|
3rd China Toy Recall
Mattel Inc., whose reputation has been battered ...but not nearly so badly as China's ... by two high-profile toy recalls this summer, will announce on Wednesday the recall of a third batch of Chinese-made toys because they may contain excessive amounts of lead paint, The Associated Press has learned. The latest recall by the world's largest toy maker will be for a Fisher-Price toy and accessories to a Barbie playset and involves several hundred thousand units, according to two persons briefed by Mattel executives who asked for anonymity because the company has not yet formally announced the action. It could not be learned whether the toys were made in different Chinese factories. Expect to see a lot of BOT Made in China stickers on the toys for Christmas this year. With more than 80 percent of toys sold worldwide made in China, toy sellers are nervous that shoppers will shy away from their products in this year's critical holiday season. Late last month, Toys "R" Us announced it was recalling thousands of art sets made in China due to excessive levels of lead in some black watercolor paints. In June, toy maker RC2 Corp. voluntarily recalled 1.5 million wooden railroad toys and set parts from its Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway product line. The company said that the surface paint on certain toys and parts made in China between January 2005 and April 2006 contain lead, affecting 26 components and 23 retailers. In July, Hasbro Inc. recalled faulty Chinese-made Easy Bake ovens, marking the second time the iconic toy had been recalled this year. The Aug. 14 worldwide recall covered more than 400,000 die-cast cars modeled after the cartoon movie character "Sarge" that contained excessive amounts of lead paint. Eckert told reporters the correct paint was sent to a subcontractor, who apparently chose not to use it. Bad timing, after Labor Day. Wonder if there will be a question about protecting American Children from Dangerous foreign toys at the debates. Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2007-09-05 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=198003 |