Suit Filed Over Toaster Recall

WASHINGTON —  Three days after Black & Decker Corp. started a recall of about 224,000 of its Spacemaker Optima Horizontal Toasters, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission filed suit against the company, saying it isn’t satisfied with the recall program.

The government’s primary reason for the suit, filed Thursday, is “lack of public notice,” said commission spokesman Ken Giles.

The lawsuit alleges that the design of the toaster creates a substantial risk of kitchen fires when a toast cycle is completed.

Black & Decker spokeswoman Barbara Lucas said the company was surprised by the complaint.

“The CPSC has taken the position that the recall is not effective, even though the recall has received broad coverage and the agency has not had sufficient time to judge its effectiveness,” Lucas said.