On 2 August 2007, US toymaker Mattel (Europe: Mattel Europe, Amstelveen / The Netherlands; www.mattel.com) issued a voluntary product recall for certain "Fisher-Price" toys. Worldwide, 83 models and 1.5 m plastic toys are affected. The reason for this drastic action, says Mattel, is that certain toy products manufactured in China between 19 April and 6 July 2007 were produced using a non-approved paint pigment containing lead. This can lead to health problems in children.

A report in Germany's "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" said that, according to statistics from the EU Commission, toxic toys from China had been put onto the market in 13 European countries. The Brussels authority sounded the alarm across Europe after a warning was received from the UK. The products had already been sold in Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Greece, UK, Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, The Czech Republic, Croatia and Switzerland, said the Commission. Mattel says that the majority of the affected toys had been withheld in the warehouse.