Squeeze Toys Recalled

In cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Danara International, Ltd. of South Hackensack, New Jersey, and Stahlwood Manufacturing Co., Inc., New York, New York, today announced. a voluntary recall of several squeeze toys which the CPSC believes may cause choking and/or suffocation because the handles are small enough to lodge in the throat and obstruct the airways of children. These products have not been involved in choking deaths; however, the CPSC believes they are similar in shape and size to products that have been involved in such incidents.

All of the squeeze toys have bulbous-shaped ends which range in size from 3/4 inches to 1 l/2 inches in diameter. All are made of soft easily compressed plastic material. Only those products listed are involved in the corrective action.

The Danara products involved are:

• Mickey Mouse head on a yellow handle, 5 l/2 inches long
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• Donald Duck head on a blue handle, 5 l/2 inches long
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• Mickey Mouse head on a yellow handle, 7 inches long
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• Donald Duck head on a blue handle, 6 l/2 inches long
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• Yellow mallet with Mickey Mouse face and "MICKEY" embossed
  on handle, 7 l/4 inches long with a bulbous end.

The Donald Duck on the 5 l/2 inches long handle was involved in choking incident reported to the Commission by a consumer.

These toys are packaged and sold under the brand name "SAFEGUARD" and labeled "WALT DISNEY CHARACTER Squeek-a-Toy." The Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck toys are labeled "No. 5523." The mallet is labeled "no. 5503." Stamped below the back of the neck of the Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck toys is "WALT DISNEY PRODUCTIONS DANARA INTERNATIONAL LTD. MADE IN TAIWAN." Stamped around the squeaker of the mallet is "WALT DISNEY PROD. MADE IN TAIWAN DANARA INTERNATIONAL."

Approximately 180,000 of the Danara 5 l/2 inch Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck toys were distributed from 1977 through December, 1981. Over 7,000 of the other toys were distributed; the 7 inch and 6 l/2 inch Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck toys from 1981 through November 1982 when shipments were voluntarily discontinued, and the 7 l/4 inch mallet from 1981 through May, 1983.

The Stahlwood products involved are:

• White dog's head on a white handle, 6 inches long
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• Pink pig's head on a pink handle, 6 inches long
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• Orange cat's head on an orange handle, 6 inches long

These toys are packaged and sold under the brand name "Young Times" and are labeled "Thumper, No. 393." Some of the toys are stamped "made in Taiwan, Stahlwood, N.Y. on the bottom of the handle, and some are stamped "Made in Taiwan." Approximately 27,000 of the Stahlwood toys were distributed from 1977 through November, 1982, when shipments were voluntarily discontinued. The toys have not been marketed in the past 18 months.

Consumers should remove these products from use immediately and return them to the retailer where purchased for a refund. Consumers may return the Danara squeeze toys to Danara, 14 Central Boulevard, South Hackensack, New Jersey 07806, and the Stahlwood squeeze toys to Stahlwood, 601 West 50th Street, New York, NY 10019.

Retailers should remove the toys from sale immediately and return them to Danara or Stahlwood for a full refund.

Anyone wishing additional information may contact CPSC's toll-free Hotline at 8000638-CPSC. A teletypewriter number for the hearing impaired is (301) 595-7054.