Mattel recalls lead-contaminated toys

Mattel is recalling nearly 1 million toys because the products are covered in lead paint. According to Mattel, whose brands include Barbie and Hot Wheels cars, all toys were made by a contract manufacturer in China.

The recall covers 83 products sold in the US. About 300,000 of the toys are understood to have been bought by consumers. It is understood the problem was raised after a European retailer discovered lead on some Mattel products.

Many of them feature Sesame Street and Nickelodeon characters – including the Elmo Tub Sub, the Dora the Explorer Backpack, and the Giggle Gabber, a toy shaped like Elmo or Cookie Monster that toddlers shake to hear giggles and noises.

Nickelodeon says it will introduce a third-party monitor to check up on all the companies that make toys under its brands.

Earlier this summer, RC2, the maker of Thomas the Tank Engine trains, recalled 1.5 million trains and accessories because a Chinese supplier had coated them in lead paint.