Two less teddy bears will be available for last minute Valentine’s gift shoppers, as Target Corporation has pulled its “Message Bears” from shelves after investigators for the Center for Environment Health found that inflated vinyl letters on the front of the bears contained an unsafe level of lead.
The bears in question are pink and brown plush, with “XOXO” across the chest on the pink bear and “I Love U” across the chest of the brown bear, with the word love represented by a heart.
The bears were made in China for Target’s in-house brand after laboratory tests revealed lead levels nearly 10 times higher than those allowed under federal law. After the tests, CEH officials asked California Attorney General Jerry Brown to send a letter to the corporation asking them to remove items from their stores and issue refunds for returns.
The corporation has complied with the request and is conducting its own testing on the bears.