Washington: President George W Bush announced government action today designed to protect Americans from unsafe products from abroad after a rash of recalls of dangerous toothpaste, dog food and toys.

Bush said the united States benefits from its open market and a huge variety of products form across the globe.

However, he said, "We need to do more to ensure that American families have confidence in what they find on our store shelves. They have the right to expect the food they eat, the medicines they take or the toys they buy for their children to be safe."

Acting on recommendation from an advisory panel, Bush proposed that the Food and Drug Administration be empowered to order mandatory recalls of products deemed a risk to consumers. Currently, the FDA lacks the authority to order recalls but works with producers to impose voluntary recalls. The new proposal, which requires congressional action, would give the agency far more power.

Bush also proposed increasing the presence of US inspectors from Customs, the Border Patrol, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and other agencies in countries that are major exporters to the United States.

Other proposals would strengthen the safety commission s authority by making it illegal for companies knowingly to sell a recalled product; by authorizing the commission to issue follow-up recall announcements; and by requiring recalling companies to report supplier and delivery information. Further, CPSC would be able to impose asset forfeiture penalties for criminal offenses.

Source : PTI