fresh Eggs, LLC, Croton, Ohio -- had a routine environmental study sample that tested positive for Salmonella Enteritidis (SE).

Cal-Maine purchased approximately 24,000 dozen unprocessed eggs from Ohio Fresh which were processed and re-packaged by the its Green Forest, Arkansas, facility between October 9 and 12, 2010. Cal-Maine says it was notified only last week about the test results.

The eggs involved, which were not produced from Cal-Maine flocks, were distributed to food wholesalers and retailers in Arkansas, California, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. There have been no confirmed SE illnesses related to the purchased eggs. 

Recall specifics

In cooperation with the FDA, Cal-Maine immediately notified its customers and recalled specific Julian dates of shell eggs because they have the potential to be contaminated with SE. The following packages were included in this recall.

Plant numbers and Julian dates can be found printed on the individual cartons. The Julian date follows the plant number, for example P1457-282.

Serious illness

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy people infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis or arthritis.

 What to do

Consumers who believe they may have purchased potentially affected shell eggs should not eat them but should return them to the store where they were purchased for a full refund.

Questions and concerns may also be directed to Cal-Maine's corporate office at 1-866-276-6299 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CDT.