The story

China will send delegations to the United States in August and September to discuss food and product safety following a spate of product recalls, a Chinese Embassy official said on Wednesday.

Zhao Baoqing, first commercial secretary of the embassy, told reporters the senior-level delegations would discuss the recent problems and Chinese safety measures with U.S. authorities from the Food and Drug Administration and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The first delegation will arrive later this month, and a second delegation of vice-ministers will visit in September, he said.

Mattel Inc., the largest U.S. toy company, on Tuesday recalled 18.2 million toys globally, including 9.5 million in the United States. The toys were recalled due to hazards from small, powerful magnets and lead paint.

The recall prompted some U.S. lawmakers to demand a temporary halt and inspections of shipments of Chinese products for children that contain paint and to demand that China open its toy factories for inspections. Read full article »

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All About Product Recalls • Mattel Inc.