Some media skip source in recall involving magnets

Some news reports of recalled products still slip by without identifying where the items were manufactured, which Grumpy Editor considers an essential element.

That was the case Tuesday relating to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announcing a recall of 2.4 million toy figures, animals, vehicles and building sets containing magnets that can detach and are small enough to be swallowed.

Distributed by MEGA Brands, Inc., Montreal, the magnetic items were manufactured in China (and clearly stated in CPSC news releases).  MEGA is the world’s second largest maker of children’s building blocks.

Mentioning country of origin in the leads of their stories were Associated Press and Agence France-Presse (AFP).  Not indicating the origin were The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and The Canadian Press.

There were 44 reports of magnets coming loose, including one case of a three-year-old boy who required medical treatment to remove a magnet from his nose.

The CPSC warned that if more than one magnet is swallowed, they can attract each other and cause intestinal perforations or blockages that can be fatal.