2010’s recalls and advisories total more than 500
While the federal government complained about its lack of power to issue mandatory recalls, it was successful in convincing businesses to voluntarily recall hundreds of different items in 2010.
While the woes of Toyota dominated recall news over the past year, about one in five of Canada's 2010 recalls involved food products. They were potentially infected with listeria, salmonella, E. coli or other contaminants that can cause food-borne illnesses.
Health Canada also participated in 70 recalls or advisories related to drugs. Many involved so-called dietary supplements that contained undeclared prescription drugs. One of the biggest categories was herbal sexual enhancement pills that contained the active ingredients of Viagra or Cialis.
The full list of Canadian recalls was released Wednesday by Health and Safety Watch, a science and technology based organization that operates the website healthandsafetywatch.com.
'Recalls are usually preventive in nature.' —Dr. Jeff Aramini, Health and Safety Watch
The website trolls for advisories from a variety of sources and posts fresh recalls and advisories daily.
"It's important to understand that recalls are usually preventive in nature," said the group's CEO Dr. Jeff Aramini. "They are issued because a product may be harmful, not because it definitely is."
The issue of recalls came to a head in Canada in 2010 as health minister Leona Aglukkaq complained that the 40-year-old Hazardous Products Act prevented the government from acting swiftly and decisively on harmful products.
A new act, giving the government more power, was passed on December 14 and is soon to become law.
Aramini said advisories about undeclared ingredients that could cause an allergic reaction are among the most important. He points, as an example, to a recent recall of Quaker cereal bars that contained undeclared peanuts.
"For those allergic to peanuts, the Quaker product could cause a life-threatening reaction," he said.
Children's products and toys were another major category of recalls and advisories in 2010, accounting for 20 per cent of all notices.
Children's pajamas that did not meet Canada's flammability standards accounted for 11 of the recalls. Others involved products with tiny parts that could break away and pose a choking hazard to children.
Cribs also accounted for many recalls as several varieties of drop-side infant beds were pulled from the market because of safety issues. Flaws in the cribs have led to the deaths of 32 infants and toddlers over the past decade. On December 1 Health Canada announced new safety regulations around cribs.
Another major trend in 2010 was recalls related to lead or cadmium in consumer products.