McDonald's recalls Shrek glasses in cadmium scare

Fast food chain McDonald's today recalled 12 million drinking glasses it is selling to promote the new Shrek movie because painted designs on the collectable items contain the toxic metal cadmium.

The restaurant said that it wants customers to stop using the 16-ounce glasses, which have been sold for about two US dollars (£1.40) each and were available in four designs depicting the main characters from the animated movie, Shrek Forever After.

Cadmium is a known carcinogen that research shows also can cause bone softening and severe kidney problems.

In the case of the Shrek glasses, the concern would be long-term exposure to low levels of cadmium, which could leach from the paint onto a child's hand, then enter the body if the child puts that unwashed hand to his or her mouth.