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Almost two weeks after recalling 1.5 million toys under the Fisher-Price brand, Mattel has announced another recall of over 9 million toys made in China. Some of the toys are Barbie, "Cars" and Polly Pocket.

The two issues are lead paint and tiny magnets that have been swallowed by some children.

Rep. Mike Ferguson, R-N.J., said companies whose toys are made in China need to be sure their products meet U.S. safety standards. "If they don't, I believe Congress must give federal regulators the authority to ensure that our kids' toys won't actually harm them," he said.
 
The focus of this recall is mostly on the magnets included with Polly Pocket and Barbie dolls, along with Tanner play sets, Batman and OnePiece Triple Slash Zolo Roronoa action figures, and Doggie Day Care. Some of the toys are from as far back as 2003.

For the lead paint issue, that was related to the die-cast cars based on the character from the "Cars" movie "Sarge." The number recalled were 253,000.

The last recall of the Polly Pocket play sets in 2006, came about from three children getting injuries requiring surgery from swallowing magnets. They all had to have surgery for intestinal perforation.

A huge problem for children comes when they especially swallow more than one magnet, as they can stick together in their intestines and perforate the intestines, cause infection or cause blockage, which can be fatal.

No one has reported injuries for this specific batch of recall toys, and is a preventative measure. It's good for Mattel to do this, but it does seem to have taken them longer than it should have.

Part of the problem with doing business in China, as it relates to the supply chain, is it's so long and complex that it can in some cases be almost impossible to find sources of certain problems. That'll have to change.

Having said that, in the end it's still the responsibility of companies importing or receiving products anywhere to ensure they're safe.

Mattel CEO Bob Eckert said the company is increasing its oversight of the process and testing in the production process. "There is no guarantee that we will not be here again and have more recalls," Eckert said. "We are testing at a very high level here."

For information about Tuesday's recalls, consumers should call Mattel at 888-597-6597 for information about toys with magnets, or 800-916-4997 for information about the die cast cars.