Clothes scare prompts standard
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and major retailers have moved to implement a clothing safety standard following the recall of toxic children's clothing in New Zealand.
The move follows two instances - occurring in July and picked up by the New Zealand press last month - involving TWL-brand pyjamas found to contain formaldehyde at levels 500 times higher than that considered safe. The pyjamas, retailed through New Zealand surplus store The Warehouse, were pulled from its shelves.
Immediately following media coverage of the incident, the ACCC released a statement confirming it was testing clothing for residual formaldehyde in response to heightened consumer concerns. However there was no evidence that clothing in the Australian market contained unacceptably high levels of formaldehyde, confirmed ACCC Chairman Graeme Samuel.
"The ACCC is working with the Department of Health and Ageing and seeking other expert advice on an appropriate maximum level for formaldehyde in clothing and textiles. In the interim, the ACCC will use the European Union benchmark for the applicable maximum residue limits for formaldehyde."
As Ragtrader went to press ACCC public relations director Lin Enright confirmed there had been no voluntary recall notifications regarding formaldehyde levels in Australian clothing imported from China.
Coles Group retailers Kmart and Target welcomed the implementation of a safety standard in the wake of the scare.
"The fact is that until now there has been no standard in Australia and New Zealand. We're now working with the ACCC on gaining an understanding of the best way to put one in place. It's heartening to see that an incident like this might have the desirable effect of creating some guidelines," confirmed Kmart spokesperson Jim Cooper.
Target corporate affairs advisor Daniel Ellis said while the retailer had had a number of concerned enquiries to its customer service line following the New Zealand recall there had been no reported instances of faulty clothing.
"We have very good relationships with our factories in China and they are inspected frequently, but we are certainly keeping our eye on the situation," he said.
While small measures of formaldehyde are commonly used in clothes to enhance crease resistance, the chemical has been classified by the US Environmental Protection Agency as a probable human carcinogen and in high doses can cause eye, skin and nasal discomfort, breathing problems and asthma.
By Belinda Smart