October 04, 2007 - Scout Badges Recalled Over Lead Concerns

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Painted plastic badges, often worn by young members of the Boy Scouts of America are being voluntarily recalled after a test revealed high levels of lead in the paint.

"We're doing everything we can," Boy Scouts spokesman Gregg Shields, said.

As many as 1.6 million of the badges, which are made in China, may be affected by the recall.

The plastic totem badge is given to Cub Scouts, who are usually between the ages of 7 and 8. The badge has a yellow and blue border, includes a picture of a bear and wolf and reads "Progress Toward Ranks."

No illnesses have been reported, Shields said.

The unacceptable amounts of lead were discovered during a testing of Boy Scouts products, Shields said. He did not know the level of lead the test revealed.

The recall came the same day that the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced recalls of more than a half-million other Chinese-made products because they contain dangerous levels of lead.

Kahoot Products Inc., based in Roswell, Ga, supplies the badges. The company is calling for a voluntary recall of the badge and asking parents to take them away from their children.  Kahoot has supplied the badge to the Boy Scouts, based in Irving, Texas, for about eight years, Shields said. About 20,000 kits containing the badges have been sold each year since, he said.

The Boys Scouts are continuing to use Kahoot, which supplies 39 products to the organization. Shields said Kahoot has "acted responsibly in initiating this voluntary recall."
Shields said the badge was the first of 94 Boy Scouts products tested to come back positive for lead. More products are being tested, he said.

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