According to www.npr.org, McDonald’s has been caught in an embarrassing moment. Instead of checking the composition of the Shrek glasses it is selling for $2 to consumers and presumably children, all part of a tie-in to the new Shrek movie, a tipster has let the company know that the glasses contain the toxic metal cadmium.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has recalled 12 million of the glasses even though the agency says they do not pose an “acute” risk. The levels of the toxic metal are just slightly above the standard that’s under consideration by the agency, which does not currently have a standard for safety.
An anonymous tipster contacted the office of Rep. Jackie Speier from California after he or she tested the glasses. They, by the way, are not made in China, but by ARC International in Millville, New Jersey.
Why does our children’s health have to rely on an anonymous tipster? Parents have been buying the “Shrek Forever After” that coordinates with the May 21 release of the movie.
The glasses are 16-oz and feature Shrek, Fiona, Puss n’ Boots, and Donkey. Cadmium can soften bones and cause severe kidney problems after long-term exposure. If you have purchased one of these toxic glasses be sure to go on the McDonald’s Web site and see how to return them for a full refund.
You’ll remember that another retailer that targets children, Claire’s, had a similar problem with cadmium-clad jewelry it was selling to adolescents. Why these giant companies that make their fortunes off the whims of children cannot take the extra step to ensure the products they are selling are safe is a mystery, and a defective product liability issue.
