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Toys 'R' Us Pulls Lead-Tainted Baby Bibs

Reuters

Posted: 2007-08-20 07:34:54

NEW YORK (Aug. 20) -- Retailer Toys "R" Us on Friday said it removed all of Hamco Inc.'s vinyl baby bibs, which were made in China, from its shelves as a precaution after an independent tester found two samples of bibs containing excessive amounts of lead.

Center for Environmental Health

While there is no official recall, the Center for Environmental Health urges parents to discard vinyl bibs if they are ripped or otherwise deteriorated.

The company said in a statement that the bibs were marketed under the Koala Baby, Especially for Baby and Disney Baby labels.

Media reports earlier in the week said the inexpensive bibs were made in China and imported for Toys "R" Us by Hamco Baby Products.

Toys "R" Us and Crown Crafts Inc., which owns Hamco, could not be reached for comment.

Photo Gallery: China-Related Recalls

www.gracobaby.com

A potential choking hazard caused Graco to recall about 300,000 SnugRide infant car seats on Nov. 20.

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The Center for Environmental Health in California said in a statement on Friday, "We appreciate Toys "R" Us taking this strong action to protect children. Vinyl is a poison plastic that has no place around a baby's neck," said Charlie Pizarro, Associate Director of the Center for Environmental Health. "We hope the company disposes of the toxic bibs safely."

Earlier this week, the CEH said it had found high levels of lead in vinyl bibs purchased from Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us stores, including a bib with Disney's Winnie the Pooh characters and store brand bibs marketed as "Koala Baby" and "Especially for Baby". The full CEH statement and its report on bibs can be read at www.cehca.org.

CEH said the lead levels were between three and four times the legal limit for lead in paint.

The New York Times newspaper reported that it hired a laboratory to test the bibs and that it found a similar level of contamination to that found in tests conducted for CEH.

"Lead in vinyl baby bibs poses a reckless, unnecessary hazard to children at the most vulnerable age," Caroline Cox, research director at CEH, said earlier this week.

Toys "R" Us said in its statement Friday that it had asked Bureau Veritas to re-test samples of all Hamco-made bibs and that it decided to recall the bibs due to inconsistencies in results on bibs tested in May and August.

Hamco said it applied the testing standards required by California Proposition 65 to the vinyl baby bibs made in China. In a statement, the company said the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission tested a range of its bibs this spring and found that none posed a risk to children.

Toys "R" Us said it recently intensified its third party re-testing of products on its shelves.

"These companies have known for months that vinyl bibs could be a threat to children, yet they continued to put their profits ahead of children's health," Cox said.

In May, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. conducted a nationwide recall on certain bibs made by Hamco, which were sold at the retailer between June 2004 and March 2007.

A number of products made in China or containing ingredients made in China have been recalled in the United States and other countries this year.

Tuesday, Mattel Inc. recalled millions of toys made in China due to hazards from magnets and lead paint. It was the company's second recall in a month of toys made in China.

In June, RC2 Corp recalled toy trains made in China because some of them contained lead paint, which can cause brain damage in children.

Toys "R" Us is owned by a consortium that includes Bain Capital Partners LLC, Kohlber Kravis Roberts & Co. and Vornado Realty Trust.

The company said shoppers can return the bibs for a refund and that they can call 1-800-869-7787 for more information on the recall.

Copyright 2008 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

2007-08-15 09:29:16

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47 comments

Brennyjoyce 11:32:35 AM Aug 20 2007

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just poison us-cheaper than war. How stupid are we?

Ruthm626 10:31:00 AM Aug 20 2007

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we need our country to be countable for what comes in and out of here, the price we pay for "saving labor money" is to high these are toys , and not dollar store items the price of name brand toys is not cheap its not the consumer saving the money its the profit margin for some ceo to obtain a sweet bonus my grandchildren had to be held down and stuck with needles to see just how much damage that ceo did to them for that sweet bonus ......and they sleep well go figure

FORSPORT 10:09:09 AM Aug 20 2007

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MADE IN CHINA = POOR QUALITY AND SOMETIMES DANGEROUS. THIS HAS NOT CHANGED IN DECADES. BUY AMERICAN OR AT LEAST EUROPEAN!! BY THE WAY THE BIGGEST IMPORTER OF CHINESE GOODS IS WAL MART ANOTHER REASON NOT TO SHOP THERE!!

BFTQPON 09:00:00 AM Aug 16 2007

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THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR:::: BUSINESSES BRING YOUR BUSINESS BACK TO AMERICA, DUH...ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE CURRENT FINDINGS OF YOUR PRODUCTS MADE WITH LEAD AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE.....

REAP WHAT YOU SOW, THE LAWSUITS, THE LAWYER FEES AND RECALL WILL PUT A DENT OR BETTER A GAPING HOLE WHERE THAT ALMIGHTY DOLLAR WAS SITTING SMUG IN YOUR ACCOUNTS, WILL YOUR STOCKHOLDERS CASH OUT AND GO SOMEPLACE ELSE, ANOTHER FINANCAL BANG....TIME WILL TELL

Wsolano80 04:18:00 AM Aug 16 2007

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This is a side effect from outsourcing to the lowest bidder. That old saying "You get what you pay for," works for suppliers too. I bet these companies banking on chinese made goods are now in the market for defense lawyers for the upcoming civil suits.

Darn, you just can't poison babies in this country anymore without some angry parents trying to sue you.

CDirtydevil 12:19:00 AM Aug 16 2007

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ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

thorsesarse 09:16:00 PM Aug 15 2007

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are you retarded to ask this question......mercury made the mad hatter mad.......science and history are lessons, not to be ignored

ImColdBrrrrrrrrr 09:07:41 PM Aug 15 2007

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I used to eat lead paint chips all the time and there is nothing wrong with me.

pushupsbootcamp 08:08:00 PM Aug 15 2007

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For a candid article on OBESITY go to:

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=33473

Author’s website is www.RaimondoSalomone.com

ziggygunsmith55 07:46:08 PM Aug 15 2007

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As one other writer has said." God what has this world come to" to you Mr.
LOVEMYGIRLS85,you either pray hard like i do to your GOD, people have choises.
or place your head between your leg and kiss your a__ goodby.

1 - 10 of 47

47 comments