McDonald's Recalls 'Shrek' Drinking Glasses Tainted with Cadmium

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McDonald's has voluntarily agreed to recall about 12 million "Shrek" drinking glasses after federal regulators reported that they found the toxic metal cadmium in them, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The glasses were sold at McDonald's restaurants across the country as a promotional tie-in with the movie "Shrek Forever After." Purchasers can return them to McDonald's for a refund, according to the article.

The recall by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was prompted by an anonymous tip to Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough) last week, reports the Los Angeles Times. The commission tested the glasses and confirmed the presence of cadmium in the paint used for the decorative characters.

Although Speier commended McDonald's for acting quickly, her office told the newspaper corporations must "do a better job of thoroughly reviewing their domestic and international supply chains to keep products with potentially dangerous elements from ever hitting their shelves."

It is not known at this time where the glasses were produced.

Last month, CPSC recalled children's jewelry contaminated by cadmium, and earlier in the year, Speier introduced legislation banning cadmium and other toxic metals from children's jewelry, according to the article.

CPSC is also making efforts to keep lead out of children's products. In 2009, the CPSC deferred the Feb. 10 deadline that it had set for producers and importers of children's goods to test all items to ensure they don't contain more than 600 parts per million of lead, although they could still face civil and criminal penalties if they exceeded the lead limits.

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