DETROIT (Reuters) - McDonald's Corp has recalled 12 million "Shrek"-themed drinking glasses after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warned consumers to stop using them because they contain the toxic metal cadmium.
Cadmium was found in the painted design of the movie characters on the glassware, which McDonald's outlets in the United States sold for about $2 (1.40 pounds) each, according to the CPSC.
"A very small amount of cadmium can come to the surface of the glass, and in order to be as protective as possible of children, CPSC and McDonald's worked together on this recall," CPSC spokesman Scott Wolfson said in an email.
The CPSC said designs on the glasses, made by ARC International in Millville, New Jersey, contain cadmium and "long-term exposure ... can cause adverse health effects." Cadmium is a known carcinogen that research shows also can cause bone softening and severe kidney problems.
The agency said no incidents or injuries related to the glasses have been reported. Shares of the world's largest hamburger chain slipped 1.5 percent in pre-market trading.
Wolfson did not specify the amounts of cadmium that leached from the paint in tests by the CPSC but said the levels were slightly above the protective level currently being developed by the agency.
McDonald's officials were not immediately available to comment. According to the CPSC press release, the company said it was "asking consumers to immediately stop using the glass out of an abundance of caution."
A spokesman for the fast-food company told the Associated Press and the BBC that it believes the Shrek glassware is safe for consumer use but was being recalled to ensure customer safety.
The sale of the 16-ounce glasses was part of the promotional campaign for the movie "Shrek Forever After," which was produced by DreamWorks Animation and released by Viacom Inc's Paramount Pictures.
The glasses came in four designs with characters from the film: Shrek, Fiona, Puss in Boots and Donkey.
Shrek, the fourth movie in the series about the lovable green ogre's adventures in his fairy tale land, opened May 21 and is currently the most popular movie in North America, having grossed almost $150 million through the end of May.
The CPSC was alerted to the problem through the office of Democratic Representative Jackie Speier from California, who was contacted by an anonymous source last week.
"Our children's health should not depend on the consciences of anonymous sources," Speier said in a statement posted on her website. (http://speier.house.gov/)
"Although McDonald's did the right thing by recalling these products, we need stronger testing standards," she said. "Cadmium is a toxic substance that is extremely dangerous to the developmental health of children."
McDonald's last recall with the CPSC occurred in 2002, involving 100,000 Chicago Bears bobble head figurines with paint that contained excess levels of lead.
(Reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit, Jonathan Stempel in New York and Antonita Madonna Devotta in Bangalore; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Steve Orlofsky)
