| I opened my local newspaper on Saturday, | | | | found in toothpastes from China sold in the |
| September 22, 2007 and saw the picture of my | | | | US and Canada. |
| wife's bracelet on the front page. The | | | | |
| bracelet, purchased for her birthday by a | | | | Mattel has had three recalls of toys made in |
| friend to benefit a local charity, was | | | | China in 2007. In total, Mattel has recalled |
| highlighted in color at the top of the page. | | | | nearly twenty million toys including |
| The story indicated that the bracelet, made | | | | Chinese-made Sarge die-cast toys from the |
| in China, was being recalled due to a high | | | | Pixar film Cars which have lead paint. In |
| lead content. Her bracelet is just one | | | | fact an executive in charge at one Mattel |
| example of a large number of consumer | | | | supplier was reported as having killed |
| products that have been recalled from Chinese | | | | himself last month after toys his firm made |
| manufacturers in 2007. | | | | were among those recalled. Chinese media |
| | | | reported that Zhang Shuhong, co-owner of the |
| The list of 2007 product recalls from China | | | | Lee Der Toy Company, had been found hanged in |
| is not only large in number, but includes a | | | | one of his factories. |
| wide variety of consumer products as well. | | | | |
| The recall list includes the following items: | | | | The US imports about one-fifth of its seafood |
| Toxic lead paint is the problem in products | | | | from China. Some shipments were found to have |
| that include jackets and overalls, bracelets, | | | | traces of antibiotics and disinfectants that |
| key chains, children's rings, easels, paint, | | | | are banned in U.S. fish production. Other |
| lunch boxes, necklaces, and wooden toys. | | | | inspections uncovered fish products that were |
| However, recalled products extend beyond | | | | tainted with salmonella and pesticides. The |
| toxic lead paint to overheating ceramic | | | | U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) |
| heaters, flammable lamps and oil heaters, and | | | | recently imposed a nationwide hold on the |
| remote controls. The extensive list of | | | | import of five types of farmed fish and |
| recalled products also includes breakable | | | | seafood from China. |
| bike frames, faulty extension cords, poison | | | | |
| pet food, hair dryers, faulty wall sconces | | | | China is taking the problem seriously. |
| and candles, flammable baby clothes, cribs, | | | | Recently, the former head of China's State |
| toxic fish, tires, seafood, toothpaste, | | | | Food and Drug Administration, Zheng Xiaoyu |
| glassware, hammocks, and even recliners. | | | | was executed for corruption. However, China |
| | | | does not appear confident that their drug |
| The recalled products from China come from | | | | safety situation will be resolved anytime |
| many major United States companies; such as, | | | | soon. Here is a recent quote from spokeswomen |
| Mattel, Target, Family Dollar Stores, Holmes | | | | Yan Jiangying : "As a developing country, |
| Group, Best Buy, Currey and Company, Kidsite | | | | China's food and drug supervision work began |
| Jewelry sold at Kmart, Toys R Us, Disney, | | | | late and its foundations are weak. Therefore, |
| Sears, Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores and | | | | the food and drug safety situation is not |
| many others. | | | | something we can be optimistic about." |
| | | | |
| The stories of tainted Chinese manufactured | | | | With Chinese imports totaling $288 billion |
| products are everywhere. Consider the | | | | per year, President George W. Bush has set up |
| following: | | | | a panel to look at the safety of food and |
| | | | other products imported into the United |
| A California official discovered in July that | | | | States. He stated after the first meeting of |
| 350,000 lunchboxes distributed as part of a | | | | the panel that, "the American people expect |
| promotion to encourage healthy eating in | | | | their government to work tirelessly to make |
| children contained significant amounts of | | | | sure consumer products are safe." Others in |
| lead. These lunchboxes were imported from | | | | Congress are calling for an "import czar" to |
| China through a company called T-A Creations. | | | | oversee all products brought into the United |
| | | | States. |
| Earlier this year, more than 100 brands of | | | | |
| cat and dog food were pulled from the shelves | | | | My wife is puzzled in deciding what to do |
| in the U.S. after pets died from eating food | | | | with her colorful bracelet high in lead |
| contaminated with the chemical melamine, | | | | content. Since the charity is absorbing the |
| traced back to wheat gluten from China. | | | | cost of the recall, returning the bracelet |
| | | | would only hurt the good work of the charity |
| In Panama, the deaths of some 51 people have | | | | and its foundation. The bracelet will |
| been blamed on cough syrup tainted with | | | | probably remain in its box for now awaiting |
| Chinese-made diethylene glycol, commonly used | | | | an uncertain future. |
| in antifreeze. The same chemical has been | | | | |