Boy Scouts Recall Badges Due to Excessive Lead

The Boy Scouts of America announced a recall of badges that are earned by Cub Scouts, citing a concern that the badges might contain an excessive amount of lead, reports The Houston Chronicle.

The announcement came after the company that supplied the badges informed the Boy Scouts of its concern that lead levels in the product, made in China, exceeded those of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Standards for paint.

The organization estimates the badge has been distributed to 1.7 million 7- and 8-year-olds nationwide over the course of the past seven or eight years

Gregg Shields, a spokesman for the Boy Scouts of America, in Irving, Tex., says the organization, “apologizes for any concerns this may have caused” and assures affected families that “we are doing everything we can to ensure the health and safety of everyone who participates in our programs.”