Total Recall

Over 500,000 more toys recalled due to lead

Posted at 7:05 AM on 27 Sep 2007

Another round of recalls was issued yesterday for over 500,000 children's toys or accessories that were found to exceed allowable lead levels, including more Thomas the Tank Engine paraphernalia and the now conspicuously gloomy Happy Giddy Gardening Tools from Target. Federal regulators were quick to point out that this recall won't be the last. "After the first set of recalls, retailers and manufacturers reported they would take a very systematic inventory to determine whether any of their products were in violation of the lead paint standard," said Julie Vallese, a spokesperson for the Consumer Product Safety Commission. "These recalls are a result of that inventory ... there is the anticipation that there will be more lead recalls in the future." The CPSC is making a recall list and checking it ... well, at least once. Our suggestion for recall-jaded parents: start a neighborhood pool about what'll be in the next round of recalls. Keeps it interesting and it might just pay off! We're giving 2 to 1 odds on toy cars -- any takers?

sources:  Los Angeles Times, The New York Times
see also, in Grist:  Can a crusade against crap toys ever succeed?, An illustration and explanation of tainted toys