When do parents need to be diligent about choosing toys and gifts for children? Answer: Always.
When can parents be 100% sure that the toy or gift they are choosing for children are safe from harmful chemicals? Answer: Well, never really.
EK Success, a division of the well-known Wilton Brands, Inc., is a company that enjoys a reputation of good quality creative consumer goods. Their product line includes craft kits for adults and children, party supplies, needlecrafts, scrap booking materials, as well as jewelry making and painting supplies. Their product quality is normally quite trust-worthy with licensed brand name lines that include the likes of Martha Stewart Crafts™, Sesame Street®, and even Disney, Girl Scouts, and the United States Military!
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| Photo: CPSC |
Unfortunately today EK Success, together with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a voluntary recall of a jewelry craft kit called the American Girl Crafts™ Pearly Beads & Ribbon Bracelets (shown here).
What could go wrong with a simple plastic bead and ribbon kit? It appears that some of the colorful coatings on the plastic beads contain levels of lead in excess of the federal allowable limits. The specific information about the lead content on these beads was not available in the press release; however, in 2008 the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) was enacted, reducing the amount of lead allowable in products intended for use by children 12 years of age or under.
Lead that can be ingested or inhaled has been known for many years to be harmful to humans, but can be particularly toxic to children under the age of six. Lead poisoning can cause very serious harm including anemia, hyperactivity, developmental delays, hearing loss, liver or kidney damage, behavioral problems and in severe cases even brain damage or death.
The CPSIA reduced the level of lead permitted on the surface coating of consumer products. The Code of Federal Regulations (16CFR1303) restricts lead content on the surface coatings of products to no more than 90 ppm (0.009 percent), as opposed to the pre-CPSIA limit of 600 ppm (0.06 percent).
Children’s products with more than 600-ppm (0.06 percent) total lead in the substrate materials (that's the plastic in the case of these beads) were banned from sale in the United States on February 10, 2009, even if they were manufactured before that date. The total lead limit dropped to 300-ppm (0.03 percent) on August 14, 2009.
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| Many manufacturers of children's toys already require lower lead limits. |
There is another step down to 100-ppm (0.01 percent) pending now as CPSC, manufacturing experts and scientists try to determine if this lowest 100-ppm (0.01 percent) level is possible to consistently attain. Lead is found in a wide variety of naturally occurring materials, and the machinery used to mold and produce products may leach out a bit as well. The debate is one that has consumer groups and manufacturers, lawyers and lawmakers all passionately presenting their own point of view. It is yet to be seen if this lower level will indeed be attainable, however many toy and children's product manufacturers already limit lead in their products to this 100-ppm level wherever possible.
The 75,000 bracelet craft kits affected were purchased at a wide range of retail stores across the USA, as well as art and party supply stores like Michael’s Art & Crafts stores. The $8 kits were sold from September 2009 through June 7, 2011. For a full description of the product and more details about the official recall, look here at CPSC’s press release.
The 75,000 bracelet craft kits affected were purchased at a wide range of retail stores across the USA, as well as art and party supply stores like Michael’s Art & Crafts stores. The $8 kits were sold from September 2009 through June 7, 2011. For a full description of the product and more details about the official recall, look here at CPSC’s press release.
EKSuccess is offering a full refund for consumers who purchased these kits during the dates indicated above. You can contact them directly at (855) 535-2099, or visit their website here.
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| Logo from SpottedCanary.com website |
On a brighter note, EK Success hosts SpottedCanary.com, a terrific and free online social community targeted toward creative crafters. It’s a gathering place for like-minded artists to share exciting new ideas, step-by-step instructions for old classics, tips, Q & A, new tools, and personal stories. Complete with video tutorials, fun contests and surveys, this site is a must-see for the freshest ideas on how to keep the kids and adults engaged, creative and learning throughout the summer.
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