Latest news with #product safety
Reuters
4 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Baby sleep sack maker sues US for $90 million over safety remarks
Aug 15 (Reuters) - The manufacturer of a weighted sleep sack designed to aid infant slumber has sued the United States for $90 million in damages over what it called false claims about the safety of its swaddles and other products. California-based Dreamland Baby said in its lawsuit, opens new tab in the federal court in Santa Ana that its business suffered dramatically after a former member of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission last year made misleading claims that the agency found weighted sleep products to pose dangers to infants. Dreamland said the agency voted against regulating weighted sleep sacks or issuing safety standards for them in 2023. But it said then-commissioner Richard Trumka Jr still 'elected to take matters into his own hands' in a rogue public campaign against Dreamland. 'While Dreamland may never fully recover from what has occurred, this action seeks to repair some of these wrongs,' Dreamland's attorneys at law firm Boies Schiller Flexner said in the lawsuit. The company said it was in 'financial and reputational peril.' Trumka, who is not a defendant, could not be immediately reached for comment. The product safety commission referred a request for comment to the U.S. Justice Department, which declined to comment. Dreamland had no immediate comment. The lawsuit marks an escalation of a court battle between Dreamland and the federal government that began last year. Dreamland in November sued, opens new tab Trumka, the product safety commission and other defendants in federal court in Washington, seeking a court order to stop what it called "baseless and unlawful attacks on weighted infant sleep products." Dreamland's sleep sacks, developed in 2019, are sown with polypropylene beads that add weight and, according to the company, place gentle pressure on infants that helps soothe them for better sleep. Dreamland said it was driving millions of dollars in sales annually until last year. Trumka in a statement, opens new tab on the product safety agency's website last year urged retailers to stop sales of weighted blankets and swaddles for babies. He cited what he said were warnings from the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new lawsuit said that no formal product safety determination has been made regarding Dreamland's products. The case is Dreamland Baby Co v. United States, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, No. 8:25-cv-01798. For Dreamland: Matthew Schwartz and Dan Boyle of Boies Schiller Flexner For United States: No appearance yet
South China Morning Post
10-08-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong online shoppers should heed warning on cross-border goods
Warnings and alerts by consumer watchdogs are not to be taken lightly. The growing trend of cross-border e-shopping recently prompted authorities in Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong to get together and issue a reminder on the different standards and quality of products from the three territories. Of particular concern are the health risks arising from the raw seafood and produce delivered here from the mainland. The popularity of goods such as electrical appliances, cosmetics and medical supplies has also set off safety concerns. The joint statement by the authorities noted that consumers might face difficulties in lodging complaints over faulty items and requesting returns or exchanges. It urged them to carefully review product details before purchasing, as regulations differ in each jurisdiction. The appeal for caution should have come earlier. The 'northbound trend' of Hongkongers seeking new entertainment and dining experiences across the border has seen people returning with groceries, despite warnings from the authorities not to bring back food products without proper hygiene certificates. Cross-border shopping is also booming on the internet, with some customers putting convenience and value for money before hygiene and safety. Even though raw food delivered over a long distance is prone to spoilage, many are still drawn to bargain offers. The risks become even higher when we take into account the fact that mainland food standards may not meet the city's requirements. Earlier, an inspection by the Post found that raw oysters, frozen poultry and fresh eggs sold on mainland e-commerce platforms were still available for delivery to Hong Kong. But some sellers of fresh sashimi and sliced beef noted that rules were in place that stopped them delivering to a Hong Kong address. The same practice should apply to food products that fall outside local regulation. Even though there is no evidence to show that food sold on the mainland is unsafe, Hong Kong consumers should still choose carefully.
South China Morning Post
09-08-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong online shoppers should heed warning on cross-border goods
Warnings and alerts by consumer watchdogs are not to be taken lightly. The growing trend of cross-border e-shopping recently prompted authorities in Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong to get together and issue a reminder on the different standards and quality of products from the three territories. Of particular concern are the health risks arising from the raw seafood and produce delivered here from the mainland. The popularity of goods such as electrical appliances, cosmetics and medical supplies has also set off safety concerns. The joint statement by the authorities noted that consumers might face difficulties in lodging complaints over faulty items and requesting returns or exchanges. It urged them to carefully review product details before purchasing, as regulations differ in each jurisdiction. The appeal for caution should have come earlier. The 'northbound trend' of Hongkongers seeking new entertainment and dining experiences across the border has seen people returning with groceries, despite warnings from the authorities not to bring back food products without proper hygiene certificates. Cross-border shopping is also booming on the internet, with some customers putting convenience and value for money before hygiene and safety. Even though raw food delivered over a long distance is prone to spoilage, many are still drawn to bargain offers. The risks become even higher when we take into account the fact that mainland food standards may not meet the city's requirements. Earlier, an inspection by the Post found that raw oysters, frozen poultry and fresh eggs sold on mainland e-commerce platforms were still available for delivery to Hong Kong. But some sellers of fresh sashimi and sliced beef noted that rules were in place that stopped them delivering to a Hong Kong address. The same practice should apply to food products that fall outside local regulation. Even though there is no evidence to show that food sold on the mainland is unsafe, Hong Kong consumers should still choose carefully.
