U.S. urged to tighten rules on imported products

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration could order mandatory recalls of unsafe products in response to recent incidents involving imports of dangerous toothpaste, dog food and toys, a top official said on Tuesday.

The recall authority was among dozens of recommendations by an advisory commission to be presented to President George W. Bush later in the day.

"There will be 50 different recommendations in 14 categories that that range from giving the FDA and Consumer Product Safety Commission more authority," Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt told Fox News.

Leavitt said the FDA and Consumer Product Safety Commission could require certification that products have to be safe before they come into the United States.

The panel will also require better practices that include more stringent penalties, higher standards and more information for consumers.

"The world has changed. We're seeing more and more products from outside the United States coming into our marketplace," Leavitt said. "And we'll see more in the future."

"This is a fundamental shift in our strategy to rolling the borders back and beginning to build quality into the products so that we assure when they get here that they're safe," Leavitt added on ABC's "Good Morning America."