In their largest recall since 1998, Fisher-Price and parent company Mattel are issuing a recall of 83 different styles of toys — totaling up to almost one million units — due to excessive quantities of lead in the paint used on the toys.

The worldwide recall being announced Thursday involves 967,000 plastic preschool toys made by a Chinese vendor and sold in the United States between May and August. It is the latest in a wave of recalls that has heightened global concern about the safety of Chinese-made products.

This is yet another high profile case involving shoddy safety practices in Chinese toy factories which gained major exposure in June when RC2 recalled their line of Thomas & Friends toys. This latest Fisher-Price recall is even more alarming as their toys — which include incredibly popular items like Sesame Street and Dora characters — are even more ubiquitous than Thomas trains.

Mattel has put up a recall information page to help determine if any toys in your household may be affected by the recall.

In other news, Congress passed the Open Government Act, a circle jerk exercise focused on their own incestuous affairs. How about focusing on something a little more important there in Washington, like keeping our kids safe from dangerous imports, hmmm?

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