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A consumer health advocacy group is pushing Build-A-Bear Workshop to remove all lead from its products and to recall a pin that it says has high levels of lead.

The California-based Center for Environmental Health claims a Build-A-Bear pin it purchased in March — the "Love.Hugs.Peace. Collectibear Pin" — had more than 10 times the federal limit of lead for children’s toys. The center informed Build-A-Bear of its findings last month and asked the company to recall the pin.

The center, unsatisfied with the company’s response, released its findings to the Post-Dispatch Wednesday.

Charles Margulis, a spokesman for the group, said the pin was one of three Build-A-Bear items it tested. The other two did not violate standards, he added.

The Overland-based retailer of plush animals defended the collector pin’s safety record, noting it has passed "rigorous testing" for safety, including one in March 2009. The company added that all of its products are tested and comply with U.S., European and Canadian safety standards.

"All of our products are tested by an independent third party, Consumer Product Safety Commission accredited laboratory, Intertek, prior to being shipped," the company said in a statement.

The California advocacy group filed a lawsuit against Build-A-Bear and several other companies in 2008, alleging that they violated a California state law that says companies must warn consumers in most cases if a product has lead and other chemicals known to cause cancer. The product at issue in that case was a Build-A-Bear dog collar charm.

The nonprofit group said Build-A-Bear has not addressed these issues despite repeated pleas for change.

"We are disappointed that a company that trades in its reputation for creating friendship, trust and comfort with its young patrons would be so cavalier about high levels of lead in the products they sell to our children," Michael Green, the center’s executive director, said in a statement.

Margulis questioned the relevance of Build-A-Bear’s test results on the pin from a year ago, noting that the product it tested this year could have been from a different batch.

Most of the other companies named in the lawsuit have settled, agreeing to eliminate the lead risk in their products and to adhere to certain testing standards, he added.

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