Mattel Inc. recalled an additional 38,000 “Go Diego Go!” toys Thursday as part of a larger recall of 665,000 lead-contaminated children’s products, a government safety group announced.
The nation’s largest toy maker was at the epicenter of a consumer-safety storm in August when it issued two major recalls for lead-tainted toys and toys with small, powerful magnets that can cause intestinal perforations if swallowed. At the time of the August 14 worldwide recall of 18.6 million toys, Mattel chief executive Bob Eckert predicted more recalls would occur as a result of stepped-up oversight and testing.
Thursday’s recall involved 38,000 orange and yellow Go Diego Go! Animal Rescue Boats, manufactured in China and imported by Fisher-Price. Surface paint on the boats contain excessive levels of lead. Several Diego toys were included in the August 2 worldwide recall of 1.5 million Mattel toys.
Lead is toxic if ingested by young children. Under current regulations, children’s products found to have more than .06 percent lead accessible to users are subject to a recall.
Consumer Product Safety Commission spokeswoman Julie Vallese said the recalls are due to the increased scrutiny promised earlier this summer.
“The CPSC, as well as manufacturers, continue to look for products that may violate the lead paint standard,” she said.
The CPSC also announced Thursday recalls of 627,000 other Chinese-made toys from various manufacturers that are contaminated with lead. The other toys include football bobble head cake decorations, Halloween pails, Shrek the Third and Spiderman 3 flashing rings, children’s jewelry and toy gardening tools.
Vallese reminded parents that the effects of lead are cumulative and that the biggest risk to children remains lead paint in homes.
“Parents should really keep the recalls for lead paint in perspective,” she said. “These products are being recalled because they violate the law.”
Representatives from Fisher-Price were not immediately available for comment.
