Unsafe Children's Toys Recalled

Laurie Briggs

Attorney
(866) 735-1102 Ext 706

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Target Corporation twice found itself in the news last week concerning the sale of children’s toys in its stores. First, Target was fined $600,000.00 last week by the Consumer Product Safety Commission for knowingly importing and selling children’s toys with paint or other coating which contained lead levels above the Federal legal limits. The toys specifically cited by the CPSC were Kool Toyz Products, Anima - Bamboo Collection Games, Happy Giddy Gardening Tools and Sunny Patch Chairs. Target denies knowingly breaking the law.

Then, following an inquiry from Mitch Lipka, who spends his time investigating consumer product safety, Target was in the news for children’s flashlights which begin melting when the battery is placed inside. Sold at Target in a 3-for $1 package, the mini flashlights were being marketed as a Halloween item. After Mr. Lipka contacted Target, the CPSC and the importer of the flashlights, from China, Debrian Global Industries, the product was immediately pulled from the shelves, an investigation into the cause of the problem was initiated and full refunds were offered by Target.

The Target fine is coupled with today’s news from the CPSC that Daiso California LLC has voluntarily recalled children’s toys, purses, pen cases and inflatable baseball bats it sold between March of 2008 and May of this year because the surface paint on the balancing toys and zippers of the purses and pen cases contain excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint ban. In addition, the inflatable baseball bats contain excessive levels of DEHP, violating the federal phthalate standard.

As we head into the holiday gift buying season, these types of stories do little to quell the growing fear over children’s toys, oftentimes from China, which somehow find their way to our store shelves in violation of United States safety standards.