Recalls

About 1.4 million cheap FIXIT brand spotlights sold at pharmacy chains, hardware stores and supermarkets nationwide are being recalled after more than a dozen reports of burns to people and property caused by acid leaking from the battery, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

The battery can overcharge, causing it to rupture and leak battery acid, the CPSC said. The company told federal authorities that it received 13 reports of incidents caused by the leaking batteries, including chemical burns to skin and burn holes through clothing, carpeting and upholstery.

Quong Hop & Co., a San-Francisco-based maker of the Soy Deli, Soy Fresh and Raquel's brands of tofu and hummus, has been reprimanded yet again by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for failing to appropriately sanitize its manufacturing facility. The tofu and hummus maker was warned that it must clean up its act or prepare to be permanently shut down after further contamination was discovered.

Quong Hop allowed mold to take hold of ceilings and walls in its processing rooms, according to the warning letter sent by the FDA. The metal pipes used to transfer hummus from the mixer were also encrusted with dried food, and employees routinely used rusty equipment and utensils, which they merely rinsed but did not properly wash and sanitize later.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan condemned plans by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association to kick-off its national "Safe Sleep" campaign in Chicago, saying in a statement it amounts to "peddling deadly merchandise in our own backyard where we fight daily to protect our children from such harmful products."

According to JPMA's website, the industry association is launching a "five-city education and sleep product donation tour" beginning in Chicago on Wednesday, in observation of annual Baby Safety Month.

That's putting a happy face on tragic circumstances, according to Madigan.

"JPMA should take responsibility for certifying deadly drop-side cribs that have killed dozens of infants across the country," Madigan said in a statement. "They should be launching an awareness campaign to ensure parents and caregivers know drop-side cribs have a deadly flaw, and people need to stop using them immediately."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers about a possible Listeria contamination in cheeses from Washington state-based Estrella Family Creamery.

The agency said environmental samples and a product sample collected during its August inspection at the cheesemaker tested positive for listeria.

The Hartz Mountain Corp. is recalling 74,700 bags of Hartz Naturals Real Beef Treats for Dogs because the 8-ounce bags may have been contaminated with salmonella.

Hartz Mountain imported the dog treats from a Brazilian supplier, Bertin S.A., and distributed the dog treats in the United States, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Bertin tested the treats before shipping them to the U.S. and didn't detect any salmonella contamination. However, random testing by the FDA showed the presence of salmonella. Hartz Mountain said it is looking for the source of contamination.

Procter & Gamble expanded the recall of Iams dry cat food over potential salmonella contamination and now says 476 bags were put on store shelves at Walmart stores in 14 states after initially claiming they were only sold in one Colorado city, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.

Last week, P&G announced a recall of a few 6.8-pound bags of the Proactive Health Iams Indoor Weight Control with Hairball Care that had been sold in Loveland, Colo. and this week added that the potentially tainted pet food was also sold at Walmart stores in Illinois, New Mexico, Texas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kansas, Wisconsin, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming.

The affected lot has the code date 02304173 (B1-B6) and UPC number 1901403921. No illnesses have been reported but consumers should throw it away and call P&G for a replacement or refund at 800-862-3332 weekdays between 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time.

P&G spokesman Jason Taylor said there was about 20,000 bags in the recalled pet food lot and all but 476 were collected before reaching the market. The remaining bags were distributed to the Walmart stores where about 60 may have been sold to consumers. No other retailer got any of the pet food lot.

Toshiba Satellite laptops are being recalled after more than 100 reports of overheating -- a problem cause users to get burned, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada said.

The CPSC said Toshiba received 129 complaints about the computers overheating and deforming the plastic around the AC adapter. Among those, were two people who reported suffering burns and two instances of property damage.

Ferrari is recalling more than 1,200 of its 458 Italia sports cars because of a design flaw that can make them spontaneously combust.

To date, at least five of the $250,000 supercars have burst into flames in Paris, Switzerland, California, China and another unnamed location, the Daily Mail reports.

General Motors and Toyota have recalled 1.29 million Pontiac Vibes, and Corolla and Corolla Matrix models because of an engine control module that could crack and cause a stall or shut-off even when the car is being driven, said the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

The recall impacts 2005-08 model years, which means 984,894 Toyota Corollas, 143,765 Corolla Matrix cars and 161,754 Pontiac Vibes sold in the United States, according to a letter from Toyota to the NHTSA dated Aug. 26.

Cars equipped with a 1ZZ-FE engine and two-wheel drive use the same engine control module that may have been improperly made and could crack at solder points on its circuit board. Once cracked, the cars' engine warning light could come on, there may be harsh shifting, the engine may not even start or it could stall, creating a crash risk, the federal GM recall announcement said.

Missouri-based Morningland Dairy is recalling 68,957 pounds of raw milk cheese it has sold since Jan. 1 because it may be contaminated with Listeria and also potentially Staphylococcus, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The cheese is sold in vacuum-sealed plastic packages throughout the continental United States in retail stores, mail order, crop sharing associations and direct delivery. No illnesses have been reported as yet from eating the cheese, made from unpasteurized cow and goat milk, the FDA said.

Whole Foods announced that it is participating in the recall. Cheese is sold at Whole Foods stores in the Northeast re-wrapped, but labeled with the dairy's name.

Sharp Electronics is recalling thousands of 32-inch LCD TVs over a concern the neck support of the stand can break and cause the TV to topple, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

Sharp said the recall only involves its LC-32SB28UT model TV. The company has set up a website to help consumers identify whether their model TV is subject to this recall.

The recall by Sharp preceded any reports of problems to the company, the CPSC said.

Bella Kitchen slow cookers sold at Kohl's Department Stores are being recalled after dozens of reports of overheating and three fires, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

The Chinese-made slow cookers, distributed by the Canadian company Sensio Inc., have a defect in their control panels that can cause them to smoke, melt, spark and catch fire. Sensio told the CPSC that 60 consumers reported those problems and 14 of the incidents resulted in countertop damage.

If you're driving an older model Ford Windstar minivan you may need to get that car back to the dealer, pronto. Ford is issued a recall, warning that corrosion could contribute to the rear axle cracking and could potentially cause an accident.

"An axle breaking is a very serious defect," said Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a group formed by Ralph Nader and Consumers Union. He called the recall "long overdue" and suggested it should be in all states.

Because of a potential salmonella contamination, Procter & Gamble are recalling some Iams dry cat food for weight management that may have been sold in Loveland, Colo.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says Iams Proactive Health Indoor Weight & Hairball Care cat food is sold in blue, 6.8-pound bags and has the code date 02304173 (B1-B6) and UPC number 1901403921. The FDA says if you bought this product, throw it away and call P&G for a replacement at 800-862-3332 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday.

No illnesses have been reported so far. P&G believes three bags may have been bought from one or two stores in the Loveland area and recalled the food as a "precautionary measure."

Salmonella infections affect people and their pets in much the same way with symptoms including nausea, fever, vomiting and diarrhea, and stomach pain. Pets can also lose their appetites.

P&G could not be reached immediately for comment by Consumer Ally either by phone or e-mail.

This recall is the fourth in three months for the pet food maker, the third for salmonella contamination risk. One of its pet food plants was shut down at the end of July as investigators searched for a source of potential salmonella contamination that prompted a nationwide recall of all dry pet food made at the company's Ohio plant.

Lakeshore Learning Materials is recalling the company's magnetic maze boards due to choking, intestinal and aspiration hazards -- which are potentially fatal, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

Consumers are urged to immediately prevent their children from playing with any Lakeshore magnetic maze boards.