Mattel Toys on Tuesday announced its third voluntary worldwide recall of toys in five weeks of its Chinese-manufactured toys.
The company would recall 0.84 million toys from the Fisher Price and Barbie range after findings that they contained excessive levels of lead considered unsafe for children.
About 11 types of toys would be taken back through the latest recall. These types involve three Fisher-Price toy models and eight Barbie brand playsets. Mattel India executives clarified that the recall is not on Barbie dolls, but only on the accessories. In India, only two sets of Barbie accessories will be recalled, the company said in a statement.
The toys to be recalled were shipped in the period between August 3, 2006, and July 31, 2007.
Since the holiday season in most parts of the world has already begun, pulling off toys from shelves at this time could prove detrimental for Mattel's sales. The holiday season accounted for 69% of its worldwide sales in 2006.
This recall has also come as a setback to China, which is trying to restore its reputation as an exporter of consumer goods. In the first recall announced on August 2, Mattel said to take back 1.5 million toys, followed by second recall announced on August 14 in which 18.2 million toys were recalled back. As part of the third recall 5,22,000 would be recalled from US and 3,22,000 from outside US. With the third recall in place, Mattel's recalled toys' numbers has reached up to 21 million, globally.
"You can never say that there won’t be more (recalls). But we’ve clearly now tested all the toys Mattel makes at vendor plants overseas," said Robert Eckert, chief executive of Mattel. Mattel said the playsets affected by the latest recall were produced by Holder Plastic, a Mattel contract vendor, which subcontracted the painting of miniature toy pets and small furniture pieces to Dong Lian Fa and Yip Sing. The two companies used uncertified paint and are no longer producing toys for Mattel, the toymaker said.
The third recall is a result of Mattel's ongoing research along with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. He said Mattel is now using only certified paint on toys, monitoring its own plants and those of
sub-contractors, and that every product is tested before it reaches stores. The company, however, assured that the stock kept by retailers for the coming holiday season would be of the best quality.
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