WASHINGTON, June 4 (UPI) -- U.S. fast-food giant McDonald's will recall about 12 million "Shrek" drinking glasses because paint on the glasses contains a toxic metal.
The glasses were part of a promotion by McDonald's linked to the recent release of "Shrek Forever After," the fourth film in the animated movie series.
U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., said on her Web site she received an anonymous tip last week claiming cadmium, a toxic substance, was included in the paint on the glasses. She passed the information to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which confirmed the presence of the metal, a known carcinogen that can cause damage to bone, intestines, kidneys and lungs.
The CPSC was to issue for formal announcement of the recall Friday and Speier's office said McDonald's had agreed to recall the glasses.
The glasses were sold for $2 each in McDonald's outlets across the United States. There are about 12 million of the glasses involved in the recall.
"Our children's health should not depend on the consciences of anonymous sources. Although McDonald's did the right thing by recalling these products, we need stronger testing standards to ensure that all children's products are proven safe before they hit the shelves," Speier said on her Web site. "Cadmium is a toxic substance that is extremely dangerous to the developmental health of children."
