Since surface paint contains lead, about 1.5 million units of wooden railway toys are voluntarily recalled by CPSC and RC2. The products are made in Dongguan, Guangdong. The recall has aroused a wave in the U.S., as well as attention of China’s quality inspection department, toy makers and exporter.

  Is it occasional accident on quality control? Or frequent affair? How can makers avoid similar recall? What consumption psychology can we find behind the phenomenon?

Thomas & Friends crying

  Thomas, the smiley locomotive, leads his train friends to fight against various difficulties. He is naughty sometimes, but still a studious child with love. Since the story book is firstly published firstly in 1945, adventure of the Thomas and his friends has been widely spread throughout the world. The story, along with related toys has accompanied lots of kids in their childhood.

  However, recent recall in U.S. may cover the smiling faces of Thomas and his friends. The recall covers 22 kinds, or 150 million units of wooden vehicles, buildings and other train set components for young children, which has been sold in toy stores and various retailers nationwide from January 2005 through June 2007 for between $10 and $70.

  With general popularity and huge amount, the recall is extremely striking for media and parents. Though there is no incident or injury is found so far, media deliver their coverage without restraint, only to form an adverse currency against China’s commodities. Related with other cases in frozen fish, toothpaste at the beginning of this year, argument against China’s commodities is rapidly spread away, arousing some panic.

  Afterwards, well-known retailers such as Toy R Us decides to withdraw the wooden toys involved, and announce to receive refunding or exchange with other goods. The influence continues.

Most of paint adopting environmental protection materials

  Wooden toy is a large category in China’s exported toys, exporting amount of which keeps increasing for recent years. Last year, only in Yunhe, the famous wooden toy city in China, recorded nearly 100 million US dollar of export for the category, and 25 percent went to US.

  Tong Yuanzhi, general manger of Yiwu-based Wisdom Toys, and secretary-general of Yiwu Toys Association, does not agree with argument of some media in US. The latter claims that, most of China’s wooden toys are made of unqualified paint.

  With years of sales experience, Tong tells TOY INDUSTRY that, from October 1st, 2004, new national standard on toys—GB6675-2003 has increased its requirement on heavy metal contained in toys, such as lead. He finds that, after several years of implementation, the standard has obviously imposed constraining force on the industry.

  So far as he knows, Tong indicates, most of regular wooden toy factories would strictly abide by the new standard. Unqualified paint is key cause for exceeding heavy metal on wooden toys. Therefore, toy factories would pay special attention when purchasing raw materials. A majority of toy paint brand tally with GB6675-2003.

  Main coating for toy is paint, Tong says, which can be divided into oil paint, water paint and UV paint, etc. Those used in wooden toys cover wooden paint. All these paint can classified into environmental protective or non-environmental protective ones.

  Water-based paint can tally with requirement for environmental protection more easily, but its cost is 50 to 100 percent higher than oil paint. Meanwhile, adhesive force and color index would be comparatively low. Various inspection standards have extremely strict requiring concerning heavy metal. In fact, most wooden toys made in China adopt environmental protection paint, especially water paint.

  The common way for consumers to distinguish different paint is to smell, Ton adds. Product does not smell of paint is not necessarily made of environmental protection paint, but one uses environmental protective paint must not give out smell.

  A person dealt with the wooden toy business in Dongguan notes that, US media only emphasize recalled product in 2007, but neglect the fact that, around 70 to 80 percent of toys in U.S. market are made in China, which constitutes a large base number. He also believes that, China’s toy paint has been improved greatly. Europe and U.S. have strict quality inspection on importing products, especially those contact skin China’s exporting factories would have good knowledge about this. Most of them have done favorable works on quality control. The recall case, he holds, might result from technical problem, instead of intended conduct.

  Some U.S.’s media criticize China’s factories as irresponsible overall.  Serinna Tan, marketing department speaker for Intertek, one of the largest consumable inspection, testing and certification institutes, says that, such a condemnation is not fair.

  “As the advancement of technique and recognition, the whole toy industry has achieved marked progress in controlling capacity of lead. Testing result in Guangdong from April through July this year shows that only 2 percent products have problem. ” Tan says,  “since Europe and America are key markets for lots of companies, after years of operation, they are much more familiar with local technical requirement, so they are able to face global challenge at ease. ”

Horrifying lead

  Lead is common contamination of heavy metal in kids’ toys, which is mainly found in color paint. Since kids’ metabolism and excretion have not function in perfect way, they would be more sensitive to lead and absorbed more toxic substance than adult do. Additionally, infants always like to put things into their mouth, so they would be poisoned.

  Related research shows that, lead can be accumulated and lead posing is always in a chronic way without clinic symptom. It is called “invisible killer”. Lead posing of infant generally goes worsen by three stages, which damages kidney function, hematopoiesis and nervous system. Adverse health effects can be caused.

  Hazardous lead has aroused great attention of European and American countries, which have high consciousness on environmental protection. Currently, it is stipulated in U.S.’s regulation that, total limit for lead in toy product is 600ppm. Referring to terms of U.S. and Europe, a great number of other countries have constituted their own mandatory law.

Measures after the recalling case

  After the Thomas & Friends wooden railway toys have recalled, president of CPSC meet with China’s officials, expecting China to take practical measures, so that China’s product can tally with safety standard of U.S. In order to eliminate unfavorable effect on China’s reputation on product quality, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) takes active reaction, releasing a notice on strengthening inspection against lead on paint materials that used in toys.

  Xue Xiaowei, director of Guanlan Baode Toy Factory, situated in Shenzhen, reviews that, recently Shenzhen inspection and quarantine administration has adopted a series of measures to improve toy makers’ consciousness on quality, as well as to cement quality control on exported toys.

  Recently number of related testing application soars up, notes Intertek Testing Services Shenzhen Ltd..

  Tong holds that, the recall this time is obviously a serious accident in quality control. When makers are organizing manufacture, a slight overlook will lead to accident. How to enhance internal operation so as to stand firm in business environment with changing requirement, really deserves each toy maker’ brown study.