56,000 Lunch Boxes Recalled

I am not prone to paranoia when it comes to recalls. When Mattel started announcing it was calling in toys with lead, I did not immediately go through my kids closets. But today's news that something like 56,000 lunch bags tainted with lead are being recalled really hits us Moms in the gut. This time, it's not just about keeping plastics out of the mouths of toddlers. The idea that a wholesome sandwich I take the time to fix could sit in my daughter's lunch box all day and absorb lead makes me sick.

The lead bags were passed out at school health fairs in California as part of an effort to promote healthy eating. They are blue and green canvas bags with logos that say: EAT FRUITS & VEGETABLES AND BE ACTIVE in English and Spanish.

Let me get personal. My husband returned from Toronto last week toting two adorable Disney Princess lunch boxes, which he paid an arm and leg for due to the weakness of the dollar against Canadian currency. My daughters LOVE them and have started taking them to school. The boxes, made in China by The TIn Box Co., came with little stickers on the bottom saying "Lead-free tested.''

But now I'm highly suspicious. Even if they claim they've been tested, how do you know? I have a call in to the TIn Box Co., and I'll update what I find out. The point is, these recalled bags look the same as most canvas lunch bags I've seen. So I'd say it's highly likely that most of these bags contain some lead.
I think I'm going to go back to my brown bags. The kids can use the lunch boxes for play. I guess the lesson here is you've got to choose what to get worried about. I mean, Croc-style sandals may get stuck in escalators, but at least they don't contain lead (at least that we know of). And what about the toxic soup of smog we all breathe in, living in the 310, 909 and 818?