Hong Kong consumer watchdog finds over 75 per cent of stress-relieving toys for children fail to meet EU safety standards
- Consumer Council says 22 out of 29 plastic toys did not comply with safety requirements set out by European Union
- Items sampled include silicone and bath toys that allow children to relieve stress by squeezing and kneading them
More than 75 per cent of stress-relieving toys designed for young children have failed to meet safety standards when tested for the presence of harmful chemicals and choking hazards, according to Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog.
Twenty-two of 29 plastic toys that were tested did not comply with requirements set out by the European Union, while 15 were found to have structural safety problems, the Consumer Council revealed on Tuesday.
The items sampled included silicone and bath toys that allow children to relieve stress by squeezing and kneading them. The council noted that during the pandemic, children were playing with toys more because they were often indoors.
The watchdog conducted “abuse tests” involving children repeatedly pressing and pulling the products, and found that small parts broke off easily and fluid leakage also occurred.
“If these small parts or fluids are ingested by accident, they may cause suffocation or other health risks. The findings were extremely undesirable,” said research and testing committee chairwoman Nora Tam Fung-yee, adding that children might mistake the liquids for juice.
About 85 per cent of the tested items were found to contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – impurities commonly found in plastics that can be harmful to the respiratory tract and skin.
Excessive levels of phthalates, often added to plastic materials to increase elasticity and durability, were also detected in three toys.