Recalls: Lead, phthalates and BPA, oh my!
With so many recall announcement going on in the past year I decided to start a little research project. I began this "little" project to find out if any of the toys in my house had been recalled. I found a myriad of questionable toys and ended up finding one toy that has actually been recalled. This little beauty right here:
Oh, sure it looks harmless enough. No choking hazards, crinkly little petals and what baby could resist those bright colors!? What's the problem? See that little wire just begging to be chewed on so my son can cut his next tooth? Dun, dun, duuun...Lead. Yep, that green paints loaded with it. I prefer that my children play with unleaded toys if you know what I mean. And since BOTH of my kiddos have chewed on this toy, a LOT, I've gone a little nuts.
What started out as a little research has turned into a full blown war on poison. I'm going through all the toys and chucking any thing that was bought at the Dollar Store (their recall list was too long to even read!), anything with the words "MADE IN CHINA" and no other description, and of course anything on the recall lists.
I must make a disclaimer here: Just because a toy says "MADE IN CHINA" does not automatically mean its bad. But, if the toy in question bears no brand name or other telling markings you're better off not letting it near your kids. China has low standards on lead, even in toys, so better to be safe than sorry. We have a lot of Melissa & Doug toys, and when I checked their website I couldn't find enough informations to satisfy my curiosity. Their toys are manufactured in China. When I called to ask the company about lead in their toys they assured me that their toys are "well below" the acceptable lead levels, but they could not, however, tell me that their toys are 100% lead-free. They are always testing for lead, and test are performed on the toys once again when they reach the US. They are going to call me back with a more informations so that I can decipher what "well below the acceptable levels" means exactly. Guess I won't be letting the kids "eat" the play food anymore.
While I feel like I've got a pretty good handle on the "leaded" toys, I have barely begun to understand all the stuff there is in plastic(bisphenol-A, phthalates, the list will grow...), so I won't say much on that point. But I am, however, stricter, now, with my sons toys(as everything goes straight to the mouth). And I've tried my best to get rid of any questionable plastics used for eating and drinking. (I NEVER put plastic in the microwave and at the risk of sounding like a total wacko: You shouldn't either!!)
My homework has turned me a little green. Green and crunchy. So pardon me if I start to sound like a hippie (or smell like one for that matter). So I'm throwing out the bad and keeping the good. There are good toys out there! (Finding them is the hard part). There are even toys made IN THE USA!! And, for you fellow greenies out there, check out Green Toys, their toys are made from 100% recycled materials!!(And don't worry, they're safe-really! Oh, and they will be on my children's birthday "wish list" hint...hint...). All this to say, be safe, do your homework, shop local and check regularly for recalls. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is a great place to check for recalls on just about anything. You can even sign up to be on their email list and they'll email you anytime a recall is issued. So don't be surprised if, from time to time, you see some recall information on my blog. I don't get any kick-backs for doing it, but I'll sleep better knowing my blog might make a difference in a child's life.
Oh, sure it looks harmless enough. No choking hazards, crinkly little petals and what baby could resist those bright colors!? What's the problem? See that little wire just begging to be chewed on so my son can cut his next tooth? Dun, dun, duuun...Lead. Yep, that green paints loaded with it. I prefer that my children play with unleaded toys if you know what I mean. And since BOTH of my kiddos have chewed on this toy, a LOT, I've gone a little nuts.
What started out as a little research has turned into a full blown war on poison. I'm going through all the toys and chucking any thing that was bought at the Dollar Store (their recall list was too long to even read!), anything with the words "MADE IN CHINA" and no other description, and of course anything on the recall lists.
I must make a disclaimer here: Just because a toy says "MADE IN CHINA" does not automatically mean its bad. But, if the toy in question bears no brand name or other telling markings you're better off not letting it near your kids. China has low standards on lead, even in toys, so better to be safe than sorry. We have a lot of Melissa & Doug toys, and when I checked their website I couldn't find enough informations to satisfy my curiosity. Their toys are manufactured in China. When I called to ask the company about lead in their toys they assured me that their toys are "well below" the acceptable lead levels, but they could not, however, tell me that their toys are 100% lead-free. They are always testing for lead, and test are performed on the toys once again when they reach the US. They are going to call me back with a more informations so that I can decipher what "well below the acceptable levels" means exactly. Guess I won't be letting the kids "eat" the play food anymore.
While I feel like I've got a pretty good handle on the "leaded" toys, I have barely begun to understand all the stuff there is in plastic(bisphenol-A, phthalates, the list will grow...), so I won't say much on that point. But I am, however, stricter, now, with my sons toys(as everything goes straight to the mouth). And I've tried my best to get rid of any questionable plastics used for eating and drinking. (I NEVER put plastic in the microwave and at the risk of sounding like a total wacko: You shouldn't either!!)
My homework has turned me a little green. Green and crunchy. So pardon me if I start to sound like a hippie (or smell like one for that matter). So I'm throwing out the bad and keeping the good. There are good toys out there! (Finding them is the hard part). There are even toys made IN THE USA!! And, for you fellow greenies out there, check out Green Toys, their toys are made from 100% recycled materials!!(And don't worry, they're safe-really! Oh, and they will be on my children's birthday "wish list" hint...hint...). All this to say, be safe, do your homework, shop local and check regularly for recalls. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is a great place to check for recalls on just about anything. You can even sign up to be on their email list and they'll email you anytime a recall is issued. So don't be surprised if, from time to time, you see some recall information on my blog. I don't get any kick-backs for doing it, but I'll sleep better knowing my blog might make a difference in a child's life.
posted by Dallass @ 2:24 PM
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