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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US government authorities on Wednesday recalled 4.2 million units of a toy bead set manufactured in China after warning that it contains a substance that is toxic if ingested.
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In addition, nearly 400,000 Chinese-made toys, most of them miniature cars, were recalled for containing unacceptable levels of lead paint in the latest mass recall over safety fears.
Two children slipped into comas after swallowing the Aqua Dot beads, which are manufactured in China and distributed by Spin Master in Toronto, Canada, the Consumer Product Safety Commission warned.
"The coating on the beads that causes the beads to stick to each other when water is added contains a chemical that can turn toxic when many are ingested," it said in a statement of the craft kits sold from April to November.
"Children who swallow the beads can become comatose, develop respiratory depression, or have seizures."
The CPSC did not say what the chemical was.
Earlier Wednesday, Australian officials introduced a nationwide ban on a similar kids' bead set found to release a substance akin to the date-rape drug GHB when swallowed.
Three children were hospitalized after falling unconscious when they ingested the tiny beads on the toy, Bindeez, manufactured in China.
The company behind the product, Moose Enterprise, immediately issued a voluntary recall, saying children's health was of paramount importance. It is also cooperating with officials, it said.
Bindeez has hundreds of beads that can be arranged into a piece of art and sprayed with water to set. The beads are meant to be coated in a non-toxic glue but were found to contain GHB.
The other US recalls applied to 380,000 Pull-Back Action Toy Cars and 7,500 Dragster and Funny Car toys, which were made in China and had surface paint containing excessive levels of lead.
Around 2,600 tin robots, called the Robot 2000, were recalled for excessive lead paint levels. No injuries were reported among the lead paint recalls.
ADVERTISEMENT
In addition, nearly 400,000 Chinese-made toys, most of them miniature cars, were recalled for containing unacceptable levels of lead paint in the latest mass recall over safety fears.
Two children slipped into comas after swallowing the Aqua Dot beads, which are manufactured in China and distributed by Spin Master in Toronto, Canada, the Consumer Product Safety Commission warned.
"The coating on the beads that causes the beads to stick to each other when water is added contains a chemical that can turn toxic when many are ingested," it said in a statement of the craft kits sold from April to November.
"Children who swallow the beads can become comatose, develop respiratory depression, or have seizures."
The CPSC did not say what the chemical was.
Earlier Wednesday, Australian officials introduced a nationwide ban on a similar kids' bead set found to release a substance akin to the date-rape drug GHB when swallowed.
Three children were hospitalized after falling unconscious when they ingested the tiny beads on the toy, Bindeez, manufactured in China.
The company behind the product, Moose Enterprise, immediately issued a voluntary recall, saying children's health was of paramount importance. It is also cooperating with officials, it said.
Bindeez has hundreds of beads that can be arranged into a piece of art and sprayed with water to set. The beads are meant to be coated in a non-toxic glue but were found to contain GHB.
The other US recalls applied to 380,000 Pull-Back Action Toy Cars and 7,500 Dragster and Funny Car toys, which were made in China and had surface paint containing excessive levels of lead.
Around 2,600 tin robots, called the Robot 2000, were recalled for excessive lead paint levels. No injuries were reported among the lead paint recalls.
