Health Canada — the Canadian government department responsible for national health policy — has recalled some 216,595 units of George Brand sleepers made in Bangladesh due to choking and ingestion hazards.
In a notification issued on October 4, the Canadian authorities asked consumers to immediately stop using the recalled products and return them to Wal-mart stores for a full refund.
Top Bangladeshi apparel makers said the recall is an “internal standard practice” and that it “does in no way” mean any production mistakes by them.
According to Health Canada, a total of 216,595 units of the affected products were sold in Canada from November 2022 to June 2023.
“The zipper pulls and foot grips of the George Brand Sleepers might fall off or be removed through repeated washing, posing choking and ingestion hazards,” the notification said.
Health Canada advised consumers to immediately stop using the recalled sleepers and check the style number printed on the collar to determine if their sleepers are affected. The notification also included an illustration of the affected patterns.
“As of September 21, 2023, the company has not received any reports of incidents or injuries in Canada,” the notification added.
The sleepers for both boys and girls were manufactured by Unique Designers Ltd, a garment factory in Gazipur, Bangladesh, and distributed by PDS Far-East Ltd of Hong Kong, China, according to the Canadian government website.
When asked, Mohammad Hatem, executive president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), said the issue is not country-specific and that it is normal for products to be recalled from the market due to health hazards.
Faruque Hassan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said the products were recalled due to a certain risk of hazard, but that this was not the fault of the Bangladeshi manufacturer.
“Product recall for any valid reason is a standard practice and there are hundreds of such recalls listed in the OECD website as of Sunday,” he said.
“Every product made in Bangladesh must pass through a stringent quality control process and laboratory tests including those of consumer health and safety,” he added.
Hassan said that all exportable products must meet the standards of the buyers and relevant legal requirements of the export markets.
He added that any product failing to comply with these health and safety requirements is usually rejected by buyers or denied entry at the destination port.
The BGMEA issued a clarification on Sunday, saying that any attempt to generalise the recent recall of George Brand Sleepers to the entire Bangladeshi apparel industry is unacceptable.
The BGMEA president said the recall was due to a technical glitch in a specific product item for babies sourced and retailed by a specific brand in a specific country. There is no evidence to support the claim that 12 countries have banned apparel made in Bangladesh.
“We felt the urge to share this clarification so that misrepresentation of the fact is not repeated,” quoting Hassan, reported UNB.
