HARTFORD, Conn. -- Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell Jr. alerted the public Tuesday at a press conference about products for infants and children that pose choking hazards.

At the press conference, Farrell also offered labeling information that parents should look for when choosing products for their children and endorsed the work of nearly two dozen Trinity College students, their advisor, Dr. Alison Draper and their mentor, Urey Chow, in conducting field research and tests of children's toys to determine the presence of lead.

"Products sold for children in Connecticut are required to be safe, and appropriate labels are mandated by law in order to provide accurate and helpful safety information that allows the consumer to make an informed choice," Gov. Jodi Rell said. "Incorrect or missing labels are a problem that could lead to serious injury."

"We do continue to find a number of products in the marketplace that contain small parts and lack proper labeling," Farrell said. "The good news is that no toys tested to date violate the state's lead standard. Inspectors will continue their compliance checks throughout the year to ensure that suspected products are in compliance with the State Child Protection Act. Retailers and manufacturers should be aware that these safety standards will change in July 2009, and our inspectors will be testing against those new standards. The Trinity College students who tested a wide range of inexpensive toys for lead got no positive readings, which I believe speaks to our efforts in getting unsafe items out of stores."

Farrell said that all 179 of the unsafe and/or mislabeled toys found by the agency are embargoed. Two of the items, a necklace set sold at Party City stores and Baby Necessities Pacifiers sold at Dollar Mania in Norwalk, are also being recalled, effective immediately.

"We're pleased that Connecticut law empowers us to take immediate action to get these unsafe products off the shelf," Farrell said.

The recalled and embargoed items include:

Fun Favors Necklace/Bracelet/Ring Set, product No. 392154, distributed by Amscan, of Elmsford, N.Y.: Party City in Fairfield, Newington, Hamden, Stamford, Norwalk, Manchester and Orange. There were 93 items embargoed and recalled due to a choking hazard.

Baby Necessities Pacifiers, product No. 31116, distributed by JPW International, of Commerce, Calif.: Dollar Mania in Norwalk. There were 53 items embargoed and recalled due to a strangulation hazard and small parts.

Pacifier, Baby Boop, lot No. 45141105, distributed by Babies’ Alley, of New York: Dollar-N-Things in Manchester. There were 26 items embargoed until labeling is corrected. The product poses a strangulation hazard.

Party Favors, 6 siren whistles with balloons, product No. PF-1012, distributed by MTC Trading Co. Inc., of Brisbane, Calif.: Dollar-N-Things in Manchester. There were seven packages embargoed until labeling is corrected. This product poses a choking or suffocation hazard.

The study conducted by the students at Trinity College in Hartford tested 73 toys purchased from Hartford area dollar stores in October. Toys deemed appropriate for children ages 2 to 5 were targeted for purchase. Each item was tested with a portable lead testing device, LeadCheck Swabs, a product of Hybrivet Systems, Inc.

Lead was not detected by the test in any of the 73 toys, according to the study’s report. The report concludes that its findings are limited by factors, including the sample size and testing procedure. The possibility that lead is present at levels below the level that can be detected by the LeadCheck swabs was also noted.

"The students and their advisors are to be commended for conducting this study, which clearly addresses an issue of real significance in citizens' daily lives," Farrell said. "We greatly appreciate the level of interest that was demonstrated for the issue of lead in children's products, which affects us on a daily basis. Further studies of this type are certainly welcome, as they raise awareness among university students of critical health and economic issues facing our nation, yield helpful data, and add an important, fresh new voice to the dialog."

Farrell re-emphasized the need for parents and other toy buyers to be very selective when choosing items for children. Some suggestions include:

Looking for quality design and construction in all toys and products for any age child.

Making sure that all directions or instructions are clear to you, and when appropriate, to the child.

Discarding plastic wrappings on toys before they become deadly playthings.

Looking for and follow age recommendations and other safety labels.

Making new toys intended for children younger than 8 years old free of sharp glass and metal edges.

Watching for removable small eyes and noses on stuffed toys and dolls, tiny puzzle pieces, small car wheels and small, removable squeakers on squeeze toys. Toy parts that are small enough to be swallowed or become lodged in a child's windpipe, ears or nose are a common hazard, although they are banned, Farrell said.

Being aware of toy caps and some noisemaking toys that can be loud enough to damage hearing.

Avoiding toys with long strings or cords for infants and very young children. Never hang toys with long strings, cords, loops or ribbons in cribs or playpens where children can become entangled. Remove crib gyms from the crib when the child can pull up on hands and knees.