About 13,000 packages of Cambridge Silversmiths Ltd. Inc. flatware sets have been recalled due to <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/product_liability">choking hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just announced.
Fiesta Masquerade and Home Olympic Flatware, distributed by Cambridge Silversmiths Ltd. Inc. of Fairfield, New Jersey have been recalled because the plastic decorative inserts on the flatware’s handles can detach during dishwashing, posing a choking hazard to children. To date, the company has received 28 reports of a plastic insert detaching from the flatware. One incident of injury was reported; however, no specifics have been provided.
This recall involves the Fiesta Masquerade and the Home Olympic 20-piece flatware sets. The Fiesta Masquerade flatware set is silver-colored and the handles have plastic decorative inserts in red, orange, yellow, green, and three different shades of blue. The Home Olympic flatware sets are charcoal and the handles have decorative black inserts.
The recalled Fiesta Masquerade and the Home Olympic 20-piece flatware sets were sold exclusively at Fiesta Masquerade at JC Penney, Federated Department Stores, Bealls, and Homer Laughlin from November 2008 through May 2009 and retailed for about $70 per 20-piece set. The recalled sets were also sold at Home Olympic at Target from August 2008 through August 2009 for about $30 per 20-piece set.
The recalled flatware was manufactured in China. Of note, defective imports from China have been making headlines in recent years; this recall of defective Fiesta Masquerade and the Home Olympic 20-piece flatware sets is another of many such issues on which we have been writing.
Also making news is the ongoing Chinese drywall disaster involving imports from that country. And, in 2008, nearly 80 percent of all product recalls in the United States involved imports from China. Products such as dog food, baby formula, toys with lead paint, and even pharmaceuticals like heparin have been found to have been made with toxic materials and other counterfeit ingredients that have long been putting United States consumers at significant risk.
The CPSC is advising consumers to stop using the recalled Fiesta Masquerade and the Home Olympic 20-piece flatware sets immediately and contact the company to return the product and obtain a free replacement. Cambridge Silversmiths can be reached toll-free at 1-800-890-3366 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, at the firm’s Web site at www.cambridgesilversmiths.com, or by email at service@cambridgesilversmiths.com.
