Mattel Inc. recalls Fisher-Price kitchen toys for choking hazards

Over 172,000 Fisher-Price kitchen toys were recalled in Europe and the United States, as some children gagged on small, detachable pieces. 

Source: AP © 

Mattel Inc. has received 48 reports of small parts separating from these toys, which feature a sink, a refrigerator and a range. One child choked on a detached piece and needed the Heimlich maneuver performed to remove the part. One child started to choke and two children had pieces in their mouths and gagged.

“Small parts choking hazards with toys is one of the most serious dangers to children in the United States,” Scott Wolfson, Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesman, said. “This should send a message to parents to take this toy away from the child immediately.”

The recall involves 155,000 toys sold in the United States, according to the CPSC. It also includes 7,000 items distributed in Britain, 4,900 in Italy, 4,900 in Germany and 394 in Austria. The Mexican-made toys were sold between May and October.

“We take toy safety very seriously, so we do everything we can to ensure the safety of our toys,” Fisher-Price spokeswoman Juliette Reashor said.

Mattel, the U.S.’s largest toy maker, issued two major recalls in August for lead-tainted toys and toys with small, powerful magnets that can cause intestinal perforations if swallowed. It issued another, smaller recall of lead-contaminated toys last month. All of the previously recalled toys were manufactured in China.

Reashor said the safety issue in Tuesday’s recall was not identified as part of the stepped-up oversight and testing of production processes that began after the August recalls.

Laugh & Learn™ Kitchen Toys Recalled by Fisher-Price Due To Choking Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer products. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Laugh & Learn™ Learning Kitchen™ Toys

Units: About 155,000

Importer: Fisher-Price Inc., of East Aurora, N.Y.

Hazard: Pieces of the faucet or the clock hands can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children.

Incidents/Injuries: There have been 48 reports of small parts separating from the toys, including two reports of children gagging on pieces, one report of a child who started choking on a piece and one report of a child who choked on a piece.

Description: The recall involves a play kitchen learning toy with a pretend refrigerator, range and sink. The product’s item number L5067 is stamped in several locations on the toy and printed on the product’s packaging above the UPC.

Sold at: Various retail and toy specialty stores nationwide from May 2007 through October 2007 for about $70.

Manufactured in: Mexico

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled toys away from children and contact Fisher-Price for a free repair kit.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Fisher-Price toll-free at (888) 812-7187 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday and between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Saturday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.service.mattel.com

Dunkin’ Donuts Recalls Glow Sticks Due to Choking and Strangulation Hazards

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Pink and Orange Glow Sticks (free giveaway with donuts)

Units: About 1 million

Distributor: Dunkin’ Donuts LLC, of Canton, Mass.

Hazard: The recalled glow sticks are not properly labeled to warn consumers that the cap and lanyard can detach, posing a choking hazard. Additionally, the lanyard poses a strangulation hazard to young children.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: The pink and orange glow sticks were given away free with purchases of donuts.

Sold at: Dunkin’ Donuts stores nationwide from September 2007 through October 2007. They were a free giveaway with the purchase of donuts.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately take the recalled glow sticks away from young children and return them to any Dunkin’ Donuts for a free donut.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Dunkin’ Donuts at (800) 859-5339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.DunkinDonuts.com

LeapFrog Announce Recall to Repair “Alphabet Pal” Educational Pull Toys

WASHINGTON, D.C.- In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), LeapFrog, a division of Knowledge Kids Enterprises Inc., of Emeryville, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 500,000 “Alphabet Pal” electronic pull toys. The toy has a two-part, red plastic connector on the pull string designed to separate under tension. The plastic pieces can detach from the string when the connector is pulled apart and could pose a choking hazard to young children.

LeapFrog has received nine reports of the red plastic connector detaching. No injuries have been reported.Consumers should cut the red plastic string connector off of these toys immediately, or return it to the firm to receive a free replacement toy without a plastic connector.The “Alphabet Pal” is a green caterpillar pull toy, about 12 inches long, with four wheels. It has 26 plastic legs, one for each letter of the alphabet. When its yellow pull cord is tugged, the toy sings the ABC Song. Other functions include color and letter name identification, and letter sounds. The antennae on the caterpillar’s head lights up. Writing on the toy includes, “LEAP FROGTM” and “Made in China.”

Toy, department and specialty stores nationwide sold these toys from June 1999 through November 2000 for about $20.

For more information, call LeapFrog at 877-501-5327 anytime, write to: LeapFrog, 1400 65th Street, Suite 200, Emeryville, CA 94608-1071, or visit the firm’s web site at www.leapfrog.com.

Toys without plastic connectors on the pull-string are not part of this recall.

Playskool Announce Recall of Additional 170,000 Busy Poppin’ Pals Toys

WASHINGTON, D.C.- In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Playskool, of Pawtucket, R.I., is voluntarily expanding its recall program for its Busy Poppin’ Pals toys to include 170,000 Sesame Street Busy Poppin’ Pals toys. Small springs inside these toys can break loose, posing a choking and laceration hazard to young children.

On August 16, 2000, Playskool and CPSC announced the recall of 420,000 Busy Poppin’ Pals toys with model number 5415, featuring animal characters, for the same problem.Playskool has received eight reports relating to the springs in its Sesame Street Busy Poppin’ Pals toys, including one report that a child put the broken spring in his mouth. No injuries were reported. Playskool received 16 reports of springs breaking in the Busy Poppin’ Pals toy recalled earlier. This resulted in five children putting the broken springs in their mouths, and two of these children suffering lacerations. Playskool’s Sesame Street Busy Poppin’ Pals toy is a 13-inch long white plastic toy with blue, yellow and green buttons, levers and knobs of various shapes that, when activated, make Sesame Street characters pop up from under the toy’s base. The characters — Elmo, Ernie, Big Bird, Bert, and Cookie Monster — are hidden under corresponding blue, yellow or green lids that have the numbers one through five imprinted on top. The toy has a white carry handle and features the Playskool and Sesame Street logos on the front. The model number, “5446,” “MADE IN CHINA” and “C-023B” are imprinted on the bottom of the toy. Mass merchandise stores and toy stores sold these toys (Playskool model 5446 made in China) nationwide from November 1994 through 1996 for about $10. Consumers should take these toys away from young children immediately, and contact Playskool at (800) 752-9755 anytime or visit the firm’s web site at www.hasbro.com to get information about how to receive a free, redesigned replacement toy. Busy Poppin’ Pals toys with model 6205 have different springs and are not part of this recall. Any Busy Poppin’ Pals toy that have “Made in Mexico” imprinted on the toy’s bottom are not part of this recall.

Supreme Toys Announce Recall of Toy Vehicles

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Supreme Toys (H.K) Ltd., of Hong Kong, is recalling about 290,000 toy vehicles. Small parts can break off of the toy vehicles, posing a choking hazard to young children.

Supreme Toys has not received any reports of small parts breaking off the toy vehicles.The recalled vehicles are airplanes, cars, dump trucks, trains and fire engines sold under the PLAYGO brand name. They are made of multicolored plastic with red, blue, green and yellow parts. Each vehicle has a battery-operated, detachable remote control with a 40-inch cord. Enclosed in the cab of each vehicle are small multicolor balls about 1/4 inch in diameter. A label on the vehicles and the remote reads “PLAYGO.” The words, “PLAYGO LTD (HONG KONG) MADE IN CHINA” are imprinted on the bottom of each toy. Drug, grocery, variety stores, and discount department stores, including Wal-Mart, sold these toys from June 1995 through December 1998 for about $5.Consumers should take these toy vehicles away from children immediately. Consumers should cut the remote control cord off the toy, discard the vehicle, and mail just the cord to Supreme at 8348 C, Olive Road, St. Louis, MO 63132 for a $5 refund plus the cost of postage. For more information, call Supreme Toys toll free at (800) 567-1774 Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT.

Pottery Barn Kids Announce Recall of Wooden Pull Toys

WASHINGTON, D.C.- In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Pottery Barn Kids, of San Francisco, Calif., is voluntarily recalling about 2,900 wooden dog pull toys. Wooden pegs can come off of these pull toys, posing a choking hazard to young children. Pottery Barn Kids has received a report of one peg coming off of the toy. No injuries have been reported.

The wooden dog pull toy is about 10 inches long and about 5 inches high. The dog’s legs are attached to wooden wheels with small pegs. A black string with a large wooden ball on the end is connected to the front of the toy. There is no writing on the toy. The Pottery Barn Kids store in Corte Madera, Calif., and Pottery Barn Outlet stores in Virginia, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee and Ohio sold these pull toys from June 2000 through January 2001 for about $6.

Consumers should take these pull toys away from young children immediately, and return them to the store where purchased for a refund. For more information, call Pottery Barn Kids at (866) 428-6467 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Saturday.