McDonald's Recalls Movie Themed Drinking Glasses Due to Potential Cadmium Risk

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #10257) was formally reported on June 4, 2010. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. ARC International, of Millville, NJ. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 12 million units are affected.

The documented reason for this recall is: The designs on the glasses contain cadmium. Long term exposure to cadmium can cause adverse health effects. Distribution information was not included in the agency filing, so consumers should assume broad potential exposure until the firm publishes point-of-sale details. The remedy documented by the agency is: McDonald's is asking consumers to immediately stop using the glasses out of an abundance of caution and return the glasses to any McDonald's for a refund of $3 each. — consumers holding this product should act on that instruction rather than relying on general guidance.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 6 were also issued by CPSC. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 16 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.