Amazon stops selling painted children’s Disney drinking glasses containing potentially toxic metal
- Glasses containing cadmium were being sold by Tesco, The Range and Amazon
- Cadmium is a substance found in cigarette smoke that could cause cancer
- BBC investigation found cadmium in the paint used to create Disney designs
Painted children’s Disney drinking glasses found to contain a potentially toxic metal have been removed from sale by Amazon.
An investigation into the use of cadmium in the painted decorations on the products has raised questions over their safety.
Dr Andrew Turner, of the University of Plymouth, analysed painted glassware for sale by Amazon, Tesco and The Range and found traces of the metal.
The contaminated glasses containing cadmium were being sold by Tesco, The Range and Amazon
According to the NHS, cadmium, a carcinogenic substance found in cigarette smoke, is associated with an increased risk of damage to the kidneys and bones and may lead to lung cancer.
As part of a BBC investigation, Dr Turner said he found levels of cadmium on glassware ranging from roughly 1,000 to 10,000 parts per million.
One glass contained no traces of cadmium.
Dr Turner said the paint on the glassware products was often not very resistant to washing or stacking in the kitchen and if ingested over a long period could pose a health risk.
‘The Amazon one, the stuff was peeling off it quite easily, so you can imagine that’s quite a health hazard,’ he said.
![Cadmium is a substance found in cigarette smoke that could cause cancer. Dr Andrew Turner, of the University of Plymouth, analysed the glassware and found levels of cadmium on glassware ranging from roughly 1,000 to 10,000 parts per million](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/03/04/18/10566782-6769939-image-a-9_1551722623317.jpg)
Cadmium is a substance found in cigarette smoke that could cause cancer. Dr Andrew Turner, of the University of Plymouth, analysed the glassware and found levels of cadmium on glassware ranging from roughly 1,000 to 10,000 parts per million
A spokesman for Amazon said: ‘All sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who don’t will be subject to action including potential removal of their account.
‘The product in question is no longer available.’
According to the BBC, the Amazon products were produced under licence from Disney by a company called Half Moon Bay.
A spokeswoman for Half Moon Bay said: ‘We have been made aware of an allegation from the BBC and that’s something that we are dealing with with our licence partner at the moment.’
A Tesco spokesman said its drinking glasses complied with UK and EU regulations.
He said the glassware looked at by Dr Turner had been independently tested to comply with voluntary standards for lead and cadmium.
‘We have robust procedures in place to ensure the safety, quality and conformity of all new products brought to market and we are continually reviewing new materials, processes and methods for glassware decoration,’ he added.
Dr Turner said relevant legislation was ‘formulated decades ago’ and called on the rules around voluntary testing for cadmium to be looked at.
His previous research has detected cadmium on everyday household products like second-hand plastic toys, drinking glasses, alcoholic beverage bottles, ceramics and artists’ paints.
Lead is also often found on the surface of glasses, in some cases up to the rim, as it is used as a glaze on painted decorations.
Test results published last year revealed cadmium was detected in about 70% of 197 logos, patterns, text, pictures and cartoons tested on 72 products.
Dr Turner said manufacturers should avoid using cadmium on their products.
‘You can make it to be safe, you don’t have to use these chemicals,’ he said.
‘The question is why are people still using it? Why are they using cadmium to paint these glasses when there are safer alternatives there?’