May 13, 2009 3:10 pm US/Eastern
Face Paint Recalled Because Of Skin Complaints
WASHINGTON (AP) ―
The FDA on Tuesday warned consumers to stop using face paints commonly dabbed on children's cheeks at parties, sporting events and other festivities and sold in retail stores.
The six face-paint products are being recalled after reports of rashes and skin irritation, according to the Food and Drug Administration. FDA spokeswoman Susan Cruzan said the products were found to have yeast and mold counts above industry guidelines.
The FDA said it learned of children suffering rashes, itchiness, burning sensations and swelling where the face paints were applied.
Fun Express Inc., which recalled the products, said in a statement that it sold the affected items to 130 customers and 95 percent of these sales were before January.
"The recall action is being taken as a precautionary measure to ensure there are no other occurrences," the company said in a statement.
Fun Express is a wholly owned subsidiary of Oriental Trading Co., the distributor of the product. The face paints were made in China by Shanghai Color Art Stationery Company Ltd.
A sales manager for the company, Jiang Chao, said he was unaware of the recall but would look into the situation.
"We've been exporting our face paint to America for over three years and never had a recall," Jiang said.
Chinese regulators have repeatedly pledged to tighten enforcement of safety and quality standards following a slew of complaints about shoddy or dangerous products. Shanghai's own food and drug administration had no immediate comment about the recall. Any reactions should be reported to the Food and Drug Administration's MedWatch adverse event reporting program at
http://www.fda.gov/medwatch.
The recall includes face paint in these colors with the following codes:
-- Blue: item No. 85/2077; UPC 8 8760048110 7.
-- Purple: item No. 85/2078; UPC 8 8760048112 1.
-- Red: item No. 85/2079; UPC 8 8760048114 5.
-- Orange: item No. 85/2080; UPC 8 8760048116 9.
-- Black: item No. 85/2081; UPC 8 8760048118 3.
-- Green: item No. 85/2082; UPC 8 8760048120 6.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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