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Tag: Product/Consumer Safety

  • Are Cheerios and Quaker Oats safe to eat? Experts weigh in on new pesticide concerns. 

    Are Cheerios and Quaker Oats safe to eat? Experts weigh in on new pesticide concerns. 

    Should you pass on that morning bowl of cereal or oatmeal?

    That’s what some people may be asking in light of a study released this week by the Environmental Working Group, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit focused on agricultural and chemical-safety laws in the U.S. The study looked at the prevalence of a pesticide called chlormequat in oat-based food products, including cereals like Cheerios and Quaker Oats. 

    The EWG said it found detectable levels of the chemical in 92% of nonorganic oat-based foods purchased in May 2023.

    “Studies in laboratory animals show that chlormequat can cause harm to the normal growth and development of the fetus and damage the reproductive system,” Olga Naidenko, vice president at the EWG, told MarketWatch. Those risks, the EWG report noted, can include reduced fertility. 

    It has not been proven that the substance affects humans in the same way the studies cited by the EWG found it does lab animals, and there are other studies that have found chlormequat had no effect on reproduction in pigs or mice, or any impact on fertilization rates in mice.

    The EWG is still advocating that concerned consumers buy organic oat products as an alternative, however. 

    “Certified organic oats are, by law, grown without synthetic pesticides,” Naidenko said. 

    Representatives for General Mills
    GIS,
    +1.28%    ,
    the company that makes Cheerios, and PepsiCo
    PEP,
    -0.92%    ,
    which owns Quaker Oats, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. 

    “‘Any family raising kids or thinking about starting a family should do whatever they can do to avoid chlormequat. It’s not a safe product.’”


    — Charles Benbrook, a scientific consultant who focuses on pesticides

    The EWG’s recommendation to go organic was echoed by experts that MarketWatch contacted. 

    Charles Benbrook, a scientific consultant based in Washington state who focuses on pesticides, said he’s an oatmeal eater who chooses organic oatmeal “when I can get it.”

    Regarding chlormequat, Benbrook said, “It’s not a safe product.”

    “Any family raising kids or thinking about starting a family should do whatever they can do to avoid chlormequat,” he said.

    Melissa Furlong, an assistant professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Arizona, said it’s important to note that chlormequat is not the only pesticide that is found in oat-based cereals. There’s still much we need to learn about the health effects the substance might have on humans, she added.

    “That’s not to say it isn’t the worst [pesticide]. We don’t really know,” Furlong said. 

    Chlormequat has not been approved for use on food crops grown in the U.S., according to the EWG, but it can be found in oats and oat products from other countries. Under the Trump administration, the Environmental Protection Agency started allowing imports of such products into the U.S., the EWG noted, which is why chlormequat can be found in some cereals sold in this country.

    The EPA is considering approving chlormequat for use on crops grown in the U.S., according to the agency’s website. In a call for public comment on its proposed decision, the agency said, “Based on EPA’s human health risk assessment, there are no dietary, residential, or aggregate (i.e., combined dietary and residential exposures) risks of concern.”

    The EPA didn’t respond immediately to a request for comment.

    For her part, Furlong said that while she usually buys organic oat products, she isn’t rigid about it — and she might still buy the occasional box of Cheerios.

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  • Boeing’s financials won’t be hurt by latest 737 Max issues, analysts say. The company’s size is one reason.

    Boeing’s financials won’t be hurt by latest 737 Max issues, analysts say. The company’s size is one reason.

    Alaska Airlines, United Airlines and Turkish Airlines have all grounded their Boeing 737 Max 9 airplanes after part of one such jet tore away during an Alaska Airlines flight on Friday. But despite the potential safety risks for travelers and further damage to Boeing’s
    BA,
    -8.03%
    reputation, some Wall Street analysts, for now, have downplayed the financial impact for the jet maker.

    In part, they pointed to the company’s status as one of two major players in aircraft production — the other being Airbus
    EADSY,
    +3.52%    .
    They also cited a tighter supply of available aircraft and limited near-term impact, at least while investigators try to figure out the cause of the incident.

    Those airlines and others took the action over the weekend after a panel on a jet blew out about 10 minutes into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 at an altitude of about 16,000 feet.

    No one died in the incident. But the Federal Aviation Administration ordered the temporary grounding of certain Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft. The order covered 171 planes.

    Shares of Boeing fell 8.2% as the stock weighed on the Dow Jones Industrial Average
    DJIA.

    Still, some Wall Street analysts on Monday said to buy the stock anyway. They said the latest difficulties with the aircraft — which follow the 2019 grounding of Max jets by many nations following two fatal crashes — were unlikely to have a big near-term financial impact.

    BofA analysts, in a research note dated Sunday, said that “at this point in time, due to the duopoly nature of the industry, we do not see this impacting orders for any of the 737 MAX variants. However, if the hits to the program do keep coming … at some point, the flying public may lose confidence in the 737 MAX which could ultimately impact sales.”

    The analysts said it wasn’t clear yet whether the blowout on Friday was due to an assembly mistake at Boeing, an improper installation from fuselage maker Spirit AeroSystems or oversight issues elsewhere. But they noted that the aircraft was relatively new, having been delivered on Oct. 31. And they said that “some scrutiny must be saved for regulators as well, as the FAA is ultimately responsible for certificating these aircraft before delivery.”

    Spirit AeroSystems’ stock
    SPR,
    -11.13%
    was down 11%.

    Analysts at William Blair also said they didn’t expect a big hit to Boeing’s financials.

    “While the Alaska Airlines door plug accident was terrifying, we do not believe that it will have a major financial impact, unless another incident occurs after the aircraft returns to service,” they said in a note on Monday.

    Analysts there estimated that over the past two months, the Max 9 made up less than one-fifth of Boeing’s total deliveries. They said those deliveries would only be “modestly impacted over the first quarter as it could take some time to determine the cause.”

    Of the 23 analyst ratings on Boeing’s stock tracked by FactSet, 18 are buy ratings or the equivalent.

    Read more: How Boeing’s latest 737 Max problem is hurting the Dow

    However, Morgan Stanley analyst Ravi Shanker said the 737 Max 9 issues will likely disrupt first-quarter results for United Airlines
    UAL,
    +2.78%
    and Alaska Air
    ALK,
    -0.21%    .

    “This will hopefully be a situation resolved in days/weeks rather than months, but it will also serve as a reminder of how fragile airline capacity can be despite the overhang of capacity,” Shanker said in a Monday research note.

    United Airlines’ stock rose 2.4% on Monday, while Alaska Air’s dipped by 0.3%.

    Along with United Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Turkish Airlines, Copa Airlines and Aeromexico grounded about 40 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes, according to reports.

    According to Deutsche Bank analysts, the affected fleet accounts for 16.1% of Alaska Airlines flights and 6.6% of United flights, although United has more 737 Max 9 aircraft than Alaska.

    Other airlines with the plane in their fleet include Jet Airways of India with one plane, Jin Air of Korea with three, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
    KLMR,

    with five and Korean Air Lines
    003490,
    -1.52%
    with nine, according to Planespotter.net.

    European regulators also grounded the 737 Max 9 for inspection.

    Some major airlines do not have any 737 Max 9s in their fleets, including American Airlines
    AAL,
    +7.21%    ,
    Southwest Airlines
    LUV,
    -0.10%
    and Air Canada
    AC,
    +3.42%    ,
    according to reports.

    Also read: Shares in Boeing slump, supplier Spirit AeroSystems tanks, after panel blows out

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  • Family Dollar recalls dozens of P&G, J&J, Colgate products in 23 states due to incorrect temperature storage

    Family Dollar recalls dozens of P&G, J&J, Colgate products in 23 states due to incorrect temperature storage

    Family Dollar voluntarily recalled dozens of over-the-counter drugs, products and medical devices sold at its stores because they had been stored at improper temperatures, according to the Food and Drug Administration late Tuesday.

    On the FDA’s website, the regulator said products affected by the recall were stored “outside of labeled temperature requirements by Family Dollar and inadvertently shipped to certain stores on or around June 1, 2023 through September 21, 2023.”

    Brands affected by the recall include Procter & Gamble’s
    PG,
    +0.99%
    Crest, Vicks and Pepto Bismol; Colgate
    CL,
    +0.26%
    ; Johnson & Johnson Inc.’s
    JNJ,
    -0.11%
    Tylenol and Listerine; and Bayer’s
    BAYN,
    +3.04%
    Aleve, according to a list provided by the FDA.

    The items were sold at stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, between June 1 and Oct. 4, the FDA said.

    Family Dollar was acquired by Dollar Tree Inc.
    DLTR,
    +3.26%
    in a deal that closed in July 2015.

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  • GM stock sinks to 3-year low after report that faulty air-bag parts may lead to massive recall

    GM stock sinks to 3-year low after report that faulty air-bag parts may lead to massive recall

    General Motors Co.’s stock ended at its lowest in three years on Thursday following a news report saying that the carmaker may face a massive recall in connection with defective air-bag inflators.

    The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that at least 20 million GM
    GM,
    -2.35%
    vehicles are built with the potentially dangerous air-bag part, made by auto supplier ARC Automotive of Tennessee.

    GM stock fell 2.4% to close at $30.31, its lowest since Sept. 30, 2020, when it closed at $29.59. The stock has been down for five straight sessions, and off more than 8% in the period.

    The report, citing people familiar with the matter, said that GM would be among the “most exposed” automaker to the recall, which involves 52 million inflators made by ARC.

    At least two people have been killed and several others injured after the inflators exploded with too much force during a crash, sending shrapnel flying, the report said.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not yet released how many vehicles would be in the recall, or the specific models that would be affected, it said.

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  • Mercedes recalls nearly 324,000 vehicles due to engine stalling

    Mercedes recalls nearly 324,000 vehicles due to engine stalling

    DETROIT (AP) — Mercedes is recalling nearly 324,000 vehicles in the U.S. because the engines can stall while they’re being driven.

    The recall covers a range of models from the 2012 to 2020 model years including the ML550, ML350, AMG ML63, ML250, ML400, GLE450, GLE300, GLE350, GLE550, GLE400, AMG GLE43, and AMG GLE63.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents posted Thursday that water can accumulate in the spare tire wheel well and damage the fuel pump control unit. That can make the engines stall.

    Dealers will check for water intrusion, install a drain plug and replace the fuel pump if needed. Owners will be notified by letter starting Feb. 21.

    Mercedes says in documents that it’s aware of 773 U.S. warranty claims, field reports, and service reports due to the problem. The company says it’s not aware of any crashes or injuries caused by the defect.

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  • Tyson recalls 93,000 pounds of beef contaminated with a ‘mirror-like material’

    Tyson recalls 93,000 pounds of beef contaminated with a ‘mirror-like material’

    Tyson Fresh Meats, a division of Tyson Foods Inc.
    TSN,
    +0.20%    ,
    is recalling 93,697 pounds of ground beef over a possible contamination with a “mirror-like material.”

    According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, the ground beef items were packaged on Nov. 2, and the issue was discovered after several customers found this mirror-like material in their meat after purchasing it from a grocery store.

    The products part of the Tyson recall are as follows:

    • 10-pound chubs containing “Hill Country fare ground beef 73% lean/27% fat with best before or freeze by: Nov. 25, 2022.”

    • 5-pound chubs containing “Hill Country fare ground beef 73% lean/27% fat with best before or freeze by: Nov. 25, 2022.”

    • 5-pound chubs containing “H-E-B ground chuck ground beef 80% lean/20% fat.”

    The USDA advises individuals who purchased these items to throw them away or return them to the place of purchase immediately. The impacted products were sold in retail grocery stores in Texas.

    The specific labels for the ground beef that Tyson is recalling can be found here.

    See: Flying with Thanksgiving food? TSA dishes up rules for traveling with foodstuffs this holiday season

    It’s been a tough time for meat lovers: Last week, the CDC warned that many people should “not eat meat or cheese from any deli counter” unless it was “steaming hot” due to a listeria outbreak.

    But there could be some more meat alternatives on the horizon.

    The Tyson recall news came as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Thursday that meat grown in a laboratory setting is safe for human consumption.

    “Advancements in cell culture technology are enabling food developers to use animal cells obtained from livestock, poultry, and seafood in the production of food, with these products expected to be ready for the U.S. market in the near future.,” the FDA said. To be clear, such products are not yet on the U.S. market, but they have now received this preliminary vote of regulatory confidence.

    And earlier this week, the CFO of Tyson Foods apologized to investors during a company earnings call over his arrest early on the morning of Nov. 6 after being found sleeping in a house that wasn’t his. 

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  • Rivian Recalling Nearly All of Its Vehicles

    Rivian Recalling Nearly All of Its Vehicles

    Rivian Automotive is recalling nearly all of its vehicles to address a potential problem that could cause customers to lose steering control, the company said Friday.

    The electric truck and SUV maker said the recall was made after it discovered a fastener connecting the upper control arm and steering knuckle may have been improperly installed. In rare cases, the problem could lead to a loss of steering control, the company said.

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