Jan 22, 2008 5:59 pm US/Central
Ty Pulls Lead-Tainted Doll From Shelves
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Ty Inc., has pulled this lead-tainted Jammin' Jenna doll from store shelves, but Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan wants to know why it took them months to do so.
CBS
A local toymaker has removed a popular doll from store shelves three months after the state attorney general found high levels of lead in the dolls.
CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports on reaction from state officials and consumers who want to know what took Ty Inc. so long.
You probably won't find Jammin' Jenna in stores Tuesday, but you could have Monday, even though the red shoes on the dolls contain a high level of lead paint.
According to the Illinois attorney general's office, Ty, the makers of the dolls were told that in November, yet they left the dolls on the store shelves for nearly three months.
One shopper we talked to said, "They should immediately, immediately take it off the shelves. If there's lead, you never know what will happen with a child if it goes to their mouth."
Attorney General Lisa Madigan said, "It's kind of outrageous."
Madigan said the company agreed to stop distributing the Jenna doll back in November, and they changed the material on the new dolls from paint to cloth, so she assumed the company would also remove the dolls from the stores. But last week, her investigators found the dolls at a number of stores, including a candy store in the lobby of the building where she works.
"Right here in the Thompson Center, this doll was for sale, even after they said they would in fact, remove the doll," Madigan said.
Tuesday morning, according to clerks at the candy store, a representative from Ty removed all the Jenna dolls from the store.
Late Tuesday afternoon, the company issued a statement saying the dolls were taken off store shelves across the state. However, the company still argues that the dolls are safe. They say the dolls were tested in November and "tests confirmed that the toys were safe" and "met all federal safety requirements".
Madigan said the dolls may meet federal safety requirements, but Illinois has higher safety standards when it comes to lead paint. She said Ty knew that and should have removed the dolls from the shelves months ago. Investigators will check stores to make sure the tainted dolls are no longer being sold.
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