DISNEY PENDANTS CONTAIN CADMIUM

Federal consumer safety regulators on Friday announced the recall of The Princess and the Frog pendants sold at Walmart stores because of high levels of the toxic metal cadmium, an action that reflects concerns of an emerging threat in children's jewelry.

The recall affects two products, about 55,000 items in total, sold exclusively by the world's biggest retailer for $5 each. The action was taken voluntarily by Rhode Island jewelry company FAF Inc., which did not respond to requests for comment.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which disclosed the recall, had been testing for cadmium in children's metal jewelry for several weeks in response to an Associated Press investigation that reported high levels of the known carcinogen in the Disney movie-themed pendants and other children's metal jewelry imported from China.

The Walt Disney Co. released a letter Friday it sent its vendors and licensees that sets a zero-tolerance policy for cadmium in any children's jewelry bearing its brand. That is far stricter than federal regulations, which not only don't require testing for cadmium in children's jewelry but also set no upper limit for how much a product can contain.

Disney is now requiring that all products be tested for cadmium, and that a detection means production and distribution of the product should be stopped.

In reaction to the AP's reporting this month, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. had pulled three items from its shelves, including the two recalled Friday - a crown pendant with UPC number 72783367144 and a frog pendant with UPC number 72783367147.

The items had been on sale at Walmart stores since November, in conjunction with release of the animated movie. Consumers can return the two recalled items to any Walmart store for a refund or replacement product.