Mattel: Third Recall Of Toys From China

Involves About 800,000 Toys, Including Barbie Accessories; Bush To Raise Issue With China

(CBS/AP)  Mattel Inc.'s reputation took another hit after the world's largest toy maker announced a third major recall of Chinese-made toys in little more than a month because of excessive amounts of lead paint.

The latest action, which involved about 800,000 toys and which was announced late Tuesday, is yet another blow to Mattel. The news, along with other recent recalls of tainted Chinese toys from other toy makers, could also make parents even more nervous about shopping for toys this holiday season.

The latest Mattel recall, whose details were negotiated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, covers 675,000 Barbie accessories sold between October 2006 and August of this year. No Barbie dolls were included in the action.

The recall also included 90,000 units of Mattel's GeoTrax locomotive line and about 8,900 Big Big World 6-in-1 Bongo Band toys, both from the company's Fisher-Price brand. The Big Big World products were sold nationwide from July through August of this year, while the GeoTrax toys were sold from September 2006 through August of this year.

President Bush will likely raise product safety issues when he meets with Chinese President Hu Jin Tao Friday in Australia, reports CBS News White House correspondent Peter Maer (audio). Following the series of product recalls, the administration believes the Chinese "get it" on U.S. and western concerns. Some outside experts have questioned whether the Chinese really does understand the extent of U.S. consumer worries about toys and other goods stamped "made in China."

Maer says the issue will also be on the table at this week's Asia Pacific economic summit. Other countries will diplomatically avoid singling out China as they discuss stronger safety standards.

Mattel's last recall, announced on Aug. 14, covered about 19 million toys worldwide. They included Chinese-made toys that either had excessive amounts of lead paint or had small magnets that could easily be swallowed by children.

On Aug. 1, Mattel's Fisher-Price division said it was recalling 1.5 million preschool toys featuring characters such as Dora the Explorer, Big Bird and Elmo because of lead paint. That action included 967,000 toys sold in the United States between May and August.

Robert Eckert, chairman and chief executive of El Segundo, Calif.-based Mattel, warned at a press conference last month that there may be more recalls of tainted toys as the company steps up its investigations into its Chinese factories and increases monitoring of production.

In a statement issued late Tuesday, Eckert said: "As a result of our ongoing investigation, we discovered additional affected products. Consequently, several subcontractors are no longer manufacturing Mattel toys. We apologize again to everyone affected and promise that we will continue to focus on ensuring the safety and quality of our toys."

Mattel added that it has completed its testing program for the majority of its toys and spent more than 50,000 hours investigating its vendors and testing its toys over the past four-week period.

Still, Mattel, which has cultivated an image of tightly controlling production in China, could face an uphill battle convincing consumers about the safety of its products this holiday season. The CPSC is also considering a possible investigation of whether Mattel notified authorities as quickly as it should have in connection with the Aug. 14 recall.

With more than 80 percent of toys sold worldwide made in China, toy sellers are also concerned shoppers will shy away from their products in this year's holiday season.

In June, toy maker RC2 Corp. voluntarily recalled 1.5 million wooden railroad toys and set parts from its Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway product line. The company said the surface paint on certain toys and parts made in China between January 2005 and April 2006 contains lead, affecting 26 components and 23 retailers.

In July, Hasbro Inc. recalled faulty Chinese-made Easy Bake ovens, marking the second time the iconic toy had been recalled this year.

A Chinese quality official said Wednesday that the country is investigating the latest recall.

Wang Xin, an official with the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine, said the agency, which oversees all products made in China, is trying to get details on when the toys were made and the manufacturers involved.

Mattel vowed as recently as last month it would tighten its controls at factories in China. About 65 percent of the company's toys are made in China, and about 50 percent of Mattel's production there is produced in company-owned plants.

The recalled toys in the Barbie accessory line included a Barbie Dream Puppy House, which had lead paint on the dog; a Barbie Dream Kitty Condo playset, which had lead paint on the cat; and a Barbie table and chairs kitchen playset, which had lead paint on the dog and dinner plates.

Mattel said in a statement that the Barbie products affected by the recall were produced by Holder Plastic Company, a Mattel contract vendor, which subcontracted the painting of miniature toy pets and small furniture pieces to Dong Lian Fa and Yip Sing. Both companies used uncertified paint and are no longer producing toys for Mattel, the company said.

Mattel added that its probe revealed that the subcontractors painted the affected toys between March 2007 and August 2007. However, Mattel said it's being cautious in recalling the entire production of the seven toys painted by the subcontractors, and toys made beginning in October 2006 are included within the recall.

Among the three Fisher-Price toys recalled are two GeoTrax toys and a toy from the Big Big World line.

The two GeoTrax toys were made by Apex Manufacturing Company Ltd., one of Mattel's contract vendors, which outsourced paint work to a subcontractor, Boyi Plastic Products Factory. Apex supplied Boyi with certified paint; however, the toys were made with uncertified paint. Boyi is no longer in business, Mattel said.

The GeoTrax toys were manufactured between July 31, 2006, and September 4, 2006; however, the painted parts were stored and incorporated into toy production throughout the year. Mattel said it is recalling toys shipped between August 3, 2006, and July 31 of this year.

Fisher-Price's Big Big World toy was manufactured by Shun On Factory, one of Mattel's contract vendors, which outsourced the molding and painting of one plastic piece. A subcontractor, Jingying Tampo Printing Processing Factory, used uncertified paint on the recalled piece.

For information about Tuesday's recalls, consumers should call Mattel at 888-496-8330 or visit the company's Web site at www.service.mattel.com.

[michellem99-2009]

erasmus6,Dear. Love yer posts and Gaye5 ,
We talk about today''s toys.
Did ye ever think about years ago.
No yer did not.
Had yer said so ,
Yer parents would have
Said yer ungrateful child.
Yes they did if
yer whined over it.
So ye played with what
toys yer were given.
And dutiful said thank you.
Ye learnt to take of them.
If ye broke yer toys.
Ye did not get new ones.
Yer whined and whined.
Yer parents said to yer ears,
Money don''t grow on trees.
If too poor yer learnt fast,
No means no not yes.
Today children need
them lessons.
Verse by Barbara Ann.
I have never heard of paint with lead. So as long as over seas mades every thing yer going have them problews. Figger that eh..

[gaye5]

ianlou, your post is after my sense of humor, I like it..
But seriously, I gather that China will not have fluorides in their water because it DOES lower the IQ, and makes people docile.. hmmm perhaps they are not as stupid as us eh..

[gaye5]

I have just come to the conclusion that the reason that there was less crime 40 years ago is because we used to chew the sides of our lead painted cots until our mommies came and picked us up, we chewed our lead painted play pens, rattles, toys, high chairs, and worst of all we chewed our lead covered pencils all day long at school, and even the lead in them, then we came home to homes and slept in rooms which had lead paint all over each room, yep this must be why we had less crime 40 years ago, we lost our brains..

[erasmus6]

"...with enough lead poisoning Americans will become too dumb to complain about it." posted by incog-nito

Hmmm, no offense, but I''m thinkin'' that may have already happened.

I mean let''s face it your country is falling down around your ears and you people have virtually sat back and let it happen. Instead of *******'' and complainin'' on this website you should be writing your congress etc.

[rushman71]

If I had a child, I now know what not to buy: Anything "MADE IN CHINA"!!!

[mbwinnsboro]

Who ever said China was friendly to us? I wonder how long they have been poisoning us? Have our children chew on poison so they will experience lowering of their I.Q. and be less competitive on the global market. There is more than war to conquer and dominate a country. And, how about the debt Dubya has indentured us to China for to finance his own personal debacle in Iraq. Wake up America we''ve given away our civil rights and now we''re setting ourselves up to be the indentured servants of the Far East. America is like the Straw Man in the Wizard of Oz, "If I only had a brain".

[ianlou]

Now, Now, lets not be rash about this lead paint issue, after all, who''s selling them the lead?

If we over react, we may inadvertently destroy the livelihood of hard working Lead Miners, to say nothing about the impact to the investor in Lead Mining world wide!

Are we going to let the possibility of a few brain dead kids get in the way of a thriving industry?

And what of the reputation of our Chinese friends who we have given most of our domestic production infrastructure to?

We are not going to be able to continue getting something for nothing unless we look beyond these little bumps in the road.

NAFTA, CAFTA and the future SHAFTA programs are far too important to everyone (but the average American) to be tarnished by a few poisoned kids!

This is just more blather from Left Wing Tree Huggers, or in this case, Kid Huggers.

Lead Paint Poisoning? Its just a myth!

[nskduke1]

To be honest with everyone, I think the recalls will never stop. Just because its cheap doesn''t mean its better. Lead paint is being used on toys because its cheap. You get what you pay for. If you shop at Wal-Mart because the prices there are cheap, than you really are stupid. Because where do the stuff that Wal-Mart sells comes from...China! Get the picture!

Stop buying China ***, stop shopping at Wal-Mart, and stop fueling the communist country. Start buying America made goods. Sure you might have to spend a little bit more but I can sure tell you its safe.

[nskduke1]

To be honest with everyone, I think the recalls will never stop. Just because its cheap doesn''t mean its better. Lead paint is being used on toys because its cheap. You get what you pay for. If you shop at Wal-Mart because the prices there are cheap, than you really are stupid. Because where do the stuff that Wal-Mart sells comes from...China! Get the picture!

Stop buying China ***, stop shopping at Wal-Mart, and stop fueling the communist country. Start buying America made goods. Sure you might have to spend a little bit more but I can sure tell you its safe.

[Krazcarl]

Realize chinese products are cheap because they rely on near slave labor and in some instances actual slave labor. Americain businesses know this that''s why they outsource. Try to buy any tools not made in china good luck. So in the long run were are supporting slavery to save a few bucks. I think that''s what they said in the south before the civil war. Not to worry we''ll pay wait and see.

[incog-nito]

This is the last straw!!! I''m gathering all my Mattel toys and returning them to the store, as soon as I learn how to speak again.

[incog-nito]

On the bright side, with enough lead poisoning Americans will become too dumb to complain about it.

[micma-2009]

Note to China:

Nix the lead paint.

[rushlimpdrug]

I knew that barbie was poison.

[michellem99-2009]

Well, that is a deep subject. In Maine drinking water.
Ye get what yer pay for. Figger it out. Ye send the jobs over there. Yer can''t do anything. Can''t make a car worth the money. Junk. Why do ye cry over yer kids toys.To lazy to make them here. Yer put illegals to work. Met a lady here whose job is fullt by illgal worker. Illegals be pusting Americans around as that is the New America..Bush and his guest worker programme..

[likeitis5050]

China has us by the b..alls...and all these corporations who out-sourced there have to stay on the train until it comes to a complete stop. What is that saying...you either serve as a shining example or a terrible warning...but you will serve.

[lars008-2009]

Posted by hotwitch at 02:22 PM : Sep 05, 2007

hmmmmm wonder why the chinese is funding demonic-rats???


Dems Dirty Donor Norman Hsu Fails to Show for Bail Reduction Hearing Leading to Speculation He''s On the Run
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,295828,00.html
china buys usa elections???
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=chinese+campaign contributions democrat
Big Source of Clinton''s Cash Is an Unlikely Address
Family''s Donations Closely Track Those Of Top Fund-Raiser
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118826947048110677.html?mod=hpp_us_whats_news
Report: Hillary Clinton Big Money Donor Wanted for Grand Theft
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Hillary Clinton Big Money Donor Wanted for Grand Theft&btnG=Search
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,295031,00.html
Leading Clinton Donor Stays Below the Radar
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB118835199704811801.html?mod=blog
''DIRTY CASH'' MAN FLEES
http://www.nypost.com/seven/03042007/news/nationalnews/pro_clinton_dirty_cash_man_flees_nationalnews_christine_field.htm
RNC pushing the China angle
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0807/RNC_Pushing_the_China_angle.html
Democrats Turn From Big Donor Who%u2019s Fugitive
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/31/us/politics/31hsu.html?ei=5065&en=c3f5afa614172532&ex=1189224000&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print
Castro''s tip: Clinton-Obama the winning ticket
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN2825114320070829?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&rpc=22&sp=true

[lars008-2009]

Obviously, all the toys from China have excessive levels of lead in them, and they are doing recalls to try and lesen the impact. Why doesn''''t the U.S. government or Matel sue them. Oh, because they can''''t. The judicial system has no juristiction over Chinese companies.
Posted by lochlan at 02:08 PM : Sep 05, 2007

charge them with war crimes in the international courts... lol

hahahahaha

[hotwitch]

China is bringing us down. We should never have opened trade with China. The conservatives don''t care cause they''ll make a quick buck out of it. The liberals turn a blind eye to the Chinese and their deplorable human rights record. We''re losing jobs to a country with living standards that are stone aged comparatively. Do you think any of the money is flowing to the poor, or that the Chinese workers will rise up and demand pensions and health care benefits? Imagine how toxic and dangerous their working conditions must be. Soon they''ll be making cars and car parts for us. Where will be all this money we''ve saved when the steering wheel falls off?

[lars008-2009]

Recall all of them. Send them to the 3rd world countries, that should control the population!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by annd2302 at 12:57 AM : Sep 05, 2007

send them to india to be fixed... lol

hahahahahaha