ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 1, 1997 TAG: 9701020034
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-3 EDITION: HOLIDAY
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
Each Cabbage Patch Snacktime Kids doll sold in the future will have a label warning parents that its munching mouth can catch a child's hair or fingers, federal officials and toy maker Mattel Inc. said Tuesday.
The doll has mechanical jaws that move when it is fed plastic food. But in at least 35 incidents, the jaws have snagged the hair or fingers of children and kept on chomping, federal consumer protection officials say.
None of the children has required medical attention, said Mattel spokeswoman Lisa McKendall.
The warning labels will appear on the boxes of all the eating dolls, including those now on store shelves, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said. But it was unclear when Mattel would get all the labels put on, or exactly what they would say.
Meanwhile, the federal consumer agency still is investigating the doll and could take further action if appropriate, said agency spokesman Rick Frost.
A group of engineers will evaluate the toy and study any risks of injury. Because Mattel is posting warning labels, it's possible no other action will be required, he said.
``A recall is still a possibility,'' Frost said. ``But I wouldn't draw any conclusions as yet.''
Parents can stop the doll's chewing by removing its backpack, the agency has said. That prevents the backpack from pressing against a lever on the doll's back. When that lever is deactivated, the chewing motion stops.
In addition, Mattel's hot line informs parents they can permanently disable the chewing mechanism by removing the doll's batteries, which are in the toy's body.
The commission received reports of two children's fingers being caught in the dolls' jaws; the other 33 incidents involved hair.
Before the doll went on the market, it was tested by a Mattel product integrity department ``that is filled with engineers and people who specialize in safety and durability,'' said company spokeswoman McKendall.
But engineers didn't detect the possibility of the doll chomping on hair or fingers.
- Associated Press
LENGTH: Short : 47 linesby CNB