Very much on track, there has been a report released by an organization, HealthyToys.org. They've tested a lot of popular toys from most of the major toy manufacturers like Fisher-Price, Mattel, Hasbro, International Playthings, LEGO etc. I was very surprised when I ran through the list of more than 1500 toys and I must admit that I did not expect what I read. Many of my favorite toys had a "Medium" level of contamination and some even had a "High" level, which was a real shocker.
The various chemicals tested for include lead, bromine, chlorine/pvc, cadmium, arsenic and mercury among others. These are all dangerous chemicals we need to worry about. HealthyToys.org has done an excellent job by testing each component of the toy and reporting the chemicals found in various parts of the toy. This helps in giving us a complete picture of where exactly the problem lies.
Some of the toys which stood out because of their "High" level of contamination were Hasbro's Mr. Potato Head Celebration Spud which had high levels of chlorine/PVC and bromine, the Hot Wheels Speed Racer Remote Control Mach 5 with high bromine levels, Little Tikes' Bath Letters & Numbers with high levels of mercury and Alex's Best Friend Bands with high levels of arsenic. Some of the relatively safer toys include Melissa and Doug, selected Lego sets, selected Calico Critters playsets, selected PLAN toy products and selected HABA products.
I can't begin to stress how important it is for proper control to be imposed on toy manufacturers importing products into the country. These toxic toys should not be allowed to come into our stores and pose a danger to our children.
Manufacturers should not put out toys that are going to kill our children.
I wonder if anyone else has realized that Pixos are Aquadots and they were recalled last year for deaths and poisonings related to the chemical makeup changing when ingested to the date rape drug. How did they get to put these back on the market without a non toxic label this time?
Being aware is so important. I am a small manufacturer of board games. We had our products tested before they shipped from China through a quality control company. Even that didn’t reassure us and we sent all of our products out to another company for testing in North America.
Buying age appropriate items for your children is just as important as checking the manufacturers websites regarding the safety of the toy.
Use extreme caution when buying toys from dollar stores or close outs. This also includes non-play items like plates and cups and plastic cutlery.
Thanks Dipika for another informative column
Hi Dipika,
Love your articles and reviews! Wondering what you think the impact of these new laws will actually have on the millions of small toy businesses (retailers and manufacturers) who make/sell natural, handmade, limited edition toys?? I’m afraid that these new laws, while much needed, are tactically misguided and will have more negative impact on the long tail of the industry than on the big bozos who have created these toxic toys.