Total recalls: 471 in 2006

We don't know if this is good news or bad news: In 2006, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced more product recalls — 471 — than it had in at least 10 years. In 1996, for example, the agency announced 374 recalls; in 2001, 346, and in 2005, 402.

Does this mean there are a lot more unsafe products in the marketplace?  CPSC spokeswoman Julie Vallese firmly believes that's not the case: "The U.S. marketplace is one of the safest marketplaces for products. It doesn't mean that there aren't problems sometimes, but we're able to recognize and address them very quickly."

So what's behind the increase in recalls? Vallese says retailers and manufacturers better understand federal rules and reporting requirements and are thus doing a better job notifying the government when a potentially dangerous product is discovered.

Recalls are continuing at a rapid pace this year. In the first two months of this year, there have been 53 recalls. And about a third involve problems with children's products. That includes baby rattles and frame ornaments that can break or detach, posing a choking hazard to young children, magnetic construction toys where tiny magnets can fall out and be swallowed (one version is pictured above), causing intestinal blockage and even death and jewelry with high lead content.

So what does this mean to you? Basically caveat emptor. Most recalls are not highly publicized. So it's important to send in those registration cards when you get a new product (you don't  have to fill in all the extra personal information many companies are seeking for marketing data) so the company can notify you if there is a recall. Better still, visit recalls.gov, a great government Web site that lists all recalls from various safety agencies. And best yet, sign up for electronic e-mail alerts to be informed about any recalls that could affect you.

We also plan on expanding our coverage of recalls here at Consumer Reports on Safety. Soon, you'll be able to get a weekly roundup of key recalls by going to our Recalls category or by subscribing to our Recalls RSS feed. Watch this space for more information.