Attn: Parents. This Is Important

  Shrek decorative glasses issued by McDonald's restaurants, including ones in Canada have been recalled because the New Jersey-based manufacturer used cadmium in the paint. My mother recently gave some of these glasses to my nephews because they refuse to eat at the chain but she thought the glasses were pretty cool.

  US Rep Jackie Spier was sent an anonymous tip and had the paint tested . The Representative is well-known for trying to limit the amounts of heavy metals in consumer products. The main concern is that cadmium can leech into the body via the skin or be ingested when children put their hands in their mouths after using the glassware. Cadmium is a known carcinogen that can also cause organ and respiratory problems.

  If you have purchased these, do not use them. You can either keep them purely for decorative purposes or stay tuned for details on how to return these things to the manufacturer for a refund.

With much focus on the amount of nasties in Chinese toys, it becomes most ourageous when it occurs on our own soil. WTF was the manufacturer thinking? Did they believe that they could get away with introducing a toxin and nobody would do a second check? It is noted that samples of the glasses were in compliance with Canadian regulations before these were mass-produced, so ARC had to have made a conscious decision to change the paint formulation. Shame on ARC for potentially exposing our kids to a metal that nobody should be exposed to.