Question

A major US toy manufacturer which suffered a breakdown in supply chain from China on account of legally unacceptable toxic substances in its products is

• A. Leo Toys
• B. Mattel Toys
• C. Universal Toys
• D. Funskool Toys

Hint:

Think of the maker of Barbie and Fisher-Price toys that recalled millions of China-made products over lead paint in 2007.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

This question is about a major product-safety scandal that hit global headlines in 2007. It tests recall of a specific corporate news event rather than a general concept, so the key is remembering which company was at the centre of it.

1. Leo Toys: This is not a major US toy manufacturer associated with any large-scale global recall in 2007. It does not fit the scale of the event described.
2. Mattel Toys: Mattel, the maker of Barbie and Fisher-Price toys, is one of the largest toy companies in the world. In the summer of 2007, Mattel had to recall millions of toys made by its Chinese contract manufacturers because they used lead-based paint, which is toxic and not legally allowed in children's products in the US. A second wave of recalls also involved small, powerful magnets that could be swallowed. This became one of the biggest toy-safety scandals of the decade and badly disrupted Mattel's supply chain from China.
3. Universal Toys: This is not the company connected with the lead-paint recall crisis of 2007.
4. Funskool Toys: This is an Indian toy company, not a US manufacturer, and it was not involved in this China supply-chain scandal.

Given the scale of the crisis, the millions of units recalled, and the direct link to toxic lead paint from Chinese suppliers, the company in question is clearly Mattel.

Let's summarize:

• Mattel recalled millions of China-made toys in 2007 due to lead paint and small magnets.
• This event is widely cited as a landmark case in global supply-chain and product-safety failures.

The correct answer is option (B), Mattel Toys.