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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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Don't Blame China for Toy Recalls: Study

75% stem from design flaws, not manufacturing

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(Newser) – Don't blame China for soaring toy recalls, a new Canuck study says; the problem is design. "If you are going to get into a finger-pointing game, you should point it mostly on the design side," said a Canadian prof. "It has got nothing to do with China." Recalls of toys made elsewhere actually spiked higher than Chinese-made products, the Globe & Mail reports.

China has the most recalls because they make most US-sold toys, the study says. Analyzing China's growth in the $71 billion US toy biz, researchers blamed 75% of recalls on design and only 10% on manufacturing. "The Chinese don't produce, on a proportionate basis, less-safe toys than anybody else," said one researcher. This summer, Mattel recalled more than 21 million toys and originally blamed China.

Mike Listerman, a retail clerk at Tom's Toys, a neighborhood toy store, posts safety recall bulletins to alert parents about toxic toys from lead paint or tiny magnets that could be swallowed, in Montrose, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2007.  (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Mike Listerman, a retail clerk at Tom's Toys, a neighborhood toy store, posts safety recall bulletins to alert parents about toxic toys from lead paint or tiny magnets that could be swallowed, in Montrose,...   (Associated Press)
Thomas A. Debrowski, Mattel's executive vice president for worldwide operations, left, meets with Chinese product safety chief Li Changjiang during his visit to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) office in Beijing Friday, Sept. 21, 2007. U.S. toy giant Mattel issued an extraordinary apology to...
Thomas A. Debrowski, Mattel's executive vice president for worldwide operations, left, meets with Chinese product safety chief Li Changjiang during his visit to the General Administration of Quality Supervision,...   (Associated Press)
A Barbie Doll and Tanner play set from Mattel is displayed in this Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2007 file photo at a Target store in Brooklyn, N.Y.  As the 2007 holiday season draws near, parents may understandably be a little jittery as they begin shopping for toys this year.   (AP...
A Barbie Doll and Tanner play set from Mattel is displayed in this Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2007 file photo at a Target store in Brooklyn, N.Y. As the 2007 holiday season draws near, parents may understandably...   (Associated Press)
A Chinese girl looks at the Barbie dolls on display for sale inside a department store in Beijing in this Aug. 28, 2007 file photo. U.S. toy giant Mattel issued an extraordinary apology to China on Friday, Sept. 21, 2007 over the recall of Chinese-made toys, saying most of...
A Chinese girl looks at the Barbie dolls on display for sale inside a department store in Beijing in this Aug. 28, 2007 file photo. U.S. toy giant Mattel issued an extraordinary apology to China on Friday,...   (Associated Press)
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