Toy manufacturer Mattel recalls its unsafe toys in India

Global toy manufacturer Mattel has asked Indian parents to keep around 32,000 of its toys out of the reach of toddlers, after US and Canadian watchdogs said they had received numerous complaints of infants getting injured by certain models of their toys. Charu Sudan Kasturi reports.

Global toy manufacturer Mattel has asked Indian parents to keep around 32,000 of its toys out of the reach of toddlers, after US and Canadian watchdogs said they had received numerous complaints of infants getting injured by certain models of their toys.

HT Image

Mattel will replace potentially dangerous components in these toys, spread across nine models, for all Indian customers, the firm said on Friday.

No complaints of any injury to children have been received from India yet, Mattel clarified.

“There are components in these toys which, if not used according to instructions, could hurt children,” a Mattel India representative told Hindustan Times on Friday. “I would also like to clarify that there are no concerns over lead in any of the toys being reworked in India,” the official added, referring to the recall of millions of toys in 2007 because of concerns over lead paint used in them.

The recalled models include five Fisher Price Trikes toddler tricycles, the Ocean Wonders Kick & Crawl Aquarium, Baby Gymtastics Tetherball and a High Chair.

The “valve of the inflatable ball” on the aquarium and tetherball “can come off and pose a potential choking hazard to young children,” it added.

On the high chair, children can fall on or against the pegs on the rear legs of the High Chair resulting in injuries or lacerations.

Mattel’s decision to “rework” these toys in India has come after it decided to withdraw close to 10 million toys from the US and Canada dating back to 1997 because of at least 80 reported injury cases.

At least six of the injuries relate to the tricycles that Mattel has warned Indian parents about. The inflatable toys also figure in the list of models being withdrawn in the US and Canada.

The decision to withdraw toys in the US and Canada came after leading watchdogs in the two countries — the US Consumer Product Safety Commisison and Health Canada — warned of health hazards.