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Details that Matter – Personnel Changes in CPSC’s Offices of Compliance & Global Outreach

August 27, 2013 | Blog

CPSC’s longtime Deputy Director of Compliance & Field Operations, Marc Schoem, is now leading the agency’s Office of Education, Global Outreach, and Small Business Ombudsman.
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No CPSC Enforcement Can be Admissible Evidence in a Products Liability Case

August 24, 2013 | Blog | By Daniel Herling

he role of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in product liability cases is often a two-sided coin.  Evidence of a recall is sometimes allowed to establish notice of a defect though the standard to invoke a recall of a product is not the same as proving a design, manufacturing or failure to warn claim in a court of law.
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FTC & Green Advertising: Mattress Companies Settle FTC Allegations of Unsubstantiated “VOC” Marketing Claims

August 22, 2013 | Blog

The FTC’s recent settlements with three mattress companies send a message to all companies making “VOC Free” (volatile organic compounds) and similar environmental or “green” claims.
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Admissibility of Plaintiffs' Conduct in a Products Liability Case

August 20, 2013 | Blog | By Howie Miller

It would no doubt be helpful to present a jury with information of how plaintiff was driving too fast in choppy water before being thrown from a boat or how the plaintiff allowed lint to collect in the exhaust duct before a fire in the dryer caused property damage.
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CPSC and CBP Stop 4.8 Million Units of Noncompliant Products at the Ports

August 16, 2013 | Blog

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced recently that it stopped 4.8 million units of products at multiple ports of entry that violated product safety rules or were deemed to be hazardous. 
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California Prop 65 Reform?

August 12, 2013 | Blog | By Daniel Herling

California has a reputation for many things: 8th largest economy in the World; land of fruits and nuts and a state not being overly business friendly. 
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FDA Defines “Gluten-Free:” Consumers and Manufacturers Both Win

August 8, 2013 | Blog | By Howie Miller

On August 5, 2013 the FDA issued its final rule on the voluntary labeling of food gluten-free. This is good news for both consumers and manufacturers.
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Six Flags Rollercoaster Tragedy Highlights Sometimes Confusing Nature of CPSC’s Jurisdiction

August 6, 2013 | Blog

When you board a ride at an amusement park, the question of who regulates the ride vs. the toy you just won is probably the last thing on your mind.
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The Weakest Link -- Why Those Boilerplate Contract Clauses Matter

August 2, 2013 | Blog | By Daniel Herling

Contract clauses impacting risk assumption and risk transfer which are integral to the capturing of recall costs are often relegated to the “boiler plate” section of many Supply Agreements or are preprinted on the reverse side of POs that are often not sent by PDF or fax.
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A Unique Approach to Youth Football Helmet Safety

August 1, 2013 | Blog

Starting in 2012, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) teamed up with football helmet manufacturers, the National Football League (NFL), and others to eliminate the use of outdated football helmets and teach safer game play among youth football players.
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The Food Court Kicks the Proper Use Of The Term “Natural” To FDA

July 13, 2013 | Blog | By Michelle Gillette

In what may be an indication of things to come, the Food Court (US District Court Northern District of California)  has decided to ask FDA for guidance on what it wants on food labels.
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The GMO Controversy Continues to Swirl

July 5, 2013 | Blog | By Michelle Gillette

Some are concerned that the potential health consequence of the use of genetically modified organisms in food is unknown because of the lack of long-term testing proving that it is safe. 
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Senate Confirms Two New CPSC Commissioners—What it Means for Them, You, and CPSC

July 3, 2013 | Blog

On June 27th, the U.S. Senate confirmed Marietta Robinson and Ann Marie Buerkle as new CPSC Commissioners. Robinson was first nominated in 2012 and participated in a hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on May 10, 2012. Buerkle was nominated in late May of this year and confirmed by the Senate one month later without having a Senate hearing.
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What Does The Word “Natural” Mean, Anyway?

June 12, 2013 | Blog | By Michelle Gillette

It’s 2 o’clock in the afternoon, you need a snack – maybe a granola bar, but which one? Does the package that boasts it is “100% Natural” win out over the one that is only “All Natural”? 
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CPSC Proposes Significant Amendments to Certificates of Conformity Rule

June 3, 2013 | Blog

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) recently proposed to substantially alter its 2008 regulation governing the form and contents of certificates of compliance for consumer products. 
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