Inflatable toys found to have severe phthalate violations; Consumers' Foundation and Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection urge parents to take note
Many parents buy brightly colored inflatable toys for their children, and besides playing with them, kids may also chew on them. If the toy materials and ingredients are not strictly controlled, children can easily swallow toxins. The Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Consumers' Foundation, Chinese Taipei today released the results of inspections of inflatable toys sold on the market: of 14 inflatable toy samples, 9 had plasticizer levels exceeding the standard value by a hundredfold, and 1 was found to have heavy metal levels above the limit.
The Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (abbreviated as the Bureau of Standards) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs worked with the Consumers' Foundation, Chinese Taipei, and this April visited hardware stores, special sale outlets and toy wholesale shops in Taipei City, New Taipei City and Taichung City, selecting 14 inflatable toys whose quality and labeling were in doubt for testing. The results showed that 9 products had excessive levels of phthalate plasticizers such as DEHP and DINP, and 1 product had heavy metal levels exceeding regulations. As for the products' "Chinese labeling," 9 products failed to meet regulations.
Lu Yun, vice chairperson of the Consumers' Foundation, Chinese Taipei, said that besides labeling the place of manufacture and ingredients, products should also indicate the suitable age for the toy and the correct way to use it. Parents should also choose "age-appropriate" toys for their children, not let children put toys in their mouths, and accompany children when using toys, to avoid misuse by children that causes physical harm.
Lu Yun further stressed that the people best able to hold product quality to account are consumers; if they find unclear labeling before buying a product, they can report that product. In view of the high failure rate in this round of inflatable toy testing, the Bureau of Standards also said it will conduct irregular spot checks on all types of toys in the future, focusing on testing for heavy metal and plasticizer levels.
The list of failed inflatable toys can be read on the Consumers' Foundation website, at the web address http://goo.gl/1A6a16