Polly Pocket Dolls, Batman Action Figures,and Die-Cast Cars Affected
Julie Vallese
Director of Information and Public Affairs, Consumer Product Safety Commission
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
2:00 PM
The Consumer Product Safety Commission today
Julie Vallese, director of Information and Public Affairs at the commission, was online Tuesday, Aug. 14, at 2 p.m. ET to discuss the recall, how parents can be smart shoppers what is being done to address the expansion of more products being made in China.
A transcript follows.
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Julie Vallese: Today the US Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of more than 9 million toys. The toys are being recalled for two reasons - some have magnets and another has lead paint. We want parents be well informed about how to respond to product recalls. I am here to answer your questions about toy and product safety.
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Washington, D.C.: There've been a lot of recalls from China lately. Now, toys. What is happening? Are their products no longer meeting U.S. standards and what can be done?
Julie Vallese: More products are being made in China, so as a matter of statistics the number being recalled is also going up. It is not to say the US marketplace is less safe. In fact it extremely safe. The CPSC is working with industry to ensure the products they are manufacturing, regardless of the country of orgin, meet US Safety standards. It is their obligation and we are making sure they meet it.
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Fairfax, Va.: Are many of these Mattel toys in the hands of consumers now and if they are, what do you advise them to do?
Julie Vallese: The toys included in today's recall have been sold in the US. Some are in consumer's hands, some were still on toy shelves and have been pulled from the market. For those consumers you have these products they should take the toy away from their child and contact Mattel for a replacement toy.
The CPSC encourages parents and caregivers to do an inventory of products in their home and check the CPSC website to make sure the product has not been recalled.
Because parents are extremely busy and may miss future recall announcements via the media. We encourage consumers to sign up for recall notifications directly to their email in box.
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washingtonpost.com: Consumer Product Safety Commission
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washingtonpost.com: Mattel Consumer Relations Answer Center
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Gaithersburg, Md.: The first major Mattel recall only applied to toys purchased after May 2007. How do we know the same toys purchased prior to that date do not have lead paint?
Julie Vallese: In investigating the recall, Mattel was able to determine the batch of products where lead paint was used. By using manufacturing codes, the scope of the recall was determined.
CPSC takes the issue of lead paint extremely seriously. It has been banned in the United States for almost 30 years and the CPSC will not tolerate its use on children's products.
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Annandale, Va.: Why do these recalls seem to come so late after the products have been on the market? Don't they do enough consumer research BEFORE they offer the products to the stores?
Julie Vallese: In some recalls the hazard is only apparent after it has been in use. There are use and abuse tests but sometimes the hazard does not present itself right away. Others violate US safety standards and are acted upon as soon as they are discovered.
It is the obligation of the importer, to make sure that the product it is importing meets the US safety standards. It is also the importers obligation to report to the CPSC any time it learns a product is in violation of safety standards. The CPSC makes sure that companies are living up to these oblications and takes action against those companies who don't
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Chapel Hill, N.C.: So one of the products has a magnet, I don't understand the danger. Are most of these recalls just for nitpicky things like choking hazards or do the products being recalled actually pose a legitimate threat to the consumer, like the lead?
Julie Vallese: The hazard with magnets is a new one. More toys are being made with small but powerful magnets. The CPSC has reports of dozens of injuries for children who have swallowed more than one of these magnets.
It is important for parents and caregivers to understand the possible danger multiple magnets pose. When multiple magnets become liberated and a child swallows more than one, the hazards exists. They can attract inside the body and cause intestinal perforation, infection or blockages.
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McLean, Va.: Could this recall cause a backlash against Made in China products? Does the CPSC take any position on where consumer products are manufactured? Do you favor U.S. companies or is this all a function of the global market place and costs?
Julie Vallese: The CPSC is in favor of a safe market place. The manufacturing of consumer products has changed. Many products sold in the US aren't made here. But what has not changed is the obligation of manufacturers to meet US safety standards. For many years the CPSC has been sending technical staff to China and holding safety seminars and training sessions so that all parties understand the rules and regulations of doing business in the US.
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Washington, D.C.: In The Post article now on the Webs site, it says that the CPSC said it has been warning for almost a year that if more than one of the magnets are swallowed, they can attract inside the body and cause intestinal perforation, infection or blockages. A year? Does it take this long for a recall to be instituted?
Julie Vallese: Today is not the first time the CPSC has announced recall involving toys with magnets. The first was more than a year ago. Toys with magnets are relatively new and the hazard was an emerging one about a year ago. The agency started warning and educating parents then and we will continue to do so.
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Silver Spring, Md.: How do we know that all the recalls we are seeing now are not just the tip of the iceberg? What about other toy manufacturers? Are we going to see them making recalls soon? Do I just need to take away any toy my kids have that was made in China?
Julie Vallese: Recalls are not a new. The CPSC has been announcing them since the agency was formed. Consumers should not expect recalls to end. Any time the CPSC finds a product with a safety hazard we will recall it.
Toy recalls are emotional because they affect children. The CPSC is dedicated to keeping all consumers safe but does act swiftly and speaks loudly when it affects kids.
I don't think you need to empty the toy box just yet. Toys are one of the most regulated products in the country and do need to meet very specific safety standards.
To keep it in perspective of the 409 recalls announced by the agency this year 44 have been toys.
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College Park, Md.: Are there other more recalls in the works for toy manufacturers?
Julie Vallese: As the agency learns about potentially dangerous products we will announce them. We hope that consumers will respond to them.
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washingtonpost.com: Mattel Consumer Relations Answer Center
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washingtonpost.com: Consumer Product Safety Commission
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Chantilly, Va.: When this happens, is there a fine that the manufacturers have to pay? Are they punished?
Julie Vallese: In some cases the CPSC can issue civil penalties against a company. If a company fails to report to the agency of a hazard the CPSC can, has and will issue civil penalties. If the CPSC can prove a company has knowingly imported a banned hazardous product then there is the possibility of both civil and criminal charges.
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Washington, D.C.: The CPSC seems to leave safety product testing in the hands of manufacturers. What needs to be done to block unsafe products from making it into consumer's hands?
Julie Vallese: The CPSC has not been granted pre-market testing authority by Congress. But that doesn't mean the agency is doing nothing in this arena. The agency is actively engaged in discussions with the Toy Industry on ways to improve quality controls and address pre-market testing of all of its products. The agency supports and will continue to be involved in the development of a third party pre-market testing system of toys being sold in the US.
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Washington, D.C. Area: What happens to these toys after they are recalled? Are they dumped in a landfill where the lead seeps into the ground water? Are they repackaged and sold in other countries with more lax consumer protection standards?
Julie Vallese: Recalled products are destroyed. For those products that have a banned hazardous substance there is a procedure to dispose of these products without harming the environment.
That is why it is important for consumers to respond to the recalls and return any recalled product to the manufacturer.
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Virginia via Maine: Do any of the major toy companies manufacture their goods in the USA anymore? Or are they all imports?
Julie Vallese: About 80 percent of toys sold in the United States are manufactured in China. Some toys are manufactured here in the US. But regardless of where a toy is made they all must meet the same safety standards to be sold here.
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Julie Vallese: Thank you for your thoughtful questions. The CPSC is dedicated to ensuring that the hundreds of millions sold in the United States are as safe as they can be. We hope that consumers will respond to recalls and remember you can learn about product recalls via email by signing up on the CPSC website.
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