Canadian toymaker recalls plastic bead toys

Toronto-based toy manufacturer Spin Master has issued a recall for its Aqua Dots toys after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) received two reports about children swallowing Aqua Dots.

The craft kit allows children to create designs using small coloured plastic beads, which fuse together when sprayed with water.

The CPSC received reports about two children falling ill after ingesting the company’s Aqua Dots, with one child slipping into a comatose state for five days. Company officials noted that the China-made had been coated with 1,4-butanediol, instead of the specified 1,5-pentanediol compound. When ingested, the chemical can metabolize into GHB, commonly known as the date rape drug.

The Chinese government confirmed over the weekend that the products contained the harmful industrial chemical. The recall applies to all models of Aqua Dots — approximately 4.2 million units in total.

Several global toy manufacturers have come under fire over plastic products over the last few months. In Canada, Montreal, Que.-based Mega Brands had to contend with a public relations nightmare last month after a consumer reports magazine published erroneous lead test results for the company’s products.

Although Mega Brands was cleared by Health Canada, the company could not obtain an injunction against the magazine.