SALT LAKE CITY — A toy ring sold at discount stores nationwide has been recalled because the manufacturers reportedly violated a lead content ban. The discount stores sold the U.P. Fashion Children’s Rings from April 2021 through July 2022.

Dollar Store and other discount retail outlets sold the rings, according to the Salt Lake County Health Department.

RECALL ⚠️ This tweet informs you of the recall of U.P. Fashion Children’s Rings Due to the Violation of the Federal Lead Content Ban. These were sold at Dollar stores nationwide and other discount stores nationwide from April 2021 through July 2022 for about $1.

— Salt Lake Health (@SaltLakeHealth) October 17, 2022

The ring is gold with what the Salt Lake County Health Department describes as a large faux pearl. Manufacturers sold the pearl in multiple colors.  The pearl rests on a gold base and is surrounded by small white crystals.

Of particular concern, said the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, is the metal base of the ring. According to the Commission, the base contains “levels of lead that exceed the federal lead content ban.”

Parents should immediately take this ring away from children, the CPSC said. And parents can call U.P. Fashion at 201-438-0908 to inquire about a refund. Consumers can also contact U.P. Fashion by emailing upfashionny@hotmail.com.

The danger of lead

According to the CDC, the human body absorbs lead. The body stores lead in bones and tissue after continual exposure.

But lead poisoning can also occur if someone is exposed for a short period of time. Parents and caretakers can easily overlook the symptoms of lead poisoning. Those symptoms include stomach pain, constipation, fatigue, headache, irritability, loss of appetite, memory loss, a tingling sensation in the hands or feet and weakness.

Lead regulation in the United States

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates lead because it is a toxic pollutant. It is a naturally occurring element found in small amounts in the crust of the Earth. 

Manufacturers use lead in many products. But U.S. consumer safety officials are particularly concerned about its use in toy jewelry. “Biting or swallowing toys or toy jewelry that contain lead can cause a child to suffer from lead poisoning,” the EPA states on its website.

U.S. safety officials asked for a voluntary recall of 150 million pieces of metal toy jewelry in 2004. They were sold in vending machines. Three years later, the same agency issued a recall of nearly 1 million Fisher-Price toys due to a lead poisoning hazard.

Related reading:

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• FDA issues baby formula recall after four babies reported ill
• USDA recalls beef sold at Walmart for possible E. coli contamination

 

 

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