Fast food chain McDonald's has recalled 12m drinking glasses promoting the new Shrek movie because painted designs on them contain the toxic metal cadmium.
The glasses have been sold in the US for about $2 each and are available in four designs depicting the animated film's main characters.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned consumers to stop using the glasses immediately.
Cadmium can damage the liver, kidneys, lungs, nervous system and brain.
In the case of the Shrek glasses, there are concerns about long-term exposure to low levels.
The metal could leach from the paint onto a child's hands and then enter the body if the child put the unwashed hand to his or her mouth.
'Very small amount'
McDonald's said it was asking customers to stop using the glasses "out of an abundance of caution".
"We believe the Shrek glassware is safe for consumer use," said McDonald's USA spokesman Bill Whitman.
"However, again to ensure that our customers receive safe products from us, we made the decision to stop selling them and voluntarily recall these products, effective immediately."
CPSC spokesman Scott Wolfson said: "A very small amount of cadmium can come to the surface of the glass, and in order to be as protective as possible of children, CPSC and McDonald's worked together on this recall."
He said the amounts of cadmium that had leached from the paint in tests were "slightly above the protective level currently being developed by the agency".
He added that the glasses had "far less cadmium" than items of children's metal jewellery recalled by the CPSC this year.
Shrek Forever After, the fourth and final film in the Shrek series, was released last month in the United States.
via BBC News - McDonald's recalls Shrek glasses 'tainted with cadmium'.
Friday, June 4, 2010
McDonald's recalls Shrek glasses 'tainted with cadmium'
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3 comments:
How would one know these glasses contain cadmium? How was this discovered?
The only thing I can find is that "Federal regulators found toxic metal cadmiun in Shrek drinking glasses - a definite health risk." [June 04, 2010
Toxic Shrek in McDonald's Recall
By Marcella Glenn] Unfortunately, the same site also says, McDonald's sold "millions" of these $2 glasses already.
So, perhaps if it wasn't for the "federal regulators" no one would know until, of course, it was too late.
But, of course, the company that manufactures the glasses for McD's (Arc International) says: "All the products, whether decorated or undecorated, that Arc International is delivering on the markets meet the highest standards of quality and safety. Arc International is a professional manufacturer that stands behind all its products. We therefore see this as an internal decision by McDonald's and will be investigating the matter once we receive more information". [Arc International Reacts to the Recall of McDonald's Products MILLVILLE, N.J., June 4 /PRNewswire]
I am a middle school teacher in NC and came across your site while researching some information about the periodic table for my chemistry class this year. I just wanted to thank you for the great information.
We would love it if you could write a few articles for us, but I understand if your busy so a link to some of the current articles would be very helpful as well to help us spread trusted resources to other teachers. I have included a link to our page about cadmium and its toxic effects in case you would like to help us out by linking to it, tweeting it, or adding it to your Facebook profile.
http://www.thefreeresource.com/cadmium-cd-fun-facts-and-information-about-the-element
Thanks and keep the great resources coming
Bre Matthews
This story was posted by Xeno on June 4, 2010 is from the BBC story on the same date.
Now, 6 months later the "Coca-Cola Company has announced a voluntary withdrawal of 22,000 sets of themed drinking glasses for quality reasons."
Because ...
"One glass, which is designed to look like a can of Coca-Cola(R), did not meet our quality expectations."
Although the company continues by saying, "While recent tests indicated some cadmium in the decoration on the outside of the glass, ..."
It's presumably making us feel comfortable by finishing the sentence this way: "... the low levels detected do not pose a safety hazard or health threat.
That is, of course, if trace amounts of cadmium remains on the glass and doesn't perchance rub off on our hands and then ... etc.
[Nov. 21, 2010, The Coca-Cola Company Announces Voluntary Withdrawal of Themed Drinking Glass
http://www.marketwatch.com]
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