Starbucks, the coffee shop chain, has become the latest US company to issue a voluntary recall of China-made products because of child safety concerns.

Following in the heels of Mattel and Hasbro, the largest US toymakers, the Seattle-based coffee company is recalling a quarter of a million plastic children’s mugs sold at its stores between May 2006 and August this year. The mugs have moulded plastic animal faces representing a ladybird, a turtle, a bunny and a chick and have a plastic top.

According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, which publicises product recalls, the plastic faces on the mugs have in some cases broken off, exposing sharp edges, and in at least two cases have led to children starting to choke on the fragments.

The retailer is offering to refund the cost of the mugs and is offering customers who return them a free coffee. In October 2006, the Starbucks recalled 73,000 Chinese-made coffee makers because faulty wiring caused some to melt their plastic shells.

A Starbucks spokesman described the recall as an isolated incident and said the company had no plans to change its current product sourcing practices.

The USCPSC also announced the recall of 1.6m metal badges sold by the Boy Scouts of America, because of unacceptably high levels of lead in the paint.

Similar problems have led to the recall of millions of Chinese-made toys so far this year. Earlier this month, eight US companies recalled products tainted with lead. Toys R Us, Walt Disney products maker Kids II Inc and six other companies recalled Chinese-made items, from bookmarks to water bottles and toy flashlights.

Meanwhile, PetSmart, a national retailer, on Wednesday lowered its earnings guidance for the quarter against the background of a drop in summer sales caused by a recall of pet food contaminated by a Chinese-made ingredient.

Source: FT.com