Causes of Mattel's Recall Problem

Supply Chain 1
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Supply Chain 2
1) What were the primary causes of Mattel’s recall problem? Please name three.
Manufacturing problems
The leading cause for the Mattel’s recall crisis was the use of lead paint in toys. Lead is a
neurotoxin that is detrimental to young brains, and continuous exposure can lead to harmful
effects such as a reduction in IQ and brain impairment. Children are more vulnerable to the
harmful effects of leaded toys because they often chew toys and end up ingesting lead pigments.
In 1978, the U.S government set the minimum lead levels at 0.06%, and any level above this was
banned. Notwithstanding the ban, most of the manufacturers in China continued to use lead paint
on toys because it was much cheaper than non-lead paints (Roloff and Aßländer, 2010).
Design Problems
The Mattel toys were also recalled because of defective product designs. More specifically, the
defective design was in 2007 when they used a small and powerful magnet in the toys. The
magnets were not properly enclosed and thus posing a risk to children if more than one magnet
were swallowed. The two magnets could bind across the intestines and result in injury or death
like the one which took place in 2005. Furthermore, the small parts could break off from the toys
and chock the children (Gilbert, and Wisner, 2010).
Product Misuse
The potential for misuse of some of the toys was a cause for a recall. Most of the products of
Mattel could be harmful to children because of features such as cords which could strangle a
child or others in which a child’s head could stick and cause strangulation.