Congress faults Mattel on failure to recall toy cuff

Nearly five dozen congressmen this week fired off a letter to the chairman of Mattel, which owns Fisher-Price, asking the company to immediately withdraw from sale toy medical kits including blood pressure cuffs that have tested high for lead. So far, Mattel has only pulled its toy blood pressure cuffs—a red one and a green one—from sale in Illinois because that state’s law limits lead in all children's products, whatever the material, to 600 parts per million.

As you may have read here earlier, our December issue featured an investigation,“New worries over lead,” in which we reported finding high lead levels when we tested samples of a red Fisher-Price toy blood pressure cuff. As a result, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan conducted her own investigation and the product (contained in the Fisher-Price Medical Kit) was pulled from store shelves in the state. Less than two weeks later, the attorney general announced a similar problem—and recall—with a green blood-pressure cuff that was part of another Fisher-Price product, the Sesame Street Giggle toy medical kit.

Mattel has said that the levels of lead, while higher than anticipated, are "fully compliant" with all federal regulations and thus do not merit a national recall.

But the congressmen, led by Reps. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), said the company needs to be more proactive and pull the product nationwide. “If this product is too dangerous for the children of Illinois, it is too dangerous for children in the rest of this country,” the letter said.

Mattel has said that over 70 percent of the two medical kits have been returned to the company, a return rate significantly higher than ordinary recalls. However, that figure includes returns from large retailers, and consumers who have the products in their home typically have a lower response rate than retailers. Mattel is offering a replacement part for families who already own the cuffs; consumers can call Fisher-Price at (800)-298-0638.

We look forward to hearing Mattel's response to Congress.

Comments

[Penny]

I guess it's time to get back to our local artizans. There are several who are still making the good ole wooden blocks and other toys. I just cannot trust anything made in China or Mattel anymore. If the excessive greedy corporate world and our local and federal government won't take care of it, each individual should. Think about buying Made in the USA.

[J.Chad Henderson]

This latest and deeply distressing news is another warning sign that 'Corporate-Greed' for profits has trumped any form of
'Social and/or Safety - Ethics' that Mattel [and most likely many USA companies inporting form China ] might of every had...
With four grand children and numerous grand neices and nephews for which my wife & I buy toy presents, from this time forward if it has the mfgr. name 'Mattel' I WILL NOT BE BUYING that item !!! While the cost of imports will be higher, I STRONGLY support the Federal Requirement that ALL imports [ especially from China ] be tested and cleared by id'd production lot !!!

[Charles M Norcutt]

Sorry, but I see this as more in the nature of congressional grandstanding than anything having to do with children's safety due to lead exposure. I don't know if Illinois' tougher 600 parts per million standard is the correct one or not but the point is that the products apparently meet the lesser standard of the EPA. The company is therefore LEGALLY distributing the product nationally.

One simply cannot expect Mattel to go beyond what it is legally required to do. If there is valid medical reason that lead limits should be lower (and perhaps they should be much lower) then the congressional grandstanders should be attacking the EPA which is specifically obligated to protect our health. Mattel is only obligated to follow the law. Change the law first and then put the Mattel execs in jail if they don't follow it.

Until then... have you got the real low down on lead? Then I look forward to hearing Consumer Report's response to congress and the EPA.

Chuck Norcutt