Mattel Recall

For the past two years, Mattel, the world's largest toy company and the famous manufacturer of Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars has been tainting its reputation due to its series of toy recalls. The series of market recall started last August 2007, when approximately 1.5 million Dora the Explorer and Sesame Street toys were announced as potential health hazards due to lead-based paint. The lead content of the toys were said to be 100 times more than the content limit allowed by the U.S. Federal law, which 0.06% lead.

That same month Mattel also removed more than 18 million items because of the use of lead paint and strong magnets that may detach and be swallowed by children. Included in the recalled toys are half a million car "Sarge" toys which was found out containing excessive levels of lead, together with more than 7 million Polly Pocket toys, 600,000 Barbie and Tanner Playsets. There is also a million Doggie Daycare, Shonen Jump's One Piece, Triple Slash Zolo Roronoa, and Batman Manga toys removed due to small, strong andexposed magnets.

On the following month, Mattel pulled out another half a million items after learning that the products, again, contained excessive levels of lead in painted parts. This series of recalls consequently brought out a bunch of lawsuits against the company, together with negative global impact on toy sales and the toy market itself.