Mcdonald's Pulls 'toxic' Glasses

[Raistlin]

Fast-food giant McDonald's has been forced to recall 12 million special Shrek glasses after discovering they were painted with toxic cadmium.

The glasses, a promotion for the latest Shrek film, were available in the US in four designs depicting the characters Shrek, Princess Fiona, Puss in Boots and Donkey.

A McDonald's spokeswoman said the recall did not affect the UK as no Shrek glasses had been on sale here yet.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission, which announced the voluntary recall, warned people to stop using the glasses immediately.

McDonald's said it would post instructions on its website next week regarding refunds for the glasses which sold for two dollars in the US.

The CPSC said that "long-term exposure to cadmium can cause adverse health effects." Cadmium is a known carcinogen that research shows also can cause bone softening and severe kidney problems.

In the case of the Shrek-themed glasses, the potential danger would be long-term exposure to low levels of cadmium, which could leach from the paint onto a child's hand, then enter the body if the child puts that unwashed hand to his or her mouth.

Cadmium can be used to create reds and yellows in paint. A McDonald's spokesman said a pigment in paint on the glasses contained cadmium.

"A very small amount of cadmium can come to the surface of the glass, and in order to be as protective as possible of children, CPSC and McDonald's worked together on this recall," said the CPSC.

It would not say how much cadmium leached from the paint in tests, but said the amounts were "slightly above the protective level currently being developed by the agency." It said the glasses have "far less cadmium than the children's metal jewellery that CPSC has previously recalled."

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