| Nearly 21 million toys have been impounded across the world so far, and the latest batch affected includes three types of Fisher Price toys and eight Barbie brand playsets, shipped between August last year and July this year. |
| A total 8,40,000 toys are being recalled this time, but it was not immediately known how many of these are in India. |
| Mattel India executives clarified that the recall did not include Barbie dolls, but only some accessories. Two sets of Barbie accessories sold in India are included in the recall, the company said. |
| Mattel said the playsets affected by the latest recall were produced by Holder Plastic, a Mattel contract vendor, which subcontracted the painting of miniature toy pets and small furniture pieces to Dong Lian Fa and Yip Sing. |
| The two companies used uncertified paint and are no longer producing toys for Mattel, the company has said. |
| This is the holiday season in many parts of the world and pulling so many toys off shelves now could prove detrimental for Mattel's sales. The holiday season accounted for 69 per cent of its worldwide sales in 2006. This recall is also a further setback to China, which is trying to restore its reputation as an exporter of consumer goods. |
| On August 2, Mattel recalled 1.5 million toys, and again on August 14 announced a second recall totalling 18.2 million toys. |
| This time, 5,22,000 toys would be recalled from the US and 3,22,000 from other countries. "You can never say that there won't be more (recalls). But we've clearly now tested all the toys Mattel makes at vendor plants overseas," said Robert Eckert, chief executive of Mattel. The third instance was the outcome of Mattel's ongoing research together with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. |
| Eckert said Mattel is now using only certified paint for toys, monitoring its own plants and those of sub-contractors, and that every product was being tested before it reached the stores. |
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