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| On Tuesday, Mattel recalled millions of toys made in China deemed dangerous to kids. David Zalubowski/AP |
Chinese toy recalls show need for stringent quality control
Recall puts focus on need for stringent quality control for imports.
from the August 16, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 3
The problem underscores the layers of control – and shared responsibilities – involved in global production. Mattel had many standards, but "they didn't have a process in place to make sure that an approved supplier was being used," says David Hennessey, a marketing expert at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass.
In addition to lead paint, much of Tuesday's recall by Mattel was of toys that contain tiny magnets that can be ingested by children.
In all, the recalls affect a range of popular toys, from Polly Pocket and Doggie Daycare to the Sarge vehicle from the movie "Cars."
The magnet recall involves toys made from 2002 through early this year, when the health risks of such magnets became clear.
"No system is perfect," Mattel chief executive Robert Eckert said in a TV interview, describing the multiple inspections in place for each batch of toys.
But the toy debacle has amplified concerns that Chinese suppliers pose particular risks when it comes to product safety. This year, toys have shared headline space with toothpaste, pet food, and tires regarding such concerns.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a record number of recalls of defective products in 2006. This has coincided with record imports of goods from China.
Donald Mays, a product-safety expert at the Consumers Union, testified last month that Chinese products now account for nearly 60 percent of product recalls.
"We believe the responsibility for safety has to be firmly attached to each link in the supply chain," Mr. Mays told a Senate committee. "Producers, importers, distributors and retailers, as well as government safety agencies, have to own that responsibility."
Experts on global manufacturing say the issue goes beyond China, however. In toys and other industries, producers are locating production in many low-cost nations where similar problems can crop up.
"It's largely due to the length and complexity of the supply chain," says Donald Rosenfield of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School in Cambridge. But "there's clearly some nasty things going on in China."
The concern about product safety has become part of a larger debate in Congress about the US-China trade relationship – including alleged currency manipulation, illegal subsidies, and piracy of intellectual property.
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