| Office of Information and Public Affairs | Washington, DC 20207 |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 1, 2000 Release # 00-117b |
Company Phone Number: (800) MERVYN'S CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: Nychelle Fleming, (301) 504-7063 |
PRODUCT: Children's Picnic Sets - Mervyn's California, of Hayward, Calif., is recalling about 1,200 children's plastic picnic sets contained in clear bags. The clear bag reads "AUSTRALIA" in multicolored lettering, "Down Under" in blue lettering, and has an illustration of a koala bear face. The bag has a pink strap and piping. The picnic set inside the bag consists of four blue cups; four light blue bowls; four small, purple plates; four red plates with the bear illustration; and a set of cutlery. Mervyn's stores nationwide sold the sets from April 2000 through May 2000 for about $13.
PROBLEM: The paint on the bag contains high levels of lead that violates the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Act. Lead poisoning in children is associated with behavior problems, learning disabilities, hearing problems and growth retardation.
INCIDENTS/INJURIES: None reported.
WHAT TO DO: Stop using these bags immediately and return them to any Mervyn's store for a full refund. For more information, call Mervyn's at (800) MERVYN'S between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.