SpongeBob Products Latest Chinese Recall

More Toys Recalled Because Of Lead Hazard; China Says Improved Standards Are To Blame

(CBS/AP)  Among the latest victims in the recall of lead-laden products from China: SpongeBob Square Pants, Curious George and Thomas the Tank Engine.

On Wednesday, the U.S. announced recalls of tens of thousands of Chinese-made children's products because of lead hazards. Childhood exposure to lead can cause learning problems, reduced intelligence, hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder.

Among the items recalled are nearly 250,000 SpongeBob SquarePants address books and journals manufactured in China because the bindings might contain hazardous levels of lead paint, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

Also recalled: About 66,000 spinning tops and about 4,700 pails painted with Thomas & Friends, Curious George, circus scenes or solid colors. The tops and pails were manufactured in China, imported by Schylling Associates Inc. and are being recalled because paint on the wooden handles contains high levels of lead.

About 14,000 TOBY & ME jewelry sets, imported by TOBY N.Y.C., and about 7,900 Children's Divine Inspiration Charm Bracelets, imported by Buy-Rite Designs Inc. and made in China, were recalled because the jewelry contains high levels of lead.

No injuries have been reported.

China on Thursday defended a global recall of millions of its toys, saying that new international safety standards — not poor quality — were at the root of the issue.

Earlier this month, Mattel Inc. recalled almost 19 million Chinese-made items around the world including dolls, cars and action figures. Some were contaminated with lead paint, while others had small, powerful magnets that children might swallow and damage their organs.

Vice Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng said 18.2 million of the recalled products — including popular Polly Pocket dolls and Barbie play sets — were pulled off the shelves because of a revision of standards involving magnets that was issued in May.

"The U.S. dealer voluntarily recalled the toys that were made and sold before 2007, which at the time conformed to standards. This is a very responsible action for the health of children and consumers," Gao said at a news conference. "But strictly speaking, it has nothing to do with the toys' quality or its manufacturers."

Mattel first announced a recall involving magnets in November 2006, after several Polly Pocket injures were reported.

The Aug. 14 announcement was an extension of the November recall following a change in industry standards in May that mandated that toys with magnet or magnetic components had to reliably contain those parts, or carry a warning. No related injuries were reported from the latest recall.

Toys are the latest in the long list of Chinese exports that have come under intense scrutiny in recent months because of safety concerns. Toxic chemicals have been found in products ranging from toothpaste to seafood and pet food ingredients.

On Thursday, Chinese state media reported that toy makers will face tougher quality checks in Guangdong province, where many of the recalled Mattel toys were manufactured.

Makers of toys for export in Guangdong will have to undergo "quality licensing" as part of a new inspection system launched this week, the China Daily newspaper reported.

"We will keep a closer watch on not only finished products but also on potentially dangerous chemicals and paints," an unnamed official with the Guangdong Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau was quoted as saying.

"And we will keep records concerning suppliers of potentially dangerous chemicals for toys and toy subcontractors," said the official in Guangdong, an export manufacturing base for a large percentage of Chinese products.

[dukeudevil]

China is quickly learning from America. I love how Gao states at least part of the problem is that Mattel did not perform "strict examinations" upon receipt of the toys. Yea, spread the blame around!

That said, maybe there should be some fines, penalties, or even jail time for American firms henceforth caught not fully vetting their foreign suppliers and manufacturers, and double-checking all such products imported into America.

[tmharrel]

I think it is time for our companies to start producing products in this country. The worst thing that ever happened to the US was NAFTA.
It is ashame that the only thing the US corporations seem to care about is nothing in the world but greed. Forget that these other countries aren''t even equipped enough to test for excessive lead levels, much less do they even care, no, especially since it is a product coming into this country and they consider us fools!
I don''t know what it is going to take to wake up this country''s corporations, to keep them in this country. But when someone''s child gets critically ill or dies, I wonder will they even care?

tharrell

[nvme3]

Wake up America. Take a dump in a box and send it to china; that is what they are doing to us. Buy back our debt and force the companies to manufacture here where we can have stricter controls over what is going into our homes. the latest wave of recalls is just the icebergs tip. If we produce nothing then eventually we will be a 2nd and 3rd tier economy. How many times do we have to get hit by a bus to realize we need to stop going down that road?

[nvme3]

Wake up America. Take a dump in a box and send it to china; that is what they are doing to us. Buy back our debt and force the companies to manufacture here where we can have stricter controls over what is going into our homes. the latest wave of recalls is just the icebergs tip. If we produce nothing then eventually we will be a 2nd and 3rd tier economy. How many times do we have to get hit by a bus to realize we need to stop going down that road?

[nvme3]

Wake up America. Take a dump in a box and send it to china; that is what they are doing to us. Buy back our debt and force the companies to manufacture here where we can have stricter controls over what is going into our homes. the latest wave of recalls is just the icebergs tip. If we produce nothing then eventually we will be a 2nd and 3rd tier economy. How many times do we have to get hit by a bus to realize we need to stop going down that road?

[nvme3]

Wake up America. Take a dump in a box and send it to china; that is what they are doing to us. Buy back our debt and force the companies to manufacture here where we can have stricter controls over what is going into our homes. the latest wave of recalls is just the icebergs tip. If we produce nothing then eventually we will be a 2nd and 3rd tier economy. How many times do we have to get hit by a bus to realize we need to stop going down that road?

[nvme3]

Wake up America. Take a dump in a box and send it to china; that is what they are doing to us. Buy back our debt and force the companies to manufacture here where we can have stricter controls over what is going into our homes. the latest wave of recalls is just the icebergs tip. If we produce nothing then eventually we will be a 2nd and 3rd tier economy. How many times do we have to get hit by a bus to realize we need to stop going down that road?

[nvme3]

Wake up America. Take a dump in a box and send it to china; that is what they are doing to us. Buy back our debt and force the companies to manufacture here where we can have stricter controls over what is going into our homes. the latest wave of recalls is just the icebergs tip. If we produce nothing then eventually we will be a 2nd and 3rd tier economy. How many times do we have to get hit by a bus to realize we need to stop going down that road?

[nvme3]

Wake up America. Take a dump in a box and send it to china; that is what they are doing to us. Buy back our debt and force the companies to manufacture here where we can have stricter controls over what is going into our homes. the latest wave of recalls is just the icebergs tip. If we produce nothing then eventually we will be a 2nd and 3rd tier economy. How many times do we have to get hit by a bus to realize we need to stop going down that road?

[nvme3]

Wake up America. Take a dump in a box and send it to china; that is what they are doing to us. Buy back our debt and force the companies to manufacture here where we can have stricter controls over what is going into our homes. the latest wave of recalls is just the icebergs tip. If we produce nothing then eventually we will be a 2nd and 3rd tier economy. How many times do we have to get hit by a bus to realize we need to stop going down that road?

[a_mom]

This article is a bit misleading...it is NOT true that lead paint standards changed between 2006 and 2007. There is no reason the Chinese vendors should have used these unacceptable levels of lead in these various toys and school supplies. What Minister Hucheng is referring to above is a change by ASTM International in the voluntary standards for magnetic toys. The rules governing magnets were published in May. But even if it wasn''t actually illegal before then to make toys where the magnets are not reliably contained, it only makes sense. The CPSC could actually have been more vigilant and recalled dozens of these models on their own much earlier under the GENERAL rule that toys should not present an unexpected hazard in the home. Or Mattel could have simply withdrawn all their Polly Pocket toys that had the same magnet design, last year when they were forced into a smaller recall. Now, almost a year later, there are 18.2 million of these Mattel magnetic toys in homes worldwide and it will be difficult to have 100% of them returned. http://magnetscankill.spaces.live.com has tons more info and pics

You can call Mattel to get the process started immediately at:

Magnet hazard recall hotline: [phone]

"CARS" Sarge character diecast vehicle recall hotline: [phone]

Fisher-Price toys lead paint recall hotline: [phone]

[erasmus6]

Actually I think we should be concerned about things being made with lead in it from the U.S. and Canada also. In Canada it is illegal to have lead in anything. But my daughter worked for this person that made ceramics and this person used to travel across the border into the U.S. to get her glazes. The reason she did so was because in the U.S. they had a lot brighter colors than we do and the reason was because they contained LEAD. So obviously the U.S. is also making things with lead in it.

[sodela1]

It is time that U.S. companies start caring more about their citizens than their pocket books and their all important numbers at the stock market. Take care on the people that buy their products. There has been way too many recalls just this year alone. How many recalls has Wal Mart had? Come on big U.S companies take care of your own and come back to the U.S. before our kids start with the defects and the cancers that these contaminets can cause. WAKE UP AMERICA!

[toshi43]

Cheap, safe and high quality Chinese products, that''s what we want, and we don''t give a *** who''s hurt or exploited in the process, AS LONG AS IT''S NOT US!!

If you''re one of the few that actually cares about the truth behind the products we so mindlessly buy every day, check out ChinaLaborWatch.org.

US CONSUMER PROTECTION AGENCY, Please tell the American people what they should know about lead paint exposure to children!! The truth is that children who are exposed to lead paint are at risk of becoming mentally retarded. WHO ARE YOU PROTECTING???? The American people or CHINESE TRADE.

Where is the US Consumer Protection Agency in all of this???? WHO IS PROTECTING THE AMERICAN CITIZEN AND THEIR CHILDREN??? And, why aren''t we being told what will befall our children who have been exposed!!!! Maybe there are some remedies for lead paint exposure that we ought to know about.

[walt1944-2009]

The Great Emperor Bush has decided to have anything made in China recalled and the trash sent back to them. This would mean that everything, including the clothing people wear would be boxed up and sent back to China where the items will be then resold to the Chinese public as "NEW", thus increasing the already enormous profits of American companies in China and creating more wealth for the right-wing elite.

Of course, when confronted by the economic chaos this would cause in the USSA, with the economy reverting back to "prehistoric caveman levels", the Emperor claimed it was all part of his grand scheme to create 2 classes in this country, the "Haves" and "Have Nots" and rebuild the economy of the new USSA starting at the beginning.

With this in mind, the Emperor has ordered the mint to begin collecting rock and pebbles and engrave on them HIS image for use by the "low class". The new currency for the poor class will be called "BUSHIES"!

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!

[jetauma]

Let it start here. It''ll be difficult. But let us all strive to by American Made as much as possible. Pay a few cents more...maybe a few dollars. We''ll help ourselves, our industries, improve wages, create new jobs, secure our cheldren''s future...and defeat those greedy corporate and political buggers who long ago sold their souls and are trying to by ours at Wal-Mart.
Speaking of Wal-Mart...boycott has a nice ring to it.

[oleander8]

In the meantime tell your children not to chew on the spines of their address books....

[nexgen99]

The Financial Times reported dangerous levels of formaldehyde poisons in imported children clothing made in China which is making children sick. The clothing is being recalled. So don%u2019t think clothes made in China are safe, you have no idea what chemicals are in the dyes.

[erasmus6]

I have started going through all the products at home here and writing down all the email addresses and phone numbers and on Monday I am going to start phoning them and asking if there are any ingredients or anything in them that comes from China. If they cannot give me an answer I will be telling them I will not buy their product again until they can give me that answer. And before I buy a new product I will take down the phone number and phone first.

[timantane]

erasmus6

I thought the only lead you were against came out of guns. Nice to see you have other concerns also.

I was starting to think you worked for the anti-gun lobbiests ;)

[erasmus6]

TimanTane

I would make a good ant-gun lobbiest, don''t you think?:)

[timantane]

erasmus6

An excellent one. You have very good arguments.

What''s your take on these low-quality Chinese toys? Are these going into Canada also? I would guess so.

[erasmus6]

TimanTane

The first recall of the toys was around 1 million. This recall was more than 900,000.

We have had children''s jewelry recalls before and I told my husband then that you can bet that there is lead in probably everything that is made in China.

I was looking for beads one day and on the package it said: "Not recommended for anyone under the age of 15". 15? You might see for "age 3 and under" because of choking hazard, but 15?? I knew right then it was because it probably contained LEAD.

We have a lot of stuff from China but I don''t know if it is as much as you guys. From some of the posts I read here, people seem to have a problem buying anything U.S. made. Here we do have a lot of things still made in Canada. Also I don''t think that we have as much "ingredients" that come from China that go into our food. We also didn''t have as much tainted pet food. I know they said it came from a Canadian company but the actual contaminated ingredients came through an American company. And do you know what TICKED ME OFF?! It was the fact that the U.S didn''t hesitate to blab to the whole world over and over that it was a Canadian company that made the pet food but when it came out that the ingredients came through an American company they wouldn''t release the NAME!! Now is that fair?? Hmmm??:)

We need to start making all our own stuff and stop depending on other countries, before they kill us. It might cost more but better to be alive than DEAD.:)