Made In China Product Recalls

Halloween ‘Ugly Teeth’ recalled over high lead levels - CNN.com
WASHINGTON (AP) — The government announced an 11th-hour recall Wednesday to warn consumers that fake Halloween teeth sold by the tens of thousands since last year contain excessive amounts of lead.
art.teeth.jpg

Paint on the “Ugly Teeth” have 100 times the allowable amount of lead, according to CBS News.

The $2 packages of “Ugly Teeth” are only the latest in a long line of Chinese-made toys and novelty items recalled because of lead. The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall on Halloween, in a late-morning news release.

The agency estimates that since January 2006, retailers have sold about 43,000 eight-piece packages of the party favors. There were no immediate reports of injuries or illness.

Amscan Inc. of Elmsford, New York, imported the fake teeth. A message left with the company was not immediately returned.

The federal agency worked quickly with Amscan to announce the recall, commission spokesman Scott Wolfson. Wolfson refused to say when the commission learned of the potential risk, other than to say it took “a matter of days” to negotiate the recall.

CBS News reported Monday that a chemistry professor at Ohio’s Ashland University tipped off the agency about the joke teeth after testing a variety of Halloween-themed items for lead content. Paint on the teeth contained 100 times the allowable level of lead, according to the broadcast report.

Millions of Chinese-made toys have been recalled in recent months. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, this week urged the commission’s head, Nancy Nord, to resign.

Pelosi said Nord has failed to see the gravity of the situation and continues to oppose Democratic efforts to double her agency’s dollars and give it more authority. Nord said she has no intention of resigning.

China factories feel the squeeze — chicagotribune.com
China factories feel the squeeze
Caught between rising costs at home and low-cost pressure abroad, some firms decide to cut corners

By Michael Oneal | Tribune staff reporter
November 8, 2007

SHENZHEN, China — Sitting in a windowless conference room surrounded by the remote-control toy Ferraris and Mercedes he sells the world over, factory owner Kuma Gu summed up what it’s like to manufacture products for American consumers these days. Continue reading “China factories feel the squeeze — chicagotribune.com”

NDTV.com: China-made toys recalled again
China-made toys recalled again
China-made toys recalled again
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Associated Press
Thursday, November 8, 2007 (Washington)
Millions of China-made toys have been pulled from shelves in US and Australia after scientists found they contained a chemical that converts into a powerful ”date rape” drug when ingested.

With only seven weeks until Christmas, the season that can decide the success of the toy industry for the year, the recall is yet another blow to an industry already bruised by a slew of recalls this past summer.

In the United States, the toy goes by the name Aqua Dots, a highly popular holiday toy distributed by Toronto-based Spin Master Toys.

They are called Bindeez in Australia, where they were named toy of the year at an industry function this year.

Recalls and Advisories: More China-made products pulled from U.S. shelves
More China-made products pulled from U.S. shelves
Friday, October 5, 2007 | 09:55 AM ET

Hundreds of thousands of toys and products were recalled Thursday for unsafe lead levels, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

The recall involves the following products:

* 150,000 bookmarks and journals manufactured by Antioch Publishing and sold in U.S. stores between March 2005 and October 2007 for between $4 and $14 US.
* 192,000 metal key chains engraved with “wisdom,” “truth,” “believe,” “love,” “hope,” or “dream,” sold through Dollar General stores in the U.S. from June 2005 through August 2007 for about $1 US.
* 15,000 “Totally Me” children’s decorating sets sold through Toys “R” Us in U.S. stores and online from May 2007 through September 2007 for about $10 US.
* 63,000 Frankenstein tumblers sold at Dollar General stores in the U.S. in September 2007 for about $1.
* 79,000 Eveready Pirates of the Caribbean medallion flashlights sold in stores in Canada and the U.S. and online from September 2006 through October 2007 for between $4 and $6 US.
* 35,000 Baby Einstein Discover & Play Colour Blocks, models 30726 and 30881 with the date codes GE7, GF7 and GG7 sold in U.S. stores from June 2007 through September 2007 for between $10 and $13 US.
* 10,000 Wooden Pull-Along Alphabet & Math Block Wagons , Pull-Along Learning Blocks Wagons, 10-in-1 Activity Learning Carts, Flip-Flop Alphabet Blocks sold in KB stores in the U.S., sold from August 2005 and September 2007.

All of the recalled products were made in China.

Health Canada spokeswoman Joey Rathwell confirmed the decorating sets, Baby Einstein blocks and KB wooden toys were not sold in Canada.

High amounts of lead can harm the nervous system, kidneys and other major organs. Anemia, a decline in red blood cells, can occur, as well as damage to the nervous system that may impair mental function. At worst, lead poisoning can cause seizures or death.

The recalls follow a series of recalls and product safety investigations relating to Chinese imports, including products ranging from pet food to toothpaste and children’s toys.

Recalls and Advisories: Children’s toys recalled for unsafe lead levels
Children’s toys recalled for unsafe lead levels
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 | 04:03 PM ET

More children’s toys manufactured in China are being recalled because they contain unsafe levels of lead, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Wednesday.

The recall of toys includes the following products sold in Canada:

* Knights of the Sword toys, distributed by Illinois-based RC2 Corp.
* Happy Giddy Gardening Tools, imported by Minneapolis-based Target.
* Guidecraft Inc. Children’s Puppet Theaters, manufactured by N.J.-based Guidecraft Inc.
The CPSC also announced a recall of about 200,000 Thomas & Friends toys in the United States, including:

All Black Cargo Car included in the Brendam Fishing Dock Set only.

* Toad vehicle with brake lever.
* Olive Green Sodor Cargo Box included in the Deluxe Cranky the Crane.
* All Green Maple Tree Top included in the Conductor’s Figure 8 Set.
* Green Signal Base included in the Conductor’s Figure 8 Set.

Another 850 children’s metal necklaces, manufactured by Rhode Island Novelty, are also being withdrawn in the U.S. because the clasp on the necklace contains unsafe lead levels.

High amounts of lead can harm the nervous system, kidneys and other major organs. Anemia, a decline in red blood cells, can occur, as well as damage to the nervous system that may impair mental function. At worst, lead poisoning can cause seizures or death.