Recall raises fear for parents, toy cos.

Wendy Schneider-Fisher is nervous about what toys to buy her children.

Schneider-Fisher‘s comments reflect the quandary many American parents face after the world‘s largest toy company, Mattel Inc., recalled almost 1 million Chinese-made toys because they may contain lead.

It also has stressed-out toy companies going through their inventory to see if their products are harmless. And it has China, again, insisting that its products are safe.

Under current U.S. regulations, children‘s products found to have more than 0.06 percent lead are subject to a recall.

"It seems like everything‘s from China but if I could find a similar toy that was American made, I would definitely buy it even if it cost more," said Allen Mayne, of Columbus, Ohio, who was shopping at a local Toys "R" Us for his 9-year-old daughter.

With discounters like Wal-Mart Stores Inc. waging price wars, the pressure has been on toy companies to cut costs by producing cheaper toys in China. With exceptions like Mattel, which estimates that about 50 percent of its production in China is made in company-owned plants, many toy companies turn to contract factories, a cheaper alternative.

Industry experts are worried there will be more toy recalls to come, and fear parents will be more skeptical when buying holiday toys, even avoiding Chinese products altogether.

Mattel, considered by experts as a role model in how to do business in China, remained in crisis control Thursday.

"There is an extreme sense of urgency," said David Allmark, general manager of Fisher-Price.

China also moved to clear up another blot on its reputation.

"China has always conducted international trade in the spirit of being responsible to its trade partners and itself," China‘s Commerce Minister Bo Xilai said in a statement published Thursday on the ministry‘s Web site. "Ninety-nine percent of China‘s exports are good and safe."

There is also increasing pressure for government regulation of the U.S. toy industry.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., introduced a bill last month that he contended would dramatically expand the Consumer Product Safety Commission‘s ability to protect the public. Another piece of legislation, introduced by Durbin and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., would require third-party testing of imported and domestic toys and goods designed for children 5 years old or younger.

The CPSC now allows manufacturers to inspect and approve their own children‘s products.

"We need better regulation of the toy industry. Until then, parents are going to have to be the watchdogs," said Joanne Oppenheim, president of Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, which produces an annual independent toy guide.

Hasbro Inc. said in a statement, it "maintains stringent quality control standards in all aspects of the manufacturing process, in both Hasbro-owned factories as well as factories that are contracted to produce Hasbro-branded product."

Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit group that produces the "Sesame Street" TV program said Thursday it plans independent audits and other steps in an attempt to hold licensees to the highest health and safety standards.

Retailers including KB Toys Inc., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Toys "R" Us Inc. said they removed all the affected products off the shelves in recent days, but they are left to contend with shoppers‘ concerns.

"I‘m going to pay much more attention to what I‘m giving my children. I absolutely would pay more for ‘green‘ toys," said Schneider-Fisher.

source:www.localnewswatch.com