By Amy Klobuchar, Guest Column

Across Minnesota, families are making their annual trips to the local mall to buy holiday gifts.

Kids are making wish lists and parents are combing the ads for the best prices.

But this year, parents are thinking about more than the price. Lead paint and other noxious substances have been discovered on imported toys, and millions of recalls have caused shoppers to pause before placing that new toy in their shopping cart. I want to make sure these toxic toys aren&8217;t on our shores or in our stores.

This year&8217;s developments demonstrate that the federal government&8217;s consumer protections aren&8217;t working adequately to protect American families and children, a situation that Congress must correct before the end of this holiday shopping season.

First, this rash of recalls reinforces the need for a mandatory federal lead standard, backed by the force of law. We need clear standards with enforceable penalties.

We must also make it illegal for stores to knowingly sell a recalled toy, which will ensure that retailers move quickly to remove unsafe toys from the shelves and give us tools to go after bad actors who keep these toys on the market in stores or in online auctions.

As for toys that have been recalled, I know how tough it is to tell one Barbie from another once it&8217;s already out of the package and in a toy box.

Countless parents have stopped me on the street to ask how they can tell which toys have been recalled &8212; they&8217;ve thrown away entire train sets just to be safe, because they couldn&8217;t tell the difference. My legislation will require manufacturers to place a batch number directly on toys, allowing parents to match that toy against the list of recalls and remove an unsafe toy from their home.

While Congress is moving quickly to enact new standards and safety measures, this holiday season, concerned parents need to take action as well.

While most major retailers are diligent about removing recalled toys from their shelves, parents still must shop carefully and read the packaging.

They should buy age-appropriate toys, paying special attention to toys with small parts and magnets that pose a hazard if swallowed.

And, most importantly, they should stay informed of the latest recalls and check the toys they purchase against listings, such as www.recall.gov.

As always, a more informed shopper is a safer shopper.

But the burden should not fall solely on parents or kids to know if a toy is safe.

That&8217;s why the best long-term solution is greater vigilance by toy manufacturers and retailers, backed up by stronger toy safety laws with more inspections and tougher enforcement. That way, parents can have the trust they need that toxic toys won&8217;t get into the hands of their children.

Democrat Amy Klobuchar is a U.S. senator from Minneapolis.