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This is by no means meant to be a complete list of product recalls. If you have specific concerns about an item that doesn't appear here, contact the manufacturer directly.

Filed under: Toy Recalls
Toys recalled for containing GHB — WTF?
November 7, 2007 at 8:41 pm

OK, China is just fucking with us now. As if lead weren’t bad enough, thanks to a tip from commenter half ass dad we come to find out that millions of the toy “Aqua Dots” are being recalled due to the fact that when swallowed, the body metabolizes it into gamma hydroxy butyrate — otherwise known as GHB, the “date rape” drug. And no, this is not a story from The Onion.

The beads are sold in general merchandise stores for use in arts and crafts projects. They can be arranged into designs and fuse together when sprayed with water.

When eaten, the compound — made from common and easily available ingredients — can induce unconsciousness, seizures, drowsiness, coma and death.

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Filed under: Toy Recalls
Fisher-Price kitchen toys recalled for choking hazard
November 7, 2007 at 10:41 am

Mattel is having a rough year — first the recall of 9 million toys for lead paint, then another 800,000 toys recalled for lead paint and magnet hazards, and now they are looking at a recall of 172,000 Fisher-Price “Laugh & Learn” kitchen sets due to a choking hazard. Apparently the sets contain some tiny parts, and there have been at least 48 reports of kids choking and gagging on them:

“Small parts choking hazards with toys is one of the most serious dangers to children in the United States,” Scott Wolfson, Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesman, said. “This should send a message to parents to take this toy away from the child immediately.”

The recall involves 155,000 toys sold in the United States, according to the CPSC. It also includes 7,000 items distributed in Britain, 4,900 in Italy, 4,900 in Germany and 394 in Austria. The Mexican-made toys were sold between May and October.

So, with the Laugh & Learn Kitchen not much laughing going on, but hopefully there is some learning — don’t put small objects in your mouth, kids! A repair kit is available by calling Fisher-Price at 888-812-7187, and additional information can be found on Mattel’s website.

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Filed under: Toy Recalls
China shutting down toy exports from over 700 factories
November 1, 2007 at 10:31 am

Is China finally getting on the ball regarding all the lead-laden crapola they’ve been shipping over here to our kids? According to the Associated Press, a four month long crackdown has been taking place, with the end result being China revoking export licenses from 764 toy factories:

Problems in China’s toy industry came into focus earlier this year when America’s Mattel Inc. recalled more than 21 million Chinese-made toys worldwide. Products including Barbie doll accessories and toy cars were pulled off shelves because of concerns about lead paint or tiny detachable magnets that could be swallowed.

Design flaws caused the vast majority of the recalls, but the problem has rebounded on producers in Guangdong, where 5,000 toy-making enterprises accounted for about 80 percent of China’s toy exports last year.

About 1.5 million people are employed by the factories, which produced $16.1 billion worth of toys last year.

The government says it also has sponsored quality control training for more than 1,000 people in the country’s toy industry in an effort to ensure export safety.

OK, China may be making efforts to get off my “on notice” list, but I’m not going to feel all warm and fuzzy until more action is taken on the U.S. side to ensure that toys crossing our borders are safe for our kids.

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