The boss of Mattel has apologised for safety lapses which resulted in the recall of 21 million Chinese-made toys in recent months.

Robert Eckert told a US Senate hearing that Mattel was 'by no means perfect' and acknowledged its Chinese producers had not been monitored closely enough.

But he denied the firm was too slow to reveal safety concerns, saying notice of the recalls had been given speedily.

'Made in China has now become a warning label,' Senator Sam Brownback said.

Recent recalls have dented consumer confidence in toys and other goods exported from China and put pressure on US retailers to improve their testing procedures.