Mattel Inc, the world's largest toymaker, has recalled 155,000 of its products made in Mexico over safety concerns, an official at the company told Reuters on Tuesday.

An official at the European Union's executive arm later confirmed that around 17,000 items had been recalled in Europe due to concerns that small pieces could detach from the toys and cause children to choke.

Around 7,000 products have been withdrawn in Britain and Ireland, while 4,900 have been recalled in Italy, 4,900 in Germany and 394 in Austria.

The products concerned are Laugh & Learn and Learning Kitchen Toys, which are part of the Fisher-Price range, the Mattel official said.

Millions of Chinese-made toys, including some 21 million produced by Mattel, have been recalled worldwide in the last four months due to excessive levels of lead paint and other unsafe components.

Authorities in Europe and the United States are carrying out a root-and-branch review of their toy safety regulations in light of the huge number of recalls.

EU Consumer Protection Commissioner Meglena Kuneva will travel to Washington on Thursday with Enterprise Commissioner Guenter Verheugen to discuss the issue with their U.S. counterparts.

The EU is due to bring forward new toy safety proposals in January, but some EU and U.S. lawmakers have called for a ban on products made in China until the situation improves.

Kuneva has threatened such a ban if a report to be submitted by the Chinese authorities next week fails to meet her concerns.

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