‘Many stores not complying with toy safety label law’

CEBU, Philippines — Some retail stores in the cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu are found to be non-complaint with the Republic Act 10620 Toy and Game Safety Labeling Act of 2013.

The EcoWaste Coalition, a toxic chemical and environmental watchdog, bought assorted toys from various retail toy and souvenir stores in Cebu and Lapu-Lapu cities on September 28 and 29. Each toy costs P25 to P200.

Thony Dizon, coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition's Project Protect, said the toys were brought to their main office in Quezon City for product label examination and for heavy metal screening using an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) chemical analyzer.

Out of 79 toy samples, he said, only three were found to be compliant with the mandatory toy labeling information required by the Food and Drug Administration, the agency that oversees the product notification scheme for toy and childcare articles (TCCAs).

As per FDA Circular 2014-023, duly notified TCCAs should contain the following product labeling information: License to operate (LTO) number, age grade, cautionary statements/ warnings, instructional literature, item/ model/ stock keeping unit (SKU) number, and manufacturer’s marking, including the complete name and address of the manufacturer or distributor.

Lead, a powerful neurotoxin which may pose serious health risks to children, was also found in 15 out of 79 toy samples in amounts above the US regulatory limit of 90 parts per million (ppm), Dizon said.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “lead exposure harms children at much lower doses, and the health effects are generally irreversible and can have a lifelong impact.”

The unlabeled colorful toy ukuleles sold at tourist souvenir shops were also found to contain lead amounting to 12,300 ppm, way above the 90 ppm threshold limit for lead in paints and surface coatings. While souvenir items like fridge magnet had 7,092 ppm of lead.

"The use of lead-containing paints to decorate toys is a brazen violation of the country’s lead paint regulation,” Dizon said in a statement.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources Administrative Order 2013-24, or the Chemical Control Order for Lead and Lead Compounds, strictly prohibits the use of lead paint in the production of toys, among other things.

The group also reminded consumers to carefully read the label of the packaging of the products.

Under RA 10620, toy products “not in compliance with the requirements of this Act shall be considered a misbranded or banned hazardous substance… and withdrawn from the market.”

It states that non-compliant toys and games “shall be withdrawn from the market at the expense of the manufacturer or importer and shall not be allowed to be distributed, sold or offered for sale in the Philippines.”

Moreover, environmental, health and labor groups lauded the government’s efforts to phase out leaded paints in time for the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action from October 22 to 28.

The event aims to raise awareness and promote action to address the human health effects of lead exposure, particularly to children.

 "While many developing countries have yet to enact mandatory lead paint standards and regulations, our country took a bold decision to phase out lead in paints with the primary goal of protecting vulnerable populations, particularly the children, women of child-bearing age and the workers,” Dizon said. (FREEMAN)