RIYADH, 21 August 2007 — The US Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) announced on Aug. 14 the recall of “Mattel” toys due to lead-based paint and magnets contained in them.
As many as 18 million toys worldwide, including 9.5 million toys in the US, have so far been recalled. However, toy sellers in the Kingdom are seemingly oblivious of the radical recall.
Most of the toys are being recalled because small, powerful magnets in them may come loose and get swallowed or aspirated if found by young kids, causing intestinal perforation or blockage, which can be fatal.
Arab News contacted toy stores in the Kingdom who denied knowledge about the recall. The stores, however, confirmed that they did not sell some of the items mentioned by Mattel on its website.
However, Fahd Al-Huthaili, assistant general director at the General Department for Combating Commercial Fraud in the Ministry of Commerce, told Arab News that Mattel had sent a letter informing the ministry that the company had withdrawn 2,500 items from their distributors and wholesale points. The letter also included the serial number of some of the recalled items. Mattel’s website mentions as many as 100 of the Fisher Price branded toys.
Al-Huthaili said that Mattel would issue press releases to inform the public about the dangers of some of the products. He added that he would contact Mattel’s local agent to identify points of distribution to follow up on the withdrawal procedure.
“The ministry has sent 46 random samples to the Saudi Arabian Standard Organization for analysis against any harmful components more than 25 days ago, and the result has not come up yet. That was before the Mattel issue,” said Al-Huthaili.
In the meantime, Mattel and the CPSC urged consumers to immediately take toys mentioned on their website away from kids and contact Mattel for replacements.
Apologizing to customers, Mattel Chairman and CEO Robert Eckert said, “The safety of children is our primary concern and we are deeply apologetic to everyone affected.”
He also explained that the company has strengthened its efforts to prevent lead-based paints from being used on its products and is beefing up its magnet-retention systems and product testing.
CPSC acting chairwoman Nancy Nord said at a news conference, “No injuries are associated with the new Mattel recall, which was issued out of an abundance of caution.”
The current recall follows Mattel’s Aug. 2 recall of nearly a million Fisher-Price toys that were painted with lead-based paint by a Chinese manufacturer and sold in the US from May 1.
At the time, Mattel announced that it was reviewing the procedures used by all of its Chinese manufacturers, as most of the products recalled were made in China. The toy manufacturer also added that it would take prompt action if any similar problems were discovered.
