Recalls in February 2014

U.S. regulators have been slow to restrict the use of Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical widely used in consumer products including food packaging, store receipts and dental composites. 

Although many countries, including Canada, consider BPA a toxin, the U.S. has held out for more studies of its effects on primates -- the category of animal that includes humans -- instead of tests on mice and rats.

Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have obliged, with tests that determined that daily exposure to very low concentrations of BPA by pregnant females can indeed cause fetal abnormalities in primates, just as they have been shown to do in rodents.

“BPA is an endocrine disrupting chemical that has been demonstrated to alter signaling mechanisms involving estrogen, androgen and thyroid hormones,” said Frederick vom Saal, Curators Professor of Biological Sciences in the College of Arts and Science at MU. “Previous studies in rodents have demonstrated that maternal exposure to very low doses of BPA can significantly alter fetal development, resulting in a variety of adverse outcomes in the fetus. Our study is one of the first to show this also happens in primates.”

With funding provided by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), a research institute of the National Institutes of Health, vom Saal and his colleagues studied the chemical’s blood levels in pregnant female rhesus monkeys and their fetuses, which are considered to be very similar to human fetuses.

"Significant adverse effects"

After collecting tissue samples, other researchers analyzed the tissues to determine if BPA exposure was harmful to fetal development. Researchers found evidence of significant adverse effects in mammary glands, ovaries, brain, uterus, lung and heart tissues in BPA exposed fetus when compared to fetuses not exposed to BPA.

The abnormalities were caused by levels of BPA in the monkey fetuses that were very similar to levels reported in previous studies of BPA in human fetuses.

“The very low-level exposure to BPA we delivered once a day to the rhesus monkeys is far less than the BPA levels humans are exposed to each day, which reflects multiple exposures,” vom Saal said. “Our findings suggest that traditional toxicological studies likely underestimate actual human exposure and show, unequivocally, that biologically active BPA passes from the mother to the fetus. Additionally, our latest study shows that BPA causes damage to developing systems of monkey fetuses, and this is of great concern for human fetuses.”

The study was published in Reproductive Toxicology.

Bombardier Recreational Products U.S. (BRP) ofSturtevant, Wis., is recalling about 1,650 Ski-Doo and Can-Am heated gloves and lithium-ion rechargeable batteries.

The gloves' lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack can overheat, posing a fire hazard.

The company has received three reports of batteries overheating while charging -- two in Canada and one in U.S. In two reports, there was minor property damage. No injuries were reported.

This recall involves BRP Ski-Doo and Can-Am heated gloves and replacement lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. The gloves are available in black only, and are sold with two lithium-ion rechargeable batteries and a charger. The gloves have either “ski-doo” or “can-am” on the pointer finger and on the wrist band of each glove. Both gloves come in size XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL. The battery pack is located on the zipped pouch on the wrist of each glove. Each battery is wrapped in white plastic with black writing which includes the warning information.

The recalled product codes can be found on the label sewn inside of the gloves. Recalled product codes are 446247 for the Can-Am heated gloves, 446248 for the Ski-Doo heated gloves and 4880580001 for the two lithium-ion rechargeable batteries that are sold separately.

The recalled products, manufactured in the U.S., were sold at BRP authorized dealerships nationwide and on BRP’s website from August 2013 through February 2014 for about $50 for the replacement battery packs, and $200 for the gloves/batteries.

Consumers should immediately disconnect all battery packs from the electrical connections and remove the battery. Avoid charging the battery packs and contact an authorized dealership or BRP directly for a full refund. Customers may keep the gloves.

A full reimbursement of the paid price up to $199.99 plus taxes will be offered for a returned charger and the 2 battery packs. A full reimbursement of the paid price up to $49.99 plus taxes will be offered for the return of additional 2 battery packs.

Consumers may contact BRP toll-free at (888) 638-5397 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday and 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET on Friday.

The Genie Company of Mt. Hope, Ohio, is recalling about 18,000 garage door openers in the U.S. and Canada.

The control board can overheat, posing a fire hazard.

The company has received four reports of the control board overheating. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves Genie, models PowerMax 1200 and 1500, and Genie Pro, models TriloG 1200 and 1500, screw drive garage door openers. The garage openers are gray and have a rating of ¾ HPc for the models ending in 1200 and 1 HPc for the models ending in 1500. “Genie” and the model name appear on both sides of the opener. The serial numbers are printed on a label located on the side opposite to the light. Serial numbers for the recalled units start with the following five numbers:

The garage door openers, manufactured in the U.S., were sold at Canadian Tire, Carter Lumber, Lowes, Menards, The Home Depot, and other retailers and distributors nationwide and online at homedepot.com from August 2011, through October 2012, for about $250.

Consumers should immediately stop using and unplug the recalled garage car opener and contact Genie to receive a free repair kit, which includes a new control board and installation instructions.

Consumers may contact Genie at (800) 488-9918 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.

Eating is sort of like smoking. A single instance isn't likely to be harmful but over a lifetime, the effects can add up. The same is true of food packaging, according to a commentary in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. 

The synthetic chemicals used in the packaging, storage, and processing of food might be harmful to human health over the long term, environmental scientists warn in the commentary. This is because most of these substances are not inert and can leach into the foods we eat, they say.

Despite the fact that some of these chemicals are regulated, people who eat packaged or processed foods are likely to be chronically exposed to low levels of these substances throughout their lives, say the authors. And they say far too little is known about their long term impact, including at crucial stages of human development, such as in the womb.

Entire population

"Since most foods are packaged, and the entire population is likely to be exposed, it is of utmost importance that gaps in knowledge are reliably and rapidly filled," they urge.

They point out that lifelong exposure to food contact materials or FCMs -- substances used in packaging, storage, processing, or preparation equipment -- "is a cause for concern for several reasons."

These include the fact that known toxicants, such as formaldehyde, a cancer causing substance, are legally used in these materials. Formaldehyde is widely present at low levels in plastic bottles used for fizzy drinks and melamine tableware.

Secondly, other chemicals known to disrupt hormone production also crop up in FCMs, including bisphenol A, tributyltin, triclosan, and phthalates.

"Whereas the science for some of these substances is being debated and policy makers struggle to satisfy the needs of stakeholders, consumers remain exposed to these chemicals daily, mostly unknowingly," the authors point out.

Furthermore, potential cellular changes caused by FCMs, and in particular, those with the capacity to disrupt hormones, are not even being considered in routine toxicology analysis, which prompts the authors to suggest that this "casts serious doubts on the adequacy of chemical regulatory procedures."

Kawasaki Motors U.S.A., of Irvine, Calif., is recalling about 10,000 off-road motorcycles

Fuel can leak from between the fuel tank and fuel tap, posing a fire hazard.

No incidents or injuries have been reported.

This recall involves model year 2010, 2011 and 2012 KLX110 and KLX110L off-road motorcycles. The motorcycles have a 110 cubic centimeter engine, a green fuel tank, shroud cover and fenders, a black seat and white side covers. “Kawasaki” is on both sides of the shroud cover. Model names and numbers are on both side covers directly beneath the seat. KLX110 models have an automatic clutch, a shift pedal and no clutch lever on the handlebars. The seat height for these models is about 27 inches. KLX110L models have a manual clutch, a shift pedal and a clutch lever on the handlebars. The seat height for these models is about 29 inches.

The motorcycles, manufactured in Thailand, were sold at Kawasaki dealers nationwide from November 2009, to January 2014, for about $2,100 to $2,350.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled off-road motorcycles and contact a Kawasaki dealer to schedule a free repair. Kawasaki is contacting its customers directly.

Consumers may contact Kawasaki toll-free at (866) 802-9381 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.

Visonic Ltd, of Tel Aviv, Israel, is expanding its recall of Visonic Amber SelectX Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) kits to include an additional 1,700 units. The company recalled 24,000 last September.

Following a reboot or system reset, the Amber SelectX Base Stations can fail to operate and detect an emergency signal from the personal pendant.

No additional incidents or injuries have been reported.

The recalled Visonic Amber SelectX Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) kit enables a user to push a button on a pendant to signal a request for assistance. An Amber kit consists of one wireless pendant worn by the user, one Amber brand base station, generally connected to a phone line, a power supply and backup battery. Base stations are white, rectangular and measure about 9-inches wide by 7-inches deep by 2-inches high with grey emergency, call and check buttons. Recalled models have catalog number 0-100729 and serial numbers 1612002383 through 501206949. The first four digits represent manufacture dates April 2012 through December 2012 in WWYY format. The first two digits are week of manufacturer and the second two numbers are the year of manufacture. For example serial number 2312 600299 indicates a manufacturing date of the 23rd week of 2012 or roughly June 2012. Each unit has an external label on the back of the base station, with the product name and serial number. Amber base stations previously recalled due to a different problem also had catalog number 0-100729 and serial numbers 2308600299 through 3013079617.

The kits, manufactured in Israeli, were sold at Visonic distributors and professional alarm installation firms nationwide from April 2012, through April 2013, for between $220 and $240.

Consumers should immediately contact their system installer or a Visonic alarm installation professional to replace the recalled base station with a new unit.

Consumers may contact Visonic at (800) 223-0020 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.