McDonald's Recall: Shrek Forever After Glasses Contain Toxic Metal

McDonald's and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have issued a voluntary recall of over 12 million Shrek Forever After glasses sold in McDonald's restaurants country-wide because they contain the toxic metal cadmium. The Shrek Forever After glasses were sold beginning in May for about $2. The glasses feature Shrek, Princess Fiona, Puss in Boots, and Donkey characters from the Shrek Forever After movie. McDonald's says that Happy Meal toys featuring ShrekForever After characters are not involved in the recall and are safe. According to the CPSC, the designs on the Shrek Forever After glasses contain cadmium which poses severe health risks with long-term exposure.

What is Cadmium?
Cadmium is a known carcinogen and has been shown to cause bone softening and kidney, respiratory and gastrointestinal problems. Research has also linked cadmium to brain development problems in young children. The danger to children is that cadmium could leach from the designs on the glasses onto a child's hand and then be transferred to their mouth. Exposure over time by using the Shrek Forever After glasses is what concerns the CPSC.

The recall is surprising because McDonald's is known as being tough on its suppliers. This lapse may prove to be very costly for McDonald's. McDonald's shares dropped $1.15 the day the recall was announced. The recall was initiated because of an anonymous tip received at the office of U.S. Representative Jackie Speier (D-California). Speier's office passed the tip onto the CPSC. Their subsequent testing revealed the presence of cadmium.

ARC International North America of Millville, N.J. manufactured the Shrek Forever After glasses. McDonald's has used ARC as a supplier of promotional glasses for 15 years. ARC has stated "that levels of cadmium used in the enamel baked into the glass were within current federal safety guidelines." Cadmium is used to create red and yellow colors on glassware.

McDonald's claims the Shrek Forever After glasses were tested and met federal standards. In a statement released June 4, McDonald's USA spokesman Bill Whitman stated that, "we believe the Shrek glassware is safe for consumer use. However, again to ensure that our customers receive safe products from us, we made the decision to stop selling them and voluntarily recall these products effective immediately." However, the CPSC has warned consumers to "immediately stop using the glasses McDonald's sold as part of a promotional campaign for the movie Shrek Forever After."

Cadmium has become the newest concern among children's health advocates. Wal-Mart recently began limiting the use of cadmium in products, especially those marketed to children such as costume jewelry. Wal-Mart recently recalled children's costume jewelry due to high levels of cadmium. Some of the recalled jewelry contained as much as 91% cadmium. All recalled jewelry was made in China. The McDonald's Shrek Forever After glasses are the first American made product to be recalled due to cadmium.

How to Request A Refund
If you purchased any of the recalled McDonald's ShrekForever After glasses and would like a refund, McDonald's is asking that you visit the McDonald's website or call toll free 1-800-244-6227.

Sources
McDonald's Website
The Wall Street Journal
Yahoo News