LatinaLista — It seems a week doesn’t go by that an announcement isn’t made of some product recall. Whether it’s a car, a baby’s highchair, a food item, etc., product safety recalls seem to be more frequent — and it’s not our imagination.
The Paris-based OECD reports that there has been a sharp increase in product recalls over the past ten years. Usually companies and the federal government have been good at getting the word out about the product recalls but in a world where products are routinely made overseas and shipped to several countries, it’s important that everyone gets the same life-saving information.
The OECD, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world, launched a first-of-its-kind online portal that alerts consumers, businesses and governments to the latest information on products recalled from the market in Australia, Canada, Europe and the United States.
The Global Portal on Product Recalls is a one-stop resource available in over 100 languages that publishes product safety recalls from around the world.
“In our global marketplace and interconnected world, information sharing is key,” said Ms. Inez Tenenbaum, Chairman of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. “Providing consumers in different jurisdictions with access to recall information from another country will empower them and advance the cause of safety.”
The site provides a detailed description of the product, the date and reason for the recall and a picture of the product. For example, in Poland a toy called “Betty” was recalled. Made in China, the product, a girl and boy doll packaged in one box, posed a chemical risk.
In Spain, a child-size flamenco dress was recalled because of cording around the neck and the possibility of strangulation.
Though the intent of the site is one of safety, it also offers a peek into what kinds of products are available elsewhere, who is making them and the opportunity to see just how connected the world really is.
