Another day brings yet another recall of a commonly available consumer product. This time it is almost 7 million Keurig MINI plus brewing coffee makers with the K cups. The brewer has been associated with over 200 complaints of hot water spraying out and there have been 90 burn injuries reported. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission is in charge of identifying and reporting recalls but how many actually reach the affected consumers? The only recalls that we typically see promoted by the media are the ones with a large number of complaints as was the case with the Takata air bag fiasco.
But the real question for me is that the recall of the Keurig product concerns machine manufactured from 2009 until 2014. Really? How long has there been a problem and why didn’t the recall occur much earlier? This recalled product is manufactured in China and Malaysia and it seems that there are many products that fail to be safe for consumers from these countries. I suspect that the quality systems in place, if any, are pretty poorly implemented. It might be acceptable to have a limited inspection of products that are inherently cheap with small profit margins, but the Keurig is about $100. And, the cheap products like toys with lead are still causing concerns.
Perhaps we need a different method of separating the products with recall potential from the acceptable ones. Currently, Consumer Protection receives calls about possible problems and when it sees a trend it reports it, and if warranted, a recall. I think that it is time to hold the manufacturing country responsible for quality and harm or death due to their products. After all, we are supporting their economies so they should have the burden of proving safety. But, our government will never step up and demand change. But, if Wal-Mart, Target, and Amazon refused to sell the imported products without certification and responsibility, there would be some action. This will happen when as they say “when pigs fly”!
The only recourse concerning product safety for us as consumers is to follow the recall list from the USCPC. The link is here. There are a lot of products to check. But, as the holidays approach and pass, we have to wonder how many people will get the recalled product as a gift.
But the real question for me is that the recall of the Keurig product concerns machine manufactured from 2009 until 2014. Really? How long has there been a problem and why didn’t the recall occur much earlier? This recalled product is manufactured in China and Malaysia and it seems that there are many products that fail to be safe for consumers from these countries. I suspect that the quality systems in place, if any, are pretty poorly implemented. It might be acceptable to have a limited inspection of products that are inherently cheap with small profit margins, but the Keurig is about $100. And, the cheap products like toys with lead are still causing concerns.
Perhaps we need a different method of separating the products with recall potential from the acceptable ones. Currently, Consumer Protection receives calls about possible problems and when it sees a trend it reports it, and if warranted, a recall. I think that it is time to hold the manufacturing country responsible for quality and harm or death due to their products. After all, we are supporting their economies so they should have the burden of proving safety. But, our government will never step up and demand change. But, if Wal-Mart, Target, and Amazon refused to sell the imported products without certification and responsibility, there would be some action. This will happen when as they say “when pigs fly”!
The only recourse concerning product safety for us as consumers is to follow the recall list from the USCPC. The link is here. There are a lot of products to check. But, as the holidays approach and pass, we have to wonder how many people will get the recalled product as a gift.
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