A bipartisan group of Minnesota federal lawmakers are asking the U-S Consumer Product Safety Commission to open an investigation into toys contaminated with lead, cadmium and other toxic compounds. It comes after state officials last month banned sales in Minnesota of off-brand Beyblades-type spinning battle toys. State Commerce Commissioner Steve Kelley warned parents about telltale signs of questionable products: “They have deliberately misleading packaging and they are at much cheaper prices. So those should be the indicators that Minnesota consumers watch out for.” Kelley says packaging for the products in question often mimics that of safe brand names Hasbro and TAKARATOMY. He says parents buying on the Internet should beware of potentially dangerous imitators.
Signers of letter: Democratic U-S Senator Amy Klobuchar; Democratic U-S Representatives Angie Craig, Dean Phillips and Betty McCollum; Republican U-S Representatives Tom Emmer and Pete Stauber.