Public feedback sought on faulty-goods recall system
Public opinion is being sought on a proposed recall system after recent reports of defective products, including low-quality baby bottles, endangering children's lives.
The announcement was made by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine yesterday, which was International Children's Day.
The regulation is aimed at protecting public safety as concern rises over dangerous products.
Analysts believed that when the regulation was implemented it would boost responsibility among toy manufacturers, the China News Service reported.
In the past week, mainland media have exposed several wholesalers selling poisonous baby bottles made from recycled compact discs. The bottles contained twice the legal limit of hydroxybenzene, a chemical that dissolves in heated milk and causes liver and kidney damage.
In another round of inspections, officials found that a harmful dye was used in the production of children's clothing in Guangdong. The dye could cause cancer of the bladder or urethra after extended contact with the skin.
Ding Zongyi, head of the Chinese Medical Association's child health professionals committee, this week urged governments to impose tougher standards on the manufacture of children's products.
He said low-quality and counterfeit goods had led to an increasing number of life-threatening conditions among children.
In one serious case of counterfeit goods, hundreds of newborn babies in 2004 were found severely malnourished and dozens died after being fed formula made from milk powder that did not meet basic nutritional standards.
