More Toy Recalls (Is Your Toy Box Empty Yet?)
was announced last week by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Does anyone else feel that the constant reoccurrence of this headline in national news is excessive, and simply unacceptable? I certainly do. And there is data to back me up, not just my consumer intuition: ExpertRECALL, the industry leader in recall logistics and regulatory compliance, declared 2009 the "Year of the Infant Product Recall", citing a 20% increase in recalls of products from the Children's Nursery Equipment and Supplies category.
So on to the recall of the moment. St. Martin's Press LLC is recalling more than 200,000 "Big Rex and Friends" Cloth Books, made in China, because the red plastic dot sewn into the book contains high levels of lead.
Lead levels in the product exceeded the amount allowed by law by six times, an obscene infringement of consumer trust. Lead is a potent neurotoxin, and classified as a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organization and the US EPA. Lead exposure can cause permanent brain damage and affect IQ in young children, and is universally acknowledged as harmful to public health.
Here are the recall details:
• The toy was imported by St. Martin's Press LLC, of New York. ISBN 031249260X or 9780312492601 is printed on the back of the book.
• The toy was sold at Barnes & Noble, Toys "R" Us, Amazon, Borders and other bookstores and retailers nationwide from May 2004 through October 2009 for about $9.
• Contact St. Martin's Press at (800) 347-9411 or visit the firm's website for instructions on returning the book for a full refund.
The US Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), a public watchdog firm, uncovered the threat while preparing its annual Trouble in Toyland Report, which was published in December.
PIRG purchased the cloth book at a Chicago Toys "R" Us. It was then screened with an X-ray fluorescence device and sent to an EPA-certified lab for further testing. The lab determined that a red dot appliqué on one of the pages had a lead content of 1900 parts per million - nearly twenty times the content allowed for paint in the 2008 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act; six times the total lead content allowed by the law. The test results were immediately sent to the CPSC for further action.
In spite of these alarming statistics, Mike Rozembajgier, Director of Recalls with ExpertRECALL, is hopeful. "Fortunately, industry leaders and trade associations are proactively addressing product safety concerns. Manufacturers continue to make consumer safety a chief priority, working with consumer groups and regulatory agencies to improve or develop industry standards where none currently exist.
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, passed last year by Congress, banned lead from children's products. Since the ruling came down last July, manufacturers, particularly in China, have starting substituting cadmium for lead. Cadmium is also a heavy metal but it is believed to be even more toxic than lead! Hardly a better substitute, right? So now the CPSC is investigating cadmium use and discussing making regulations regarding all heavy metals.
This is still progress, albeit in a rather twisted form, but we are still making strides toward safer products. At some point, I hope that certain stubborn wings of industry will stop the subterfuge and just get on board - make the products safe for consumers and we'll keep buying them!
Considering that we just ended the biggest gift-giving bonanza of the year, it might be wise to go through your children's toy box and cross-reference this comprehensive list of recalled toys from The Daily Green. If you have any concerns about specific products, call the CPSC hotline at (800) 638-2772.
Healthy Child Healthy World is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit inspiring parents to protect young children from harmful chemicals. Learn more at HealthyChild.org.
