More Chinese toys recalled

WASHINGTON [—] Mattel announced recalls Tuesday for 9 million more Chinese-made toys, including popular Barbie, Polly Pocket and “Cars” movie items, and warned that more could be ordered off store shelves because of lead paint and tiny magnets that could be swallowed.

The recalls came nearly two weeks after Mattel Inc., the nation’s largest toy-maker, recalled 1.5 million Fisher-Price infant toys, also made in China, because of possible lead-paint hazards for children.

The government warned parents to make sure children are not playing with any of the recalled toys.

The recall announced Tuesday includes millions of play sets that contain small, powerful magnets. If they come loose, the magnets can pose a choking hazard. But there is also a concern that if a child ingests multiple magnets, they can become attached inside the body, causing intestinal blockages.

Among the toys are Polly Pocket dolls and Barbie and Tanner play sets, along with Batman and OnePiece Triple Slash Zolo Roronoa action figures, and Doggie Day Care. Many of the magnetic toys are older and may have been purchased as early as 2003.

Also recalled Tuesday were 253,000 of Mattel’s die-cast cars modeled after “Sarge” in the cartoon movie “Cars” that contain lead paint.

Mattel said 18 million of the products were targeted for recall globally.

Nancy Nord, acting Consumer Product Safety Commission chairman, said no injuries had been reported with any of the products involved in Tuesday’s recalls. She said the recalls were intentionally broad to prevent injuries.

On Aug. 2, Mattel recalled about 1.5 million Chinese-made Fisher-Price toys [—] including characters such as Dora the Explorer, Big Bird and Elmo [—] that contain lead paint. In June, about 1.5 million Thomas &Friends wooden railway toys, imported from China and distributed by the RC2 Corp. were recalled because of lead paint.

Tuesday’s recall spurred an immediate call from some in Congress to tighten controls on products imported from China, the source of 80 percent of the toys sold in the United States. About 65 percent of Mattel’s toys are from China.

“Another week, another recall of Chinese-made toys,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who suggested detaining and inspecting all Chinese toy imports for lead paint.

“We’re about to enter into a holiday season. To avoid the obvious consumer concerns, we have to do something dramatic,” he said. “American families should not have to play Chinese roulette when they go to a toy store.”