Health officials have recalled a popular children’s toy after discovering that it contains several times the legal limit of deadly chemicals.
According to The Daily Mail, Northamptonshire Trading Standards carried out a number of tests on ‘Magnetic Putty.’ What they found was startling. Not only does the toy contain seven times the legal limit of arsenic – it also contains twice the legal limit of lead and possesses 29 times the legal magnetic force for a child’s toy.
Health experts, The Daily Mail quotes, warn that children can easily swallow Magnetic Putty or ingest its toxins through their skin.
See the video below for an example of a magnetic putty product in action. Please note, there are no current warnings about the particular brand featured in the video below.
As such, the presence of deadly toxins is extremely concerning as this could result in the rapid death of a child who ate it.
Also contributing to Northamptonshire Trading Standards decision to pull Magnetic Putty is the fact that the product does not contain the appropriate labeling to indicate it follows regulations related to child toy manufacturing. Further, the magnet included in the container does not state the manufacturer’s name.
Health officials advise parents to take a look at the container below to ensure they have not bought this product for their child.
Image via The Daily Mail
According to the BBC, while the warning currently only applies to the Magnetic Putty seen above, Northamptonshire Trading Standards will be looking into other Magnetic Putty toys available on the market.
For the time being, please use extreme caution when buying a magnetic putty-style toy for your child. Better yet, consider waiting until Northamptonshire Trading Standards has completed its review of similar toys before making such a purchase.
Sources:
The BBC
The Daily Mail
