March ’18 Recall Update

Popular Dog Food Accused of Containing Toxic Ingredient

On March 16, 2018, putative class claims were filed against Big Heart Pet Brands Inc., makers of popular canned dog food Kibbles ‘n Bits, alleging that the company purposefully mislead the public by labeling its product as safe for pets although recent samples of the product were found to contain ingredients toxic to pets. Named plaintiff, Rosemarie Schirripa, filed the complaint in federal court in the Southern District of New York after viewing a television segment on February 8, 2018, which reported that two separate laboratories discovered the drug pentobarbital in Kibbles ‘n Bits samples.

Kidde Recalls Dual Sensor Smoke Alarms

Kidde has issued a recall on its Dual Sensor Smoke Alarms due to a failure to alert consumers of a fire. “A yellow cap left on during the manufacturing process can cover one of the two smoke sensors and compromise the smoke alarm’s ability to detect smoke, posing a risk of consumers not being alerted to a fire in their home,” states the official recall. About 452,000 in the U.S. of the Kidde dual-sensor (photoelectric and ionization) smoke alarms (models PI2010 and PI9010) have been included in the recall. There has been one report of the yellow protective cap being present on a smoke alarm before it was installed in a consumer’s home, but there have been no injuries reported.

Carrier Recalls HVAC Units For Fire Hazard

A recall has been issued for Carrier WeatherExpert commercial packaged rooftop HVAC units with humidimizer option due to a fire hazard. “The HVAC’s humidimizer fan can fail to shut off when a connected smoke detector is tripped, posing a fire hazard,” says the official recall. The devices are intended for use in commercial and institutional buildings and were sold Carrier distributors nationwide from March 2014 to September 2017. There has been one report of a fan not shutting off, but no injuries have been reported.

Alka-Seltzer Plus Products Recalled for Labeling Error

(PRNewsfoto/Bayer)

Bayer has issued a voluntary recall on its Alka-Seltzer Plus® products due to a labeling error. The products were sold only in the U.S. at Walmart, CVS, Walgreens and Kroger (including Dillons Food Stores, Fred Meyer, Fry’s Food Stores, Ralphs, King Soopers and Smith’s Food and Drug) after February 9, 2018. “The affected packages are being recalled because the ingredients on the front sticker may not match the actual product in the carton,” says the recall. The recall is being conduction in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

AmazonBasics Power Banks Recalled for Fire, Burn Hazards

A recall has been issued for AmazonBasics portable power banks due to fire and burn hazards. As stated in the recall, “The power bank’s battery can overheat and ignite, posing fire and burn hazards.” About 260,000 of the power banks are included in the recall and were sold at Amazon.com, Amazon Bookstores and Amazon Pop-Up Stores from December 2014 through July 2017. There have been 53 reports of the power banks overheating in the U.S., including one report of chemical burns due to contact with battery acid and four reports of property damage, including fire and smoke damage.

InSinkErator Single Outlet SinkTop Switches Recalled for Fire Hazard

A recall has been issued for the InSinkErator Single Outlet SinkTop Switches due to a fire hazard. “Water can get into the power module, posing a fire hazard,” states the recall. About 1,400,000 of the switches were sold between 2005 and October 2017 at home improvement stores, online websites and through plumbing contractors and outlets. There have been 40 reports of water causing overheating damage to the power module and outlet beneath the sink, but no injuries have been reported.

New recalls are issued constantly so remember to check back with us monthly for updated recall lists!