To date, more than $534 million has been paid out 1,368 victims of the massive Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme that has been making headlines for about one year. Boston.com said the monies were paid out of a national fund.

The fund insures against failed brokerage firms, said Irving Picard, the trustee charged to recover investor assets swindled by the disgraced financier, said Boston.com. Speaking with reporters via a conference call, Picard announced that he identified so-called “allowable claims” totaling $4.43 billion and continues to work on the thousands of victim claims as a result of Madoff scam, said Boston.com. Picard has identified some 2,335 accounts with total losses of over $21 billion. (more…)

A case filed by Sheetz Inc. over how one of its suppliers owed money for providing Sheetz with Salmonella tainted tomatoes from July 2004, has reached a settlement, said the Altoona Mirror.

It was expected that the jury would spend the bulk of this week hearing the case between Sheetz and Coronet Foods Inc. the supplier, said the Altoona Mirror. Coronet is located in Wheeling, West Virginia. The trial was called off after the judge handling the case was told of the out-of-court settlement, which was received Friday and is confidential, reported the Altoona News. Although the terms of the settlement remain confidential, Sheetz did acknowledge that it suffered damages in excess of $11 million, the Altoona Mirror added. (more…)

Another link between Salmonella and peanut butter is making headlines. Food Safety News reports that the East Wind Community Inc., a 36-year-old commune located in the Missouri Ozarks, has an issue with Salmonella in its nut butter manufacturing facility.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), inspectors collected samples from the plant; laboratory analysis revealed the Salmonella pathogen, said Food Safety News. The commune produces a variety of nut products—since the 1980s—including, said Food Safety News, “Almond Butter, Peanut Butter, Organic Peanut Butter, Roasted Peanuts, Cashew Butter, Tahini, and Organic Tahini.” (more…)

Some face paints have been found to contain lead, the Environmental News Service (ENS) just announced, citing the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. A problem given that Halloween is tomorrow. ENS described lead as a neurotoxin that can cause problems in the brain, even at low doses.

Some of the paints that underwent laboratory testing contained heavy metals such as nickel, cobalt, and chromium—allergens, noted ENS. Some of the products which are advertised as “non-toxic” and “hypoallergenic,” also tested with these metals, which is of concern given that parents shopping—or who have already shopped for Halloween make-up—may have purchased products that contain toxins. Also, it seems that the only way to test if a product contains lead or other heavy metals, is to have the product tested at a lab, said ENS. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics said the tests run about $270 per sample. (more…)

Southwest Airlines has been hit with a personal injury lawsuit over toxic airplane air. According to Courthouse News Service, the federal complaint was filed by two twin sisters who claim they and other passengers choked on toxic “super-heated” fumes that formed a “mist” in a Southwest airplane during flight.

The issue of toxic airplane air is a controversy that has dogged the airline industry for years. Earlier this year, a joint investigation by German and Swiss TV networks claimed to have found high levels of a dangerous toxin on board several planes. The chemicals found in the samples included high levels of tricresyl phosphate (TCP), an organophosphate contained in modern jet oil as an antiwear additive, which can lead to drowsiness, headaches, respiratory problems or neurological illnesses. (more…)

Stryker Biotech LLC has been indicted on federal charges of illegally marketing bone growth products called the OP-1 Implant and OP-1 Putty. According to a press release issued by the Acting U.S. Attorney in Boston, Mass., the company’s former president, Mark Philip, and its current sales managers, William Heppner, David Ard, and Jeff Whitaker were also indicted.

According to the press release, OP-1 Implant and OP-1 Putty, which were used to stimulate bone growth in long bones and the spine, were approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) under a highly restrictive Humanitarian Device Exemption. One of the restrictions was that the device could only treat a condition that affected fewer than 4,000 patients in the United States, and could not be sold for a profit. (more…)

The family of an elderly woman who died after the chenille bathrobe she was wearing caught fire has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Blair LLC. As we reported earlier this week, Blair has issued two recalls for the bathrobes and other chenille products because they failed to meet the federal flammability standard and present a risk of serious burns to consumers if the garments are exposed to an open flame.

According to her family’s lawsuit, Atwilda Brown, 80, was making her nightly cup of tea in her Connecticut home on Feb. 12, 2005, when the chenille robe she purchased three weeks earlier caught fire. She died two weeks later from her burns. (more…)

U.S Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, expressed frustration yesterday that preliminary results from Chinese drywall testing have failed to answer some pressing questions. According to The Miami Herald, Sen. Nelson was angered not only by the lack of answers, but by the slow pace of the Consumer Products Safety Commission’s (CPSC) Chinese drywall investigation.

The CPSC has received about 1,897 reports from residents in 30 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico concerning Chinese drywall. Gases emitted from Chinese drywall are being blamed for significant property damage, including damage to HVAC systems, smoke detectors, electrical wiring, metal plumbing components, and other household appliances. These gases also produce a sulfurous odor that permeates homes, and cause metals, including air conditioning coils and even jewelry, to corrode. People living with Chinese drywall have also suffered eye, respiratory and sinus problems that may be linked to the gases. (more…)

Halloween-themed flashlights sold at Target stores are being recalled today because they pose a burn hazard. About 610,000 Halloween flashlights are included in this recall.

This recall involves two types of Halloween-themed flashlights: the mini flashlights and flashlights sold with stencils. (more…)

About 69,000 VAIO Computer AC Adapters have been recalled over an electrical shock hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just announced. Sony Electronics Inc. is located in San Diego, California.

The insulation inside the recalled VAIO Computer AC Adapter can fail over time, posing an electrical shock hazard to consumers. To date, Sony has received four reports of adapters short circuiting. No incidents occurred in the United States; no injuries have been reported. (more…)