US recalls 635,000 China-made products
Posted: 05 October 2007 0452 hrs

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WASHINGTON : The US consumer safety agency announced on Thursday the recall of more than 635,000 China-made toys, key chains and other products that contain unsafe levels of lead or pose a choking hazard.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission said no injuries or incidents were reported but urged consumers to stop using the products or take them away from children immediately.

More than 555,000 of the products in the voluntary recalls contain excessive levels of lead, while 82,000 baby rattles sold by Target are recalled because they can break open and release beads that pose a choking hazard, the commission said.

The products with excessive levels of lead include 192,000 key chains and 63,000 Halloween tumblers sold by Dollar General Merchandising Inc., 150,000 bookmarks from Antioch Publishing, 79,000 "Pirates of the Caribbean" squeeze lights from Eveready Battery Co., and 35,000 toy blocks from Kids II Inc.

Too much lead was also found in 15,000 toy decorating sets from Toys "R" Us, 11,200 water bottles from Sports Authority, and 10,000 wooden toys sold by KB Toys.

The United States banned the use of lead paint for toys on health grounds in 1978.

China has been hit by a spate of product recalls, including toys and baby cribs, that have sullied the "Made-in-China" brand in the United States and elsewhere around the world.

China is the world's top toy exporter, selling 22 billion toys overseas last year, or 60 percent of the globe's total. - AFP/de