National Consumer Protection Week

DEM Blogger

March 6, 2020

This week, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) wants to inform consumers about recalled products and to check their homes for them.  Acting Chairman of the CPSC, Robert Adler says “If you own a recalled product, immediately stop using it, and get your remedy in the form of a refund, a free repair or free replacement.”

Every year the CPSC provides a list of around 300 recalls, which equates to millions of products.  These products are being recalled because they have the chance to harm or even kill someone who has been in contact with them.  The chances that you or someone you know having a recalled item are high, so take some time out of your day to look around your home and find some of these items so that you can be refunded.  Some commonly recalled items include:

• Food
• Medication
• Vehicles or vehicle parts
• Cosmetics
• Child safety seats

Before you purchase a product, look and see if it has been recalled by the manufacturer or possibly the government.  Buying products for children is always something to be mindful of due to the higher risk of something going wrong.

If you have concerns about a product, here is a list of the sites that you can report to:

• Recalls.gov lists recalled items from federal agencies.
• Safercar.gov provides safety information on vehicles and other items such as children’s car seats.
• FSIS.USDA.gov lists recalled meat, sausage, poultry, and processed egg products.
• FDA.gov lists recalled products that involve food (non-meat products; fruits; vegetables; seafood; shelled eggs; infant formulas), medicines, medical devices, cosmetics, biologics, radiation-emitting products, veterinary drugs, and pet food.
• Foodsafety.gov provides notices of food recalls and alerts from both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Be sure you and your loved ones are safe from recalled products by looking through your house for possible items.  Again, the chances are high that you will find one and once they are returned you could either be compensated or get a free replacement of that product, and both of those options benefit you and your family!