Chinese: Recalls not due to poor quality

BEIJING — A global recall of millions of Chinese-made toys was the result of new industry standards, not poor quality, an official said Thursday, as a high-level panel announced the launch of a nationwide safety campaign.

Earlier this month, Mattel Inc. recalled almost 19 million Chinese-made items, including dolls, cars and action figures. Some were contaminated with lead paint, while others had small, powerful magnets that children might swallow and damage their organs.

Vice Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng said 18.2 million of the recalled products — including popular Polly Pocket dolls and Barbie play sets — were pulled off shelves because of a revision of international standards in May involving magnets.

“The U.S. dealer voluntarily recalled the toys that were made and sold before 2007, which at the time conformed to standards. This is a very responsible action for the health of children and consumers,” Gao said at a news conference.

“But strictly speaking, it has nothing to do with the toys’ quality or its manufacturers,” Gao said.

Mattel first announced a recall involving magnets in November 2006, after several Polly Pocket-related injures were reported.

It extended that recall this month following the change in industry standards that required safety warnings for toys with magnets or magnetic components not attached tightly.

Gao said Mattel was partly responsible because it did not conduct “strict examinations” when it received toy shipments. But, he said, China was taking the quality issue seriously.

“Even if there is only 1 percent of products that have quality problems, we will seek to establish the facts and take them very seriously and investigate and punish those companies involved,” Gao said.

Toys are the latest in a long list of Chinese exports that have come under intense scrutiny in recent months because of safety concerns. Toxic chemicals have been found in products ranging from toothpaste to seafood and pet food.

This week alone, the United States has recalled tens of thousands of Chinese-made SpongeBob SquarePants products because of lead hazards, while New Zealand launched an urgent investigation after children’s clothes imported from China were found to contain dangerous levels of formaldehyde.