Australia, NZ fear of skin reaction
Chinese-made blankets found to contain high levels of formaldehyde have been recalled across Australia and New Zealand, the distributor said Wednesday, amid rising global concerns about the safety of Chinese products.
By Agencies |
WELLINGTON: Chinese-made blankets found to contain high levels of formaldehyde have been recalled across Australia and New Zealand, the distributor said Wednesday, amid rising global concerns about the safety of Chinese products. The voluntary recall by Australian-based Charles Parsons came two days after the New Zealand government launched an urgent investigation after scientists found dangerous levels of formaldehyde in woolen and cotton clothes made in China.
Formaldehyde —a chemical preservative that gives a permanent press effect to clothes and is also used as an embalming fluid — can cause problems ranging from skin rashes to cancer. Charles Parsons decline to release the total number of blankets involved, but spokesman Mark Bilton said “there’s a lot” in Australia and about 800 in New Zealand. Tests had shown the formaldehyde level in the “Superlux” label blankets was “above the European and US standards. There are no standards in Australia and New Zealand so it’s a voluntary recall,” he said. An official at China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, a quality watchdog, said the case was under investigation.
Meanwhile, New Zealand government research agency AgResearch said it was swamped by clothing companies wanting tests on Chinese imports. Scientists testing clothes for TV3’s “Target” consumer watchdog program discovered formaldehyde concentrations up to 900 times above the safe level. The New Zealand ministry of consumer affairs said Wednesday it would start a program to test for formaldehyde in clothes next week as part of its probe, while acknowledging the country had no standard for formaldehyde levels in textiles — a concern of retailers.
Formaldehyde —a chemical preservative that gives a permanent press effect to clothes and is also used as an embalming fluid — can cause problems ranging from skin rashes to cancer. Charles Parsons decline to release the total number of blankets involved, but spokesman Mark Bilton said “there’s a lot” in Australia and about 800 in New Zealand. Tests had shown the formaldehyde level in the “Superlux” label blankets was “above the European and US standards. There are no standards in Australia and New Zealand so it’s a voluntary recall,” he said. An official at China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, a quality watchdog, said the case was under investigation.
Meanwhile, New Zealand government research agency AgResearch said it was swamped by clothing companies wanting tests on Chinese imports. Scientists testing clothes for TV3’s “Target” consumer watchdog program discovered formaldehyde concentrations up to 900 times above the safe level. The New Zealand ministry of consumer affairs said Wednesday it would start a program to test for formaldehyde in clothes next week as part of its probe, while acknowledging the country had no standard for formaldehyde levels in textiles — a concern of retailers.
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