National Safety Recalls - Sept. 24

Today is a heavy CPSC day, and FDA also upgraded an important heart-pump controller action to Class I after three deaths and 37 serious injuries. FDA separately expanded the broccoli-sprout outbreak count to 32 illnesses.

• NEWDERY power banks — explosions, fires and a $2 million loss. CPSC is recalling about 21,380 NEWDERY model ZHX-PB22 power banks because their lithium-ion batteries can explode or ignite. The company has received nine reports of explosions or fires, including one blaze causing about $2 million in property damage and one burn injury. They were sold on Amazon from October 2023 through November 2024. Consumers should stop using them and seek a refund; CPSC cautions against putting recalled lithium batteries in ordinary trash or recycling. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
• CPSC batch also hits recliners, children’s toys and mattresses. About 51,000 Blue Cactus reclining-chair battery packs can overheat and ignite; CPSC knows of four overheating, smoking or fire reports. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Another 43,674 ABC Trading light-up glasses, headbands and ties have easily accessible button batteries that can cause fatal internal burns if swallowed. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission And 48,405 Kesyup mattresses sold on Amazon fail federal flammability requirements and should no longer be used. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission CPSC also recalled 25,073 Aitjunz eight-drawer dressers for child tip-over/entrapment hazards and 1,643 INMO Air3 smart glasses after 10 overheating reports, including burning sensations to users’ faces and ears. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
• FDA Class I: Abiomed Impella heart-pump controllers — three deaths, 37 serious injuries. FDA today formally classified the removal of Automated Impella Controllers as its most serious type of recall. A purge-cassette recognition failure can delay or interrupt mechanical circulatory support. As of August 17, Abiomed had reported 37 serious injuries and three deaths associated with the problem. Hospitals are being contacted for phased replacement, although FDA says existing inventory may continue to be used while replacements are arranged to avoid interruption of care. U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• Berlin Seeds alfalfa sprouting seed — E. coli and Salmonella outbreak link. Berlin Seeds recalled 950 pounds of alfalfa sprouting seed sold from February through August to customers across much of the United States. The seed may contain multiple strains of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and/or Salmonella. One illness has been reported directly to Berlin Seeds, and traceback links the seed source to the broader sprout outbreak involving 55 illnesses and four hospitalizations. Consumers should not sprout, plant, eat or give away the recalled seed or sprouts grown from it. U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• Broccoli-sprout outbreak grows from 22 to 32 illnesses. FDA’s September 24 update says the Salmonella Bovismorbificans outbreak tied to Evergreen Fresh Sprouts broccoli sprouts now includes 32 cases in six states and three hospitalizations, up from 22 cases and two hospitalizations earlier this month. The recalled sprouts had expiration dates of September 7, 9, 11, 14 and 16 and were confirmed distributed in Idaho, Montana and Washington, though FDA says distribution may have extended farther. The sprouts should now be past expiration, but consumers should not eat any recalled product they still have. U.S. Food and Drug Administration

CPSC also issued a stop-use warning for FOTING electric pressure washers sold through Amazon, Walmart.com, TikTok, Temu, Wayfair and eBay. They lack required electrical protection and can cause shock or electrocution. The seller has not agreed to a recall, so CPSC is telling consumers to unplug, destroy and discard the units rather than resell or give them away. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

NHTSA: We found no new major passenger-vehicle campaign since the recalls already covered in our previous scans. The newest entries in the current NHTSA feed are September 18 Winnebago and Volvo Bus campaigns, neither of which approaches the scale of the recent Volkswagen/Audi, Rivian or Jaguar Land Rover actions. Fresh Recalls

USDA FSIS: No newer national meat or poultry action surfaced today; the 167,639-pound Star Meat/A&D Foods beef, pork and goat recall covered yesterday remains the latest major FSIS action. Food Safety News