Recall of Ardene children's jewelry cancelled

Health Canada has cancelled its recall of children's jewelry from clothing and accessories retailer Ardene after further tests revealed that the products do not actually contain excessive amounts of lead. The department is the Canada government's branch responsible for national public health.

The move is the first time that a recall notice for a consumer product has been removed since the country implemented the Consumer Product Safety act in 2011. According to Health Canada officials, problems with their new testing equipment might have caused the error.

The recall was issued on May 5 after the department said that pendants from some of Ardene's jewerly selection were found to have lead contents exceeding federal guidelines. The products affected were children's necklaces with pendants shaped like a watermelon and a cactus, and those with two hearts with the words Best and Friends inscribed.

Most countries have imposed limits on the adoption of lead in jewelry because of its toxicity. If ingested, the substance can severely damage the nervous system and other organs, resulting in permanent injury and even death. This is especially dangerous to young children who have the tendency put things their mouths.

The recall was the seventh for Ardene in the past 10 years, five of which were due to excessive lead contents.

The Quebec-based fashion retailer, however, said that it has implemented several safety procedures since last year. These include a new testing method, sending QC staff to its suppliers in China and insisting that lead not be used in any of their products.

Ardene also complied with the recall even though it disagreed with Health Canada's initial findings. The company had the pieces tested immediately by third-party laboratories in China and the US, with both saying that lead contents were within safe levels. Health Canada likewise reexamined the samples and found lead levels to be well below the government limits.

The department has acknowledged the problem and stopped using the equipment until it can retrain laboratory personnel and develop a new protocol for the machine's proper usage.