Mattel Recall – Round Two

Two weeks after their toy recall involving more than 1 million toys worldwide, Mattel is smack dab in the middle of it’s second voluntary recall. This time, the number is even greater, as the recall encompasses 9 million toys, including Polly Pockets, Batman, a “Cars” movie toy and even the venerable Barbie.

This is the second time that Mattel has implemented a voluntary recall based upon internal testing. The acting chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Nancy Nord, said, “The company has ordered that all products be pulled off retail shelves.”

Barbie, Batman and Polly Pocket toys utilize small magnets in their design. According to Ms. Nord, ingesting more than one magnet could cause intestinal damage. Mattel is reaching back several years to purchasers to advise them that the magnets are a potential danger and has now changed the way it attaches magnets to its toys to make them safer. The dangers appear to be very similar to those of the Magnetix toy, which was subject to a recall last year, which required surgical intervention to remove swallowed Magnetix parts and caused one death.

In a repeat of the basis for the August 1, 2007 Fisher-Price (a Mattel company) recall, the “Sarge” car, from the movie Cars, contains lead paint, which is also dangerous if ingested. The cars were sold during 2007 and is a small die cast car.

Hello, Consumer Product Safety Commission? Hello, Food and Drug Administration? Time to step up and protect adults and children from obvious, known dangers.