Amendment to toy safety bill helps Mattel

WASHINGTON, June 25 (UPI) -- U.S. lawmakers say a provision that would benefit Mattel Inc., the world's largest toy manufacturer, has been inserted into a children's product safety bill.

The Senate measure requiring independent lab testing of products for children has been amended to permit companies with sophisticated labs to do their own testing if the labs win federal approval, The Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday.

Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Bill Nelson, D-Fla,. introduced the original legislation mandating that all toys undergo strict tests by independent labs.

But late last year lawmakers who have not been identified inserted a provision into the legislation allowing companies to use in-house labs that "provide equal or greater consumer protection" than independent ones, the Tribune said.

"Companies that are going to do testing, obviously they have a vested interest in the outcome of the test," said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., who tried unsuccessfully to remove the provision.

A spokeswoman for Mattel says the company has invested millions of dollars to set up "world class labs."