Eurofins | News Flash - December 2018 | Toys & Childcare

China

Eurofins China laboratories expand their capabilities for China Market

Eurofins´ labs continue expanding their capabilities to offer a one-stop-service solution to their customers by recently including additional services to complement their offers for Consumer Products entering the Chinese Market.

The Eurofins laboratories located in Hangzhou and Shanghai are now CNAS and CMA accredited for more than 200 Chinese standards in order to ensure that our clients´ products addressed to the Chinese market are in full compliance with the applicable standards.

The families of products in the scope include:

Food contact materials
Textiles and related
Toys and children’s products
And others

The service portfolio covers:

Consultancy
Testing
Certification
Packaging and Labelling Check

Should you have any question, please feel free to contact with GB-Testing-CN@eurofins.com.

Europe

Explanatory guide on Regulation (EU) 1513/2018

Last month, in our Textile & Leather Eurofins News Flash, we already informed about the publication of Regulation (EU) 1513/2018. It modifies Annex XVII to REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 by including a new entry (Entry 72) that apply to textile products and all products that under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use come into contact with human skin to an extent similar to clothing.

According to this scope definition, this means that textile toys such as Plush toys, Stuffed and Textile toys/dolls that, under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use can be in contact with the skin of children to an extent similar to clothing (during play or even sleeping), are considered to be under the scope of this new regulation.

However, for these products, if any other legislation applicable to toys, such as the Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC, establishes lower limits for any of the substances covered in this restriction, those lower limits would apply.

The European Commission has published an explanatory guide on the restriction on CMRs 1A and 1B in textiles and clothing with the purpose of clarifying the scope of this regulation.

Click here for getting the guide from European Commission website.

16 CFR 1234 Safety Standard for infant bath tubs

On 23^rd October the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) published the Direct Final Rule of the revision of 16 CFR 1234 on Safety Standard for Infant Bath Tubs.

It does reference to Safety Standard ASTM F2670-18. This standard indicates the performance requirements, test methods and labelling requirements for the safe use of this type of products.

The rule will become effective on 15^th January 2019.

New definition for durable infant or toddler products

On 25^th October 2018, the USA Consumer Product Safety Commission notified the “Amendment to Requirements for Consumer Registration of Durable Infant or Toddler Products” to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The aim of this notification is to amend the definition of "durable infant or toddler product” and to clarify the scope of each listed product category.

Click here for getting the notification published in the European Commission website with reference G/TBT/N/USA/1402.

Canada

Carcinogenicity potential from 7 colorant ingredients

On 3^rd November, the Government of Canada published a draft screening assessment of seven Anthraquinones substances with carcinogenicity potential.

Theses 7 substances are:

Solvent violet 13
Pigment blue 60
Solvent violet 59
Solvent blue 36
Disperse red 60
Acid blue 239
"9,10-Anthracenedione, 1,4-diamino-, N,N'-mixed 2-ethylhexyl", including methyl- and pentyl- derivatives

Click here for getting the Draft screening assessment Anthraquinones group.

International

Changes in the migration limits for ISO 8124-3:2010

In September 2018, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published ISO 8124-3:2010/Amd 2:2018.

This amendment changes the migration limits of several chemical elements for finger paint and modelling clay. Therefore, the standard includes three different sets of migration limits depending of the type of material. Below a summary table with these changes:

Toy materials	Elements (mg/kg)
Toy materials	Sb	As	Ba	Cd	Cr	Pb	Hg	Se
Toy materials	60	25	1000	75	60	90	60	500
Modelling clay	60	25	250	50	25	90	25	500
Finger paint	10	10	350	15	25	25	10	50

Product recalls/Alerts

Below you will find a monthly summary of product recalls and alerts in Europe (Source “RAPEX”) and in the US (Source “CPSC”).

Europe

RAPEX (European Commission Rapid Alert System for dangerous non-food products – Alerts reported by EU national authorities).

The following 73 alerts regarding Childcare articles, equipment and toys have been reported, from week 43 until week 46.

Type of Risk	Number of alerts	Notes
Chemical	35	Phthalates: Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP) , di-butyl phthalate (DBP) and di-‘isononyl’ phthalate (DINP).
		Nickel release.
		Toy slime: high level of migration of Boron.
		Squeezable toy: containing N,N-dimethylformamide, N,N-dimethyl-aminoethanol, cyclohexanone, triethylenediamine, bis (2- (dimethylamino) ethyl) ether , 1,1,4,7,7-pentamethyl-diethylenetriamine , xylenes, dimethylformamide, dimethyl-aminoethanol. Not complying with the requirements of the Toy Safety Directive.
		Button cell batteries: easily accessible. Not complying with Toy Safety Directive and standard EN 62115.
Injuries and Choking	35	Small parts and other type of risks such as sharp edges: not complying with requirements of EN 71-1.
		Soother holder: a chain which is too long and small parts can be detached. The product does not comply with the relevant European Standard EN 12586.
		Soother: Too small dimensions. The product does not comply with the relevant European standard EN 1400.
Entrapment	1	Children's high chair: The high chair is unstable and the restraint system is inadequate. It does not comply with standard EN 14988.
Suffocation	1	Cuddle nest: If the child turns the head, it can get stuck between the side and bottom of the cuddle nest, leading to suffocation.
Injuries, strangulation	1	Playpen: contains sharp edges and snag points. Not complying with standard EN 12227.

From on 21^st October to 20^th November, CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) has published the following recalls: 3 recalls regarding Childcare and children’s products.

Type of Risk	Number of recalls	Notes
Chocking	2	Children’s water bottles: The water bottle’s spout can detach, exposing a small ring, posing a choking hazard to children.
Chocking	2	Infant rattles: Pieces of the rattle can detach, posing a choking hazard to infants.
Injuries	1	Slap bracelets: The slap bracelet’s metal wristband can pierce the protective fabric around it and expose sharp edges, posing a laceration hazard to young children.