toxic toys
Mattel is losing money as manufacturing costs in China rise, according to
Bloomberg:
Sales of Barbie fell 12 percent in the U.S. as the 49-year- old doll faced competition from Hannah Montana and Ganz's Webkinz. Mattel, which recalled more than 21 million Chinese-made products in 2007, expects Chinese manufacturing costs to rise further. The yuan has climbed 10 percent against the dollar over the past 12 months, and inflation in China is near an 11-year high.
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safety
Finally! It's been so long since we've posted about anything tainted with lead that we were starting to wonder if all the world's trade problems had been resolved—but now comes a new study that found 210 parts per million (ppm) of
lead in the porcelain veneer of a dental crown ordered from China. That's a lot less than the CPSC's current 600 ppm threshold, but a lot more than the international standard of only 90 ppm. The good news is it's highly unlikely developing children will need a mouth full of crowns and bridges. The bad news is it's yet another example of how hazardous material can slip undiscovered into the marketplace—and your mouth.
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safety
Reader and commenter jurijuri says:
Just got this email from Toys 'R' Us in my inbox and thought you'd be interested. I'm normally pretty skeptical about corporate promises like this, but if they implement these changes I'm going to be pretty impressed.
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recalls
A Life of Faith Charm Bracelet Sets (
lead), Polaris All-Terrain Vehicles (
fire), Soft Air USA Remote-Controlled Helicopter Toys (
Fire and Burn), GE Gas Clothes Dryers (
shock), Trek MT220 Girls Bicycles (
frame failures), eeBoo Corp Sketchbooks with Colored Spirals (
lead).
The EPA says hot tap water can contain as much lead as a cheap toy from China—"We call it dollar-store tea," says an EPA spokesman. Okay, seriously, the EPA said none of that but they do warn you to not drink hot tap water. Heated water can leach out contaminants in old pipes, and boiling it doesn't remove the lead—so only use cold tap water for drinking, cooking, and preparing baby formula. [
New York Times]
lead contamination
56 Members of Congress want to know why Mattel CEO
Robert Eckert refuses to issue a nationwide recall for a toy blood-pressure cuff that is contaminated with lead. The affected blood-pressure cuff, sold as part of the Fisher-Price Medical Kit, was recalled exclusively in Illinois after Mattel received a complaint from State Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Legislators want Eckert to stand by a pledge made to reassure a jittery public before the holiday buying season that Mattel would 'earn back our trust with deeds, not just with words.'
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lead
A toy-maker who refused to issue a recall for its lead-tainted toys has reversed its position. TY made some "Jammin Jenna" dolls with that were found to have more lead than 600 parts per million Illinois state limit. In response to recall requests, TY said it didn't have to because they said federal law supersedes state law. However, the state AG and federal CPSC responded that states are allowed to adopt more restrictive laws in the absence of federal regulation. TY will pull the Jammin Jena dolls and replace their leadly shiny red vinyl shoes with cloth ones.
Ty takes high-lead doll out of stores [Chicago Tribune]
PREVIOUSLY: Toy Makers Refuse To Recall Leaded Toys
toys
Several toy makers are refusing to issue recalls for their toys, even though tests have proved they contain over 500 times the legal limit for lead. One says that it's leadly charm bracelets are not toys and therefore not subject to toy rules. Ty, which famously makes Beanie Babies, is refusing to pull "Jammin' Jenna," because while state law bans vinyl toys with more lead than 600 parts per million limit, the federal law doesn't - an argument that won't go over well with the attorney general's office, or parents.
Toymaker fights state recall [Chicago Tribune]
taking it seriously
WHO: Martha Stewart Omnimedia
WHAT: A family has filed a federal lawsuit against Martha Stewart's company and Sears Holdings after they say their children suffered mental impairment and other side effects from lead poisoning after using Martha Stewart dinnerware.
WHERE: Lower Burrell Couple Sues Martha Stewart's Company [KDKA]
(Thanks, Martin!)
THE QUOTE:"We take consumer product safety very seriously. We do not comment on pending litigation."
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recalls
Consumer Reports takes issue with some of the statements CPSC chairperson
Nancy Nord said in a recent speech:
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someone think of the children
Walmart is still selling lead-tainted
Baby Connection bibs that were recalled last May. Reader Jeff made the discovery after his wife accidentally purchased two packs of recalled bibs for their 4-month-old daughter while vacationing in the Poconos.
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toy safety
To pick up slack from the undersized/overwhelmed CPSC,
states are stepping up to help increase toy safety locally. New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Vermont, Illinois and California have been taking "aggressive measures," from suing manufacturers to escalating state recalls to the federal level. Newsday describes how New Jersey worked with charities and educators during toy drives to make them aware of recalled toys. The state also assigned 15 state inspectors to a
toy safety task force, and over the past month, the inspectors "fanned out across the state with assistance from county health department workers to test products and check for recalled toys.
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lead contamination
Consumer Reports says that Fisher-Price has finished testing another toy blood pressure cuff and have found that it exceeds the Illinois lead limit for toys.
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Consumerist
