Can the toy recall news get any worse?
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- November
- 8
Toy Linked to ‘Date-Rape’ Drug Joins List of Recalls
By Oliver Staley and Ryan Flinn – Nov. 8 (Bloomberg News)  A Chinese-made toy containing a chemical linked to the so-called date-rape drug was recalled yesterday after two children fell ill. It is the latest in a series of warnings that has led to more than 21 million toys getting pulled from store shelves before the U.S. holiday shopping season.
Aqua Dots, which features small beads that bond with water, are made with a chemical the body converts to gamma-hydroxy butyrate, commonly known as the date-rape drug. Two children in the U.S. who swallowed the beads became comatose, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a statement.
The recall of the Aqua Dots, distributed by Toronto-based Spin Master Ltd., follows the withdrawal of millions of toys, vitamins and consumer products made in China over concerns about high-levels of lead and other chemicals. Consumer fears about harmful toys may affect holiday spending, with 35 percent of shoppers believing that products made outside the U.S. are not safe, according to a Nov. 1 study by Deloitte & Touche LLP.
Also today, Marvel Entertainment Inc. said it was voluntarily recalling 110,000 Curious George dolls after tests revealed lead levels that exceeded federal limits. On Nov. 6, Mattel Inc. asked consumers to stop using 196,000 kitchen toys made in Mexico because small pieces may pose a choking hazard to children.
Recalls for Lead
Mattel, the world’s largest toymaker, has issued several recalls this year, primarily because the products contained excessive lead paint or had loose magnets that might detach and be swallowed.
Spin Master said in a statement last night that more than 60 percent of the 4.2 million Aqua Dots units covered by the recall hadn’t reached consumers.
Aqua Dots contain 1,4-butanediol, an industrial solvent that the body converts to gamma-hydroxy butyrate, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Web site.
The toys were produced by Melbourne-based Moose Enterprise Pty., Spin Master said.
The product, which is labeled Bindeez outside the U.S., sickened two Australian children as well, Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper reported Nov. 6.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, November 8th, 2007 at 11:42 am by Jorge Fitz-Gibbon.
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I think it is time the American consumers make a decision to change this situation. If we stop buying foreign products, store will stop selling them. For me, I’ve decided to buy only American made toys for my three daughters this Christmas. If you do a google search, you will find a lot of sites that offer links to American made toy companies. One I have used is http://www.findamericantoys.com but there are dozens there to choose from. It’s time to stop the insanity.
Stacy;
Thanks for the posting. There are a few sites with similar listings, including “Back to Basic Toys”:http://www.backtobasicstoys.com/search/txtsearch/@NorthAmericaEurope/txt/Items%20made%20in%20North%20America%20and%20Europe/?source=PDGOG07 and “U.S. Made Toys.”:http://www.usmadetoys.com.
However, I would suggest that it’s still practical to shop for foreign-made toys as long as you are careful to review the recall list. Most toy stores have lists available.
We’ve been thinking of non-toy items we can give our kids for Christmas, and it’s been fun to come up with new ideas. You can get a lot of fun things at art stores, Home Depot, craft stores, and book stores. More at http://providentmom.com/2007/11/24/toy-recall-who-needs-toys-this-christmas/
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I think the situation is so scary im afraid to go out and by my 10 month old any new toys hell and the formula and bottles stuff thats going around it is so scary, our son already had enough problems doesnt need anymore and thats teh rest of the world as well.Sometimes i think they do this stuff on purpose which is so sad.