Costa Rica Continues Its Food Woes

      Food safety, or rather lack of it, is serious business in Costa Rica these days.  Popular and long-trusted establishments like McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Cafe Mundo, along with other smaller eateries were recently closed temporarily to rectify their expired or missing permits and certifications, poor waste management, sanitation violations, food surface contamination, refrigeration issues, and even one case of poisoning.  Lack of training for the staff also appeared to be high on the list of violations. One report from Henriette Jacobsen at TheCostaRicaNews.com indicates that about 15-30 restaurants per month have had to close their doors until corrections can be made and approved. 

Cafe Mundo: thecostaricanews.com

      The ministries of Health, Agriculture & Livestock and Economics & Commerce are all working diligently together to improve the food quality and safety.   According to a report by Dan Flynn of Food Safety News, the ministerio de Salud (Health ministry) began a restaurant inspection campaign on May 12, 2011 to look for violations of the health code or missing operating permits.

    The current regulations require that restaurant employees pass a thorough food handling class given by the National Training Institute.  In addition to this, there are guidelines set out in the National Policy for Food Security and Nutrition 2011-2012 that outline food handling, storage, disposal and nutritional standards for restaurants and other food service establishments.  The Ministry of health said they would continue to improve these guidelines over the coming years.

     First Lady Obama would be happy to hear that Costa Rica Minister of Health, María Luisa Ávila, made a public statement that in addition to better food handling monitoring, she would consider a law in her country that prohibited the use of trans fats and requires food handlers to use vegetable oil once per preparation (not re-used). She is also standing up against having soda and other high sugar or fat content products in schools.  Her public support of educating the people to make better nutritional choices for themselves and their families was bold, but encouraging to those around the world who are trying to educate people about the serious hazards of overly processed, high-sugar, empty-calorie foods. 

     Costa Rica is nestled at the heart of South America and enjoys a reputation as a premier vacation spot due to its lush natural setting of rain forests, incredible sea life, mesmerizing aquatic ecosystems and beautiful white sandy beaches.  Past hiking, exploring, kayaking and zip-lining through the deep green terrain, surfers, snorkelers and fishermen find it an ideal location.  

Photo: : Myhungrytum.com

      Until they can get their now soiled reputation for neglectful and unsanitary tourist-focused eateries under control again, it might be better to pack some granola bars in your suitcase. Or better yet, do what most Costa Rican people do.  They purchase their casados (meal of the day) at the so-called local "sodas" (food stand) which is much more transparent, affordable and familiar. 

New Safety Rule Mandated for Hand-held Hair Dryers

Photo: globaltrucker.com

Whether tourmaline ionic, ceramic or titanium technology; 1000 or 1875 watts; with diffuser, dual voltage, or ion air delivery system – all of the estimated twenty-three million hand-held hair dryers sold annually in the USA now have one thing in common.  They will all be required to have an internal immersion protection device built into them.  Most hair dryers used at home or in hospitality facilities are used over the sink or in close proximity to water.  The chances of the dryer coming in contact with water are very high, introducing a very real danger of electric shock or electrocution.

On Thursday, June 9th, 2011, the Consumer Product Safety Commission used the authority given to them by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), to mandate that any hand-held dryer without such an immersion protection device would be considered a substantial product hazard and could be subject to stricter action on the part of the CPSC. Such action could include stopping incoming shipments of non-compliant dryers at the U.S. port of entry, or issuing mandatory recalls for those products that don’t comply to the nationally accepted safety regulations.  Manufacturers could also face civil and/or criminal penalties for knowingly distributing or selling non-compliant hair dryers.

Photo: xcelerator.com

Currently these dryers have no federally mandated regulations, but most reputable manufacturers adhere to the long-respected voluntary UL859 Standard for Safety for Household Electric Personal Grooming Appliances, and the UL727 Standard for Safety for Commercial Electric Personal Grooming Appliances.  These industry standards already require that protection against shock or electrocution be incorporated into every hand-held hair dryer. The UL859 standard was first developed in 1987 by the leading electrical regulatory organization, Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Its goal was to address the high quantity of deaths, shocks, electrocutions or other hair dryer related incidents that had been occurring.  CPSC data shows that from 1980 and over the next seven years, 128 hair dryer-related deaths or serious injures were reported. From 1988, when the UL859 was firmly in place, to the end of 2010, that trend had significantly been reduced to about 61 incident reports. Improvements to the standard have been made over the years, as well as the introduction of the UL727 in 1994. Only eleven deaths have been reported since 2001. 

These voluntary standards have been so successful in reducing the number of deaths over the past decade, CPSC felt there was no reason to create a duplicative federally mandated standard.

You all know by now, what the next step is….ask before you buy!  Check the packaging and products for the UL standards listed above.  If not immediately visible on the packaging, check the guide, or labels on the product itself.  If in doubt, don’t purchase it.  CPSC and Customs and Border Patrol are doing their part to catch the dangerous dryers at the entry point. Be an informed consumer, aware of what to look for to keep you and your family safe.

Improved Crib Safety Rules Start June 28, 2011

     It’s June, and that means that the new federal crib regulations will be enforced in just a few weeks.  As of June 28, 2011, all infant cribs manufactured to be sold in the USA, must meet the new stricter federal safety standards. All infant cribs sold, or resold, in the USA must also comply with the new regulations as of this June deadline. If you are in the market for an infant crib, you’ll want to make sure that you ask the right questions before you make the purchase.   

     The new regulations also effect cribs used in childcare and hotel facilities (private, corporate and in-home), although the timeline for compliance differs.  By December 28, 2012, these types of facilities must use only compliant cribs that meet the new standards. 

Full-size Poster found at:  CPSC

     The heftier standards were developed in response to increasing reports of infant deaths and serious injuries that could be directly connected to a defective or incorrectly assembled crib. In addition to more intense compliance testing steps, sturdier manufacturing requirements were also set in place for crib slats, mattress support systems, and crib hardware.  Both drop-side and stationary, full and non-full size cribs are included in these new standards. 

     You won’t be able tell if the crib is compliant just by looking at it, so you’ll want to be equipped with the right questions to ask before you purchase, or before you leave your infant in the hands of a caregiver. Do the cribs they use comply with 16CFR1219 (full-size crib), or 16CFR1220 (non-full size) federal safety regulations?  You may want to ask them the date that their cribs were purchased, since this could also give you an idea of the likelihood of their compliance.  If they were purchased prior to April or May 2011, you might have some cause for concern.  It would be wise to ask them to show you the test report, or manufacturer Certificate of Conformity, that shows that the cribs comply with either of the federal regs mentioned above.  

     As a consumer who may already have a drop-side crib in your home, you can check the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recall site to be sure that your crib has not already specifically been recalled due to a known defect.  The CPSC website will provide you with instructions for replacement of those cribs.

     Very few companies have drop-side crib retrofit kits approved by CPSC, but you can check here to see if your crib’s manufacturer is among them.  However, one important note, even adding this retrofit kit to your crib does not bring it into full compliance with the new regulations. Therefore, if you decide to continue to use this crib, be sure to check the crib regularly.

Tips for in-home crib maintenance might include:

·  All hardware is secure and tight (check the bottom of the crib as well)

·  All connections/joints are secure (including the crib bottom, rails, sides & ends)

·  The drop-side rail works smoothly & locks easily in place when pulled up

·  No chipping or cracking seen on teething rail

·  No cracks or splinters on any of the wood surfaces (accessible or not)

·  Plastic tracks are not be damaged in any way

·  No holes or cracks appear in the mattress or the mattress support board

·  If the crib has see-through end panels, no cracks are present

  

     In the past most cribs were handed down though the generations, or from friend to friend. It has become apparent that this is a very dangerous tradition that should stop! The older the crib is, the more likely it will not meet even the minimal crib safety regulations that are in force today.

 Caregiver vigilance and knowledge about crib safety are both critical factors in keeping infants safe and healthy.