China's product safety watchdog has halted the export of toys suspected of containing toxic substances in the latest scandal plaguing the "made in China" brand.
The export freeze comes after several children slipped into comas after ingesting the Bindeez and Aqua Dots beads, prompting recalls of several million sets of the toys in Australia and the United States.
China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine has ordered an investigation into the manufacturing process at plants making the toys, the China News Service reports.
A string of suspect toys manufactured in China have tainted the nation's production processes and struck fear in parents worldwide.
On Wednesday, Australian officials introduced a nationwide ban on Chinese-made Bindeez after they were found to release a substance akin to the date-rape drug GHB when swallowed.
Three children were admitted to hospital after falling unconscious when they ingested the tiny beads.
Also on Wednesday, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled 4.2 million units of a similar kids' bead set, Aqua Dots, after two children slipped into comas after swallowing the toy.
"The coating on the beads that causes the beads to stick to each other when water is added contains a chemical that can turn toxic when many are ingested," the commission said in a statement.
"Children who swallow the beads can become comatose, develop respiratory depression, or have seizures."
The US has further recalled nearly 400,000 other toys, including toy cars, which were made in China and had surface paint containing excessive levels of lead.
No injuries were reported among the lead paint recalls.
China's product safety watchdog did not immediately comment on the recalls of toys suspected of containing lead-based paints, but previously it has vowed to eradicate such products.
China is the world's top toy exporter, selling 22 billion toys overseas last year - 60 per cent of the globe's total. © 2007 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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