The headaches for Mattel, Inc. (NYSE: MAT) just keep on adding up, as the company's toys from this summer's recall have now been found to contain 180 times the amount of lead allowed by law. In addition, some jewelry sold by Oriental Trading Co. was found to have an ingredient mix that was 100% lead. That's positively alarming. 180 times the legal limit? Did Mattel's Chinese toy contractors dip all the toys in pure lead or something?For China, this is not good news, although the brunt of the negativity will be taken in by Mattel. After so many product and food recalls from China in the last year, it's hard to imagine that exports from that country won't be under the heaviest scrutiny by a congressional subcommittee. If you're a parent and your confidence in the quality of those Barbie toys (and others) has not been shattered by all this, I'd love to hear your comments below.
Mattel, knowing that it cannot evade questions related to the safety of its toys, admitted that 'some' of the paint on 'some' of its toys were made of up to 11% lead, a figure of 110,000 parts per million. Law allows only 600 parts per million as safe. Now, try this on for size: the lead amount on some recent toys (made in 2007, no less) actually contained twice the amount of lead that was allowed in standard house paint before lead was declared illegal for use over three decades ago. Maybe all that outlawed paint from the 1970s is now being used on kids' toys, eh?
Even worse: a New York pediatrician stated that a child who played with a toy with up to 11% lead paint for one to six months could get "substantial, severe lead poisoning." Now, we all know kids that play with toys just a few hours and then toss them in the trash, right? Wrong -- kids play with toys for up to a year at least. Do you feel less comfortable about those toys in the toybox right this second? You should.
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Even worse: a New York pediatrician stated that a child who played with a toy with up to 11% lead paint for one to six months could get "substantial, severe lead poisoning." Now, we all know kids that play with toys just a few hours and then toss them in the trash, right? Wrong -- kids play with toys for up to a year at least. Do you feel less comfortable about those toys in the toybox right this second? You should.
[photo tuppus]
Click here for Mattel toy recall news
Julie Tilsner: What's under the tree this Christmas season? 'Made in USA' toys
Peter Cohan: Is China hurting Disney's (DIS) reputation?
Sarah Gilbert: Mattel's third toy recall: Parents response ho-hum, could Barbie survive?
Zac Bissonnette: Toys 'R' Us joins the recall club -- and how you can capitalize
Michael Fowlkes: More children's products join the Chinese recall list
Beth Gaston Moon: Mattel (MAT): Looking into the latest recall
Michael Fowlkes: Chinese executive found hanged following Mattel (MAT) toy recalls
Hilary Kramer: Mattel, Inc. (MAT): Buy or sell after recall?
Tom Taulli: Mattel toy recall: Lessons for business owners
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-19-2007 @ 12:08PM
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9-19-2007 @ 1:15PM
teresa said...
Let's all make an effort to avoid these companies who are outsourcing American jobs, taking in record profits, not passing the savings on to the American consumer, and then expecting us to buy the junk they produce. Please visit my website - www.toysmadeinamerica.com - for a LONG list (over 100) of clickable links to American companies who still produce their products here at home, providing American jobs and helping OUR economy, not China's! (By the way, it's no coincidence that our economy is going down the drain while China's is the fastest growing in the world!) Thanks for the post. Teresa
9-19-2007 @ 3:12PM
SANDY said...
if it is not made in the usa......i refuse to purchase it, i would think we as americans all need to do the same, to send a message..after all it is our children's life's at stake...etc...I don't assume anything is safe anymore, our world has changed.