Numerous product recalls in 2007, often involving items regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, have been well-publicized. But as the Los Angeles Times reports today, the announcement of a recall is not the end of the story. In a recent Senate hearing, Toys 'R' Us CEO Jerry Storch discussed his company's system for ensuring recalled products are not sold to consumers. The company uses bar codes to prevent potentially dangerous products from leaving its warehouses or from being purchased at registers.

Today, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced eight more product recalls of children's products. CPSC cites lead contamination as the reason for all eight. Reg•Watch has been working on some back-of-the-envelope calculations on the number of children's product recalls involving lead contamination. So far this year, CPSC has announced 58 recalls accounting for more than 12 million individual products. (More than 11 million of the products — or about 92 percent — were manufactured in China.) These have all been voluntary recalls which CPSC normally negotiates with retailers.

As Reg•Watch blogged earlier, environmental prosecutions have dropped dramatically during the Bush administration. A recent Washington Post article indicates EPA has not made prosecution a priority.

Today, President Bush signed into law H.R. 3580, the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007. The law reauthorizes the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, an important source of funding for FDA, just in time to avoid agency layoffs. The law should also improve the ability of the agency to assure the safety of prescription drugs after they have been approved for the market.