Truth in Product Labels—This One Will Kill You

So, the two examples are polar opposites, really. One is the case of consumer products marketed with labels which many consider to be an inconvenience, and one is the case of a product labeled and marketed precisely with the truthful possible end result in mind. How about you? Do you consider warning labels the best answer for consumer safety, or do you consider them more along the lines of a scare the equivalent of a skull and crossbones?

You may have seen the recall of another rare earth magnet product, Magnicubes, announced this week by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. That is the second product of its type to be recalled, and a product category where labeling is at the core of the issue. I mention that because it prompted an interesting release sent to us by Zen Magnets' CEO, Shihan Qu. Zen Magnets, apparently, is steadfast in its opposition to a complete ban of magnets and, for now, according to Qu, "will continue to fight for the public's ability to purchase tabletop magnets and limit regulation of small businesses." According to the release, Zen has one of two choices; "Shut-down and Stop Sales" or "All-in for the Conscience." It will be interesting to see how this one works out.