Survival Cave Food - China and Mattel

Our friends from Survival Cave Food blog once again offer us some powerful insights:

China and Mattel hurt US citizens

Mattel, one of the biggest toy manufacturers of our time, issued a recall in 2007 due to the dangerous lead-based paint that was on their products.

83 products of Mattel’s were recalled– some familiar faces such as Elmo and Dora were coated with the toxic paint. The lead poisoning is especially dangerous for small children because the development of their nervous system can be disrupted, causing learning disorders, seizures, comas, or death.

Mattel was relieved to report that they stopped about two-thirds of the product before it reached consumers, though still some toys were sold. Thankfully, no injuries have been reported. Mattel insisted that the warning was “intentionally broad,” so they could avoid any injuries.

Some people, such as Senator Dick Durbin, suggested that all toys that are imported from China be inspected for lead paint, which is about 80% of all toys sold in the US. It is the responsibility of the manufactures to ensure that their products are up to the American safety standards.

Not only were some toys recalled because of lead paint, but also because some toy sets were built with tiny magnets that a child may swallow. About 18.2 million of these toys were recalled, 9.5 million of which were in the US. Though one magnet, if swallowed, is not a serious health risk (other than choking, of course), if two are swallowed, the magnets can cause intestinal perforation, infection, or blockage. Unfortunately, four children were injured and one child died due to the magnets.

After the recall, Chinese officials halted and banned any products coming from Lee Der Industrial Co., who exported the tainted and malfunctioning products, to the US. The owner of the company reportedly hung himself in one of the warehouses.

It is almost unbelievable that toys – products specifically sold for America’s youth – would remain uninspected as they reached our children. Because the great majority of today’s toys are imported (mostly from China), it is hard to know what has been inspected and what has not. American made toys, however, are certifiably up to US safety standards. It is really difficult these days to find any toys made in the USA, but once you are familiar with the brands, they are more accessible. Some companies such as Crayola, Little Tykes, K’Nex and Arterro are all large brands that continue to manufacture their product in the US. You may have to pay just a little bit extra, but the safety of our children is ultimately priceless.

So China strikes again. When will we wake up that anything that China sends to the USA is bad, bad,bad. Will the US citizens keep buying China junk?….probably.