Sep 10, 2007

Disney to Test Character Toys for Lead PaintBy Louise StoryNYTimes.com

Reacting to three separate recalls of Mattel toys found to contain unsafe levels of lead paint, The Walt Disney Company said it would begin its own testing of toys featuring Disney characters, including random testing of products already on store shelves.

Executives at Disney made the decision to institute the testing on Thursday and intend to inform Mattel and other toy manufacturers today.

“It sends the message that we are looking over their shoulders,” said Andy Mooney, the chairman of Disney’s consumer products division.

Disney’s plan represents a significant shift in the toy business. Traditionally, these companies have licensed their characters to toy companies, deposited their royalty checks and left quality control up to the manufacturers. Indeed, the toymakers are usually held liable legally for harm caused by the toys they make.

Separately, Toys “R” Us, the nation’s largest toy retailer, has notified manufacturers that it, too, no longer feels that their tests are enough. Starting this week, engineers hired by the company will regularly visit random Toys “R” Us stores, fill their carts with branded toys and take them to independent labs for testing.

“Trust but verify,” said Ron Boire, president of Toys “R” Us. “We have to be confident. I have to be able to put my head on the pillow and say ‘I’ve done everything I can.’ “

The new testing programs underscore the scrutiny Mattel and other toy companies now face after a spate of unsafe products made in China have been discovered on American store shelves this summer. Lead paint was a problem thought to be largely eradicated in children’s products made in the United States, but the problem has crept back as more toys come from China.

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