U.S.

Burger King Recalls 400,000 Toys

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

March 12, 2001 / 6:47 PM EST / CBS

Burger King said Monday it is recalling 400,000 "Rattling, Paddling Riverboat" toys it distributed nationwide between Jan. 15 and Feb. 13 because they pose a choking hazard for small children.

A pin holding the boat's paddlewheel can come loose and is small enough to be inhaled, said Kim Miller, a Burger King spokeswoman. The toys were given to children under age 3. Ten parents have reported problems with the toy, but no children have been injured, she said.

Burger King last year recalled toy Pokemon balls after a 13-month-old California girl suffocated on the toy and a 4-month-old Indianapolis boy died when the ball-shaped container lodged over his mouth and nose.

Miller said that experience "certainly heightened our awareness" about the hazards of toys and the need to act quickly when problems are reported.

For More Information

Parents can call 1-800-661-9173 for instructions on obtaining a replacement toy.

Burger King blames a defect in manufacturing, not in the design of the toy, and is investigating what exactly went wrong, Miller said.

"This toy went through all of the testing mechanisms in place," Miller said. There is no way to guarantee that every single product that comes out of the manufacturing facility is safe unless every single product is safety tested."

Jane Francis, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Product Safety Commission, said that in addition to the two Burger King recalls, there have been four others involving fast-food restaurant toy giveaways since January 2000.

Just last week, McDonald's voluntarily recalled about 234,000 toys that come with the restaurant chain's Happy Meals after learning three children had choked or gagged on the "Scooter Bug'' antenna, which is prone to breaking off.

Francis said commission administrators met with fast-food executives earlier this year to express their concern about the safety of their toys.

The commission wants the companies to do more "real-world testing'' of their toys, where they would observe children playing with their products, and do a better job of monitoring their suppliers to make sure safety standards are being met.

"These companies are restaurants, so they know food, but they don't know toys," Francis said.

Following its recall of the Pokemon toy, Burger King initated a program in January to design toys that are "more appropriate" for children under age 3, Miller said. She added, however, that the issue was one of crafting toys that would have greater appeal to toddlers.

The "Rattling, Paddling Riverboat" was one of the toys designed under the company's new toddler design program, which will continue, despite the recall, Miller said.