#6. Chinese-Made Toy Recall
It started in June with Thomas the Tank Engine, but soon after, many more toy-chest favorites had been implicated: Big Bird, Elmo, Barbie, Dora the Explorer — even the Easy Bake Oven. More than 20 million toys, all made in China, were recalled for containing lead paint or loose magnets — or giving some kids third-degree burns (the oven). The massive recall got Americans — already wary about globalization — fretting anew over the perils of outsourcing, and talking about buying local. In September, Mattel (the manufacturer of many of the affected toys) issued an official apology to China for overreacting and damaging the reputation of Chinese-made toys, which make up 80% of playthings sold in the U.S. Two months later, however, in November, several kids got sick from swallowing Aqua Dots, small sticky beads that can be molded into shapes, prompting yet another recall of "made in China" toys.