WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2007

Toys And Kids' Jewelry From China Recalled

High Lead Levels Found In Over 601,000 Popular Children's Products

  • "Thomas & Friends" toys, as well as many others, were recalled Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2007, after high levels of lead paint were found. These "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends" wooden vehicles, buildings and other train set components recalled by RC2 Corp, in June 14, 2007.  (AP / file)

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(CBS/AP)  Toys and children's necklaces made in China were recalled Wednesday, including five more items from the popular Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway product line, because they contain dangerous levels of lead.

RC2 Corp.'s "Knights of the Sword" series toys and some of its Thomas and Friends items, along with floor puppet theaters, chairs for children, and toy gardening tools sold by Ohio-based Jo-Ann Stores Inc., were among the more than 601,000 toys and children's jewelry announced in the recall by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The recalled toys contain high levels of lead in their surface paint, and the necklaces and jewelry sets contain excessive lead in some of their metal parts.

This recall involves jewelry sets sold in different styles: a pink and clear crystal bead necklace and bracelet set with a painted metallic crown pendant; a pink and white pearl necklace and bracelet set with a painted metallic poodle pendant; and a pink pearl necklace, earrings and ring set.

This recall is expanded to include two additional styles: a pink crystal and wood bead necklace and bracelet set with a monkey pendant; and a pink and clear crystal bead necklace and bracelet set with a heart pendant. All sets are sold in a pink gift box with “TOBY & ME” printed on the front and “TOBY & ME” hangtags attached to the packaging, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Under current regulations, children's products found to have more than .06 percent lead accessible to users are subject to a recall. The government warned parents to make sure children are not playing or using any of the recalled products.

This is the second recall from the Thomas & Friends product line after RC2 Corp. announced June 13 a recall of 1.5 million wooden railway toys. The company is recalling five items, totaling about 200,000 toys in all, of Thomas & Friends toys not included in the first recall.

"I don't think consumers have seen the end to lead paint recalls," said Julie Vallese, a spokeswoman for the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

"There's been a very concentrated, concerted effort by both the CPSC and the industry to do a top-to-bottom investigation of the products to make sure they are not in violation with any toy safety standards," said Vallese. "Today's recall is a result of that work."

In Bejing, Commerce Ministry spokesman Wang Xinpei on Thursday said: "Our attitude toward the toy problem has always been the same, that the problem is one in a thousand. We'll still be highly responsible and seriously solve the problem."

The recalls include:

  • About 23,500 more necklaces, bracelets and pendants imported by TOBY N.Y.C. of New York. This expands the company's recall of jewelry sets announced on Aug. 22. The recalled products were sold at T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, A.J. Wright, Cracker Barrel and Shopko stores nationwide from August 2006 through August 2007. For more information, call the company at 866-235-0588.

  • About 850 children's Spinning Wheel Necklace necklaces, produced by Rhode Island Novelty of Cumberland, R.I. The necklaces were sold nationwide from November 2006 through May 2007. For more information, call the company 800-528-5599 or visit its Web site at www.rinovelty.com.

  • Happy Giddy Gardening Tools and Children's Sunny Patch Chairs, imported by Target Corp. of Minneapolis, Minn. The recall involves 350,000 of the toys. The gardening tools and chairs were manufactured by Starite International Ltd. of Taiwan. The toys were sold nationwide from August 2006 through August 2007. For more information, contact Target at 800-440-0680 or visit its Web site at www.target.com.

  • About 200,000 Thomas and Friends Wood Railway Toys and 800 Britain's "Knights of the Sword" series toys, distributed by RC2 Corp., of Oak Brook, Ill. The five recalled Thomas and Friends items, sold nationwide from March 2003 through September 2007, include the all-black cargo car, toad vehicle, olive green sodor cargo box and all-green maple tree top and signal base accessories. The "Knights of the Sword" recalled toys products include three items: a mounted silver knight on a red horse with an ax; a mounted silver knight on a red horse with two hands on a raised weapon; and a mounted silver knight on a red horse with a lance. The products were sold at specialty toy stores nationwide from April 2004 through March 2006. For more information, contact RC2 at 866-725-4407 or visit the firm's Web site at http://recalls.rc2.com.

  • About 16,000 children's toy rakes imported by Jo-Ann Stores Inc., of Hudson, Ohio. The rakes, each about 24 inches long with a yellow duck head attached to the green handle, were sold only at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores from January 2007 from September 2007. For more information, contact the company at 888-739-4120, option 7, or visit the firm's Web site at http://www.joann.com/.

  • An estimated 10,000 Floor Puppet Theaters produced by Guidecraft Inc., of Englewood, N.J. The recalled puppet theaters, each with a chalkboard surface on the front and colored side panels, were sold nationwide in specialty toy stores, gift shops, catalogs and Web sites from June 2006 through August 2007. For more information, contact the company at 888-824-1308 or visit its Web site at www.guidecraft.com.

  • A Rhode Island company recalled 850 Spinning Wheel Necklace necklaces were produced by Rhode Island Novelty. They were sold nationwide from November 2006 through May 2007. For more information, call the company 800-528-5599 or visit its Web site at www.rinovelty.com.


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    Add a Comment See all 16 Comments
    by ssm9451 September 28, 2007 1:04 AM EDT
    Who the heck is RON PAUL???? What does he have to do with this news article?
    Reply to this comment
    by starleo146 September 27, 2007 6:53 PM EDT
    When we had mad cow disease everything stopped nothing anywhere was shipped to other countries until the problem was solved. So my point is enough is enough I don''t care how much the Bushs'' are close to China turn those da@mn ships around until the companies who have these problems are fixed.Toys, food, pet food,clothes prescription drugs, is there anything that doesn''t come from China. Fine those companies as well, you can not tell me they don''t know our regulations. Fine them enough so Bush won''t cut social security.
    Reply to this comment
    by lastdance2 September 27, 2007 6:51 PM EDT
    The Uncle of Pres. Bush
    Prescott Bush
    Chairman, U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce;

    U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce - Who enjoys - $9.00 a month - Slave Labor -
    Who Allows - Lead Painted Toys - Defective Merchandise -
    Tainted and Poisoned Food Stuffs - To be shipped to the US. -
    Purposely Intended for use and consumption by the American consumer.

    Prescott Bush - Knowing - The Ratifications - of Poisoned Food - Lead Poisoning and
    potentially Defective and Hazardous products. - To the American Parent and
    The American Child - Prescott Bush Continues - To Allow those imports.

    Prescott Bush - Needs to be : Criminally Charged and Prosecuted

    Pres. Bush - Cut funding to the Port Authority - Now there is only one (1) Inspector
    at each Port of Entry. - To Inspect shipments from China

    Simply - Its a Family Affair - Family Pride - Family Values

    Prescott Bush connections to an American firm, Asset Management The company
    was the Only U.S. firm able to - Skirt - U.S. sanctions and import (Smuggle)
    Communications (Spy ?) Satellites into China.

    The FBI - The US Justice Department has always Worked on the Behalf of -
    The Political Objectives and The Financial Objectives of -
    The Republican (Nazi) Party - Criminal Corporate (Nazi) America

    No Criminal Charges - On this Issue - Is Evidenced to that
    There was a time - Treason and Corruption- Was a Criminal Act

    Lastdance
    Reply to this comment
    by lastdance2 September 27, 2007 6:49 PM EDT
    GetLoud1

    Take you political Spam elsewhere
    Reply to this comment
    by getloud1 September 27, 2007 5:01 PM EDT
    You want the truth on the FDA, BUSH and The Federal Reserve and China: http://thetruth07.110mb.com
    Reply to this comment
    by erasmus6 September 27, 2007 4:58 PM EDT
    Okay this is pathetic. This business should have been stopped by now, it has gone on TOO long.

    Maybe the reason that things haven''t been stopped or changed is because everything is run by MEN. Is there men running the FDA? Is there men in charge at Mattel? We all know that there is a man running the country. I''m thinking that if WOMEN were in charge of these things SOMETHING WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE BY NOW!!!!
    Women think more about what''s good for their own and if it ain''t good it stops NOW. Now before you men get your undies in a knot, I am not saying that men don''t care for their own, they just sometimes think more about war and money etc.....
    Reply to this comment
    by rushlimpdrug September 27, 2007 4:47 PM EDT
    Posted by oleander8

    -Lighten up francis.
    I have the misfortune of needing to know several languages.
    And yes, the English have make fun of my American English (go figure).
    So it happens to all of us.
    Unlike mattel, I wouldn''t apologize in any of them to china for sending krap to America.
    Reply to this comment
    by getloud1 September 27, 2007 4:45 PM EDT
    **** TAKE AMERICA BACK ****
    **** STOP THE WAR & Corporate Corruption****

    He has NEVER voted:
    * to raise taxes
    * for an unbalanced budget
    * to raise congressional pay
    * for a federal restriction on gun ownership
    * to increase the power of the executive branch

    He HAS voted:
    * against the Iraq war
    * against the inappropriately named USA PATRIOT act
    * against regulating the internet
    * against the Military Commissions Act

    He will eliminate the IRS, Wasteful Government Spending & Stop The Iraq War Immediately!

    Most importantly, he voted NO on anything in Congress that is not allowed by the Constitution.

    He is the only candidate not a member of the CFR!

    Shouldn''t ALL members of Congress uphold the Constitution? Aren''t they SWORN to uphold it? You can bet Paul WON''T call the Constitution "just a G**D***ed piece of paper" like George Bush is reported to have.

    If you want a candidate you can TRUST due to a proven track record, visit www.ronpaul2008.com and get busy spreading the word. The Mainstream Media is Blacking Out The Truth Spoke By Ron Paul!

    Join The ReVoLuTiOn In Your City Stand Up America:
    http://ronpaul.meetup.com/cities/

    Also checkout http://www.youtube.com search for: RON PAUL
    Reply to this comment
    by solarwin-2009 September 27, 2007 4:36 PM EDT
    All this is made possible by our friends at Wal-Mart! Remember: Wal-Mart squeezed US manufacturers to reduce costs and convinced them to close their US operations and move to China. Poor Sam Walton must be spinning in his grave. Wal-Mart: Home of Cheap Plastic Stuff!
    Reply to this comment
    by wtf1999 September 27, 2007 4:04 PM EDT
    And yet another recall . . .

    I%u2019m interested to see in the coming months how many "Made in China" toys are purchased in the U.S. during the holiday X-mas season.

    And by the way, rushlimpdrug, your attempt at imitating Asian%u2019s broken-English is completely ignorant! Their English may not be as precise as someone growing up in the U.S., but at least they%u2019re trying to learn our language. You should go visit a foreign country, make an attempt to speak their language, and let them make a complete *** out of you!!!
    Reply to this comment
    by oleander8 September 27, 2007 3:28 PM EDT
    Wouldn''t happen if the manufacturing was done in the U.S. - and, wouldn''t have gotten on the market if Mattel, et al did some quality control on their out-sourced products - you get what you pay for.

    The only sympathy I have is for the consumer.
    Reply to this comment
    by bogusbones September 27, 2007 1:59 PM EDT
    It''s all part of a long-term plot by the Chinese. Poison our kids with lead. Kill their brains. Take over the U.S. in twenty years.

    I noted a while ago that the Chinese would execute some official to show they were serious about these dangerous exports. They director is dead but they keep sending us cheap garbage. At least when the Japanese were sending their inexpensive exports, they didn''t lace them with poison.

    Since we owe the Chinese so much money, we''ll slap their wrists. This is only the tip of the iceberg.
    Reply to this comment
    by name_verify September 27, 2007 1:38 PM EDT
    Made in China = Poison
    Reply to this comment
    by antoniof123 September 27, 2007 1:03 PM EDT
    Quick American CEO run and say we are so sorry but they found the lead in the paint again. God these American companies are getting way to greedy.
    Reply to this comment
    by rushlimpdrug September 27, 2007 12:11 PM EDT
    dear chinaman,
    So sorry to not accept you toy now.
    Toy have lead.
    Lead not good.
    You make better.
    Take toy with apology and shove it up your azz.
    Me go now.
    Reply to this comment
    by trenticus-2009 September 27, 2007 11:50 AM EDT
    So can we expect RC2 to appologise to the Chinese for their design flaw? Maybe it was just mattel''s design flaw that put lead in those toys. Good Grief Charlie Brown!
    Reply to this comment
    See all 16 Comments
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