Cadmium anyone?

[Former_Member]

"Cadmium is a toxic substance that is extremely dangerous to the developmental health of children," Speier, D-Hillsborough, said in a statement.

Check out the latest recall for McDonald's glasses. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15232378?nclick_check=1

Where is the CPSIA on this crapola?

[Former_Member]

Cadmium Red is one of my favorite colors... not to eat though.. that is unfortunate

[knitwit4ever]

Think of all the corporate heads that will be on the chopping block over this fiasco!

In spite of all the additional, obnoxious regulations we're dealing with, a major company needing a large product order for a time-sensitive big-$ promotion bought something from a quantity manufacturer that didn't meet the CPSIA rules. Not even imported, they say.

The worst part, in some ways, is that the knee-jerk reaction from government will likely be to slap another layer of legislation on the problem!

[Former_Member]

I thought I read somewhere tha it is up to the manufacturer to test for materials such as lead, cadmium and the like. It appears that if foreign manufacturers don't choose to, there is no way to make them until they get caught out. It seems our government would rather go after the little guy than offend the Chinese. Nowadays, it seems that a foreign country does not have to declare war on us to hurt our citizens, they can just poison us with their merchandise.

[JunqueGypsy]

Maybe when we Americans stop training our kids to expect some little CHEAP toy with every meal, some of this toxic waste will be eliminated.

(In the OLDEN DAYS, just getting a take out meal was a great treat. Now, fa(s)t food itself is nothing special, so we add a bribe of some worthless bonus item.)

[Former_Member]

It makes me sick that big business can continue more or less as usual, despite the much larger exposure their products have, yet smaller artisans who do feel compelled ethically and legally to conform their product to standards suffer.

[Former_Member]

I agree, junquegypsy. Although, when my kids were small, McDonald's gave out some great little toys. I still have the Halloween Chicken McNuggets which I bring out every Halloween!

[Former_Member]

It's not just McDonald's... There can be cadmium and lead in a lot of the painted on beer and soda labels on recycled bottles people resell as drink glasses here, and wine bottles people fuse to serve food on. Bugs the crap out of me, they have regulations about how far the paint must be from the lip, but anything to make a buck I guess.
Feeding anyone cadmium is a pet peeve of mine.

[FayeMaloneDesigns]

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/arc-international-reacts-to-the-recall-of-mcdonalds-products...



Arc International Reacts to the Recall of McDonald's Products

MILLVILLE, N.J., June 4 /PRNewswire/ --Arc International, the world leader in tabletop, has learned yesterday through its North American subsidiary (Arc International North America) that McDonald's USA is voluntarily recalling the four Shrek-themed glasses from its North American restaurants.

Fred Dohn, CEO Americas for Arc International stated, "All the products, whether decorated or undecorated, that Arc International is delivering on the markets meet the highest standards of quality and safety. Arc International is a professional manufacturer that stands behind all its products. We therefore see this as an internal decision by McDonald's and will be investigating the matter once we receive more information".

In a recent press release, McDonald's has confirmed that these products had been evaluated by an independent third-party laboratory, accredited by United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC),and determined to be in compliance with all applicable federal and state requirements.



If you read the entire press release then you will see that ARC INTL maintains plants in 5 countries. USA, France, CHINA, UAE, and 1 other country (sorry I forget, and I closed the article,) It is quite possible that the paint came from China, maybe not. ARC is an old company that has many glassware for years.

Also remember that cadmium is a substance that appears in food, water, fish, smoke from cigarettes and many other places. To my knowledge the CPSC has not set actual levels of Cadmium in products, unless they slipped something through after all the Claire's cadmium jewelry from China a few months back.

From the recall notice at the CPSC.
McDonald’s is asking consumers to immediately stop using the glass out of an abundance of caution.

Arms and legs will not fall off, nor will children fall to the floor after drinking from a MCDonald's glass, that may contain trace elements of cadmium. They are getting more cadmium from their parents second hand smoke.

[jenlo262]

Agreed with junquegypsy!

[Former_Member]

FayeMaloneDesigns says:

"They are getting more cadmium from their parents second hand smoke."

So true!

[Former_Member]

Oh Gee. Mickey D's is in trouble.
You would think they would double check these things to make sure they were safe for kids.

[FayeMaloneDesigns]

They passed the tests of cadmium levels at the levels in the USA that are certified by the CPSC.

[FayeMaloneDesigns]

A little more reading and research for everyone on Cadmium.

http://learningresourcesinc.blogspot.com/search/label/Cadmium

[BikiniSandi]

But if I give up the glasses do I get a refund from McDonald's?

[PunkeyMonkey]

Cadmium is one of the most toxic ingredients in cigarette smoke as well. SO, all those who smoke around anyone else, are treating us to this wonderful substance which causes cancer.

[Former_Member]

I am upset with the presence of cadmium in anything for children. I am pleased with McDonald's stand on the glasses. They took the high road by pulling the glasses. Sounds like good business sense to me.

[PunkeyMonkey]

And yet, cigarettes are still being sold by the zillions!

[Former_Member]

Great points, junquegypsy and PunkeyMonkey!

[MerrillLand]

junquegypsy says:
Maybe when we Americans stop training our kids to expect some little CHEAP toy with every meal, some of this toxic waste will be eliminated.

(In the OLDEN DAYS, just getting a take out meal was a great treat. Now, fa(s)t food itself is nothing special, so we add a bribe of some worthless bonus item.)
____________________

Amen. We also forgo goody bags for birthdays too. Enough with the cheap trash.

[Former_Member]

knitwit4ever says:
Think of all the corporate heads that will be on the chopping block over this fiasco!

In spite of all the additional, obnoxious regulations we're dealing with, a major company needing a large product order for a time-sensitive big-$ promotion bought something from a quantity manufacturer that didn't meet the CPSIA rules. Not even imported, they say.

The worst part, in some ways, is that the knee-jerk reaction from government will likely be to slap another layer of legislation on the problem!
..............

The glasses DO meet the CPSIA rules. The cadmium levels are below the legal limit. Either McDonalds (and Walmart, with its recent recall of all the Miley Cirus jewelry for the same reason) are guilty of a knee-jerk reaction, or the government does need to slap another layer of legislation on the problem.

If it's that harmful it shouldn't be used.
If it's not harmful, why all the fuss and expense of the recalls?

[Former_Member]

There was a great tv show on the other night - Toxic Childhood (I think it was called) - with Dr. Sanja Goupta (sp?) ... great for those of you in childrens items.

[Former_Member]

Beyond returning your Shrek glasses if you want to take Cadmium out of your life you need to avoid:
- any products that contains NiCd (or NiCad) baterries like your cell & cordless phones, laptop or other portable computers, small remote controls like for your car alarm/door, digital & disposable cameras, key chain flashlights & panic buttons, non-windup watches, hybrid cars, etc
- cigarettes and any place where a cigarette was smoked even when the smoke is no longer visable or smelted; the cadmium can adhere to surfaces or stay airborn for a long time, also near places that manfactures cigarettes, pipe tobacco, or cigars or processes tobacco for smoking purposes
- anything not floral based that containing the colors yellow or red, or pigments made from these 2 primary colors like beige, green, orange, purples, & pinks
- fluoridated water both bottled and tap
- ultraviolet, red, yellow, & green medical lasers like those used for vascular, brain, and tumor surgeries
- UV light based personal hygiene products like UV disinfectants, teeth whightening, and hair removal devices
- solar panels
- products that contain steel, iron, copper, or zinc especially ones marked as corrosion resistant or items produced in the 1920s through 1940s
- shellfish, and other foods that are made with animal livers or kidneys, and foods grown or feed on foods grown where there is a high level of zinc, nitrates, lead, iron, or copper
- places near where there is a recycling center that processes steel, iron, copper, zinc, plastics, or NiCd batteries; the Cadmium dust binds with the soil or is carried around by ground water
- ore refineries, smelting companies, and manufacturers that use quanties of a regular basis of steel, iron, copper, or zinc, see smoking and recycling for contamination process
- sunscreens that contain zinc or zinc oxide

Like lead, cadmium is a natural occurring element it's hard to eliminate from the enviroment in general, but you can either drive yourself crazy worring about it or just accept that all you can do is pick and choose what circumstances of exposures there is to it in regards to what relative harm could happen to you and your family.

[Former_Member]

jewelrydesignsbyME says: "Like lead, cadmium is a natural occurring element it's hard to eliminate from the enviroment in general, but you can either drive yourself crazy worring about it or just accept that all you can do is pick and choose what circumstances of exposures there is to it in regards to what relative harm could happen to you and your family."

A lot of things naturally occurring in the environment are worth avoiding, like arsenic, mercury, radium, uranium, etc. A township nearby has so much naturally occurring arsenic in their water that it is undrinkable. Letting big manufacturers slide while using cadmium or lead or whatever cheap, poisonous metal is next hurts everyone. Penalizing small business owners for the lack of regulation on large suppliers is not the answer.

[Former_Member]

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