Fisher-Price recalls 1.5 m lead-tainted toys made in China

In the US, the products were sold nationwide at retail stores between May and August, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission said. They sold for $5 to $40. Mattel said US consumers should contact Fisher-Price to arrange a product return and to receive a voucher for a replacement toy.

Mattel, which said it was made aware of the problem in early July, said it is working with retailers to identify the affected products and have them removed from shelves. It also said it is intercepting incoming shipments to stop them from being sold.

Of the nearly one million products recalled from the US market, Mattel said about 30 per cent had reached retail shelves. The toy company declined to identify the manufacturer, but Walter said Mattel had worked with the contract manufacturer in China for roughly 15 years.

In China, Mattel offices referred inquiries back to headquarters and declined to answer any questions or even confirm if the toys were produced by their particular plants. Walter said the toy maker has launched an investigation to find out how the paint made its way onto the toys. “The disappointment here was we had a single contract manufacturer that we had a long-standing relationship with who did not do what is required by Mattel,” Walter said.

While Mattel has stopped producing and shipping toys from that manufacturer, Mattel said it is waiting for the outcome of its investigation to decide whether it will continue to do business with the contractor.

Lead paint has been linked to health problems in children, including learning disabilities and permanent brain damage, so the recall is likely to increase worries over the safety of Chinese products.