November 25, 2022, Quezon City. As the rush to buy toys grows in the run-up to Christmas, an environmental organization that defends children’s health and safety has accused toymakers of failing to comply with mandatory safety requirements. labeling of toys.
“Despite the enactment of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 10620, or the Toy and Game Safety Labeling Act, in January 2019, properly labeled toys are still difficult to find”, said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.
“Manufacturers, importers and distributors who continue to ignore the labeling requirements needed for toys are depriving consumers of an essential tool they can use to choose appropriate, reliable, good quality and safe products. for health”, she says.
In test purchases made on November 23, 2022 in Cubao, Quezon City, the EcoWaste Coalition found that 25 toys it had sourced from four legitimate retail establishments failed to meet the requirements of the labeling of toys. For example, 16 products did not have an operating license number (LTO); 22 lacked maker’s marks; and 19 provided no pedagogical documentation.
The group’s latest push for compliance with toy labeling requirements coincided with the second anniversary of a major advisory issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on November 25, 2020.
On this day two years ago, the FDA issued Notice No. 2020-2022 reiterating mandatory labeling requirements for toys and childcare items in accordance with the IRR of RA 10620.
As summarized by the FDA, the following information is required on the packaging, container, wrapper, or protective liner of toys: FDA-issued LTO number; classification by age; caution/warnings; educational literature; manufacturer’s marks with the full name and address of the local business; and the item’s model or Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) number.
Labeling information, which must be visible, easily readable, understandable and in an indelible form, must generally be written in English and not written in foreign characters.
In addition to promoting compliance with RA 10620, the EcoWaste Coalition also urges manufacturers to, where no law exists, voluntarily disclose the chemicals used in the manufacture of a toy, along with their potential hazards, on the product label.
“Disclosure of chemical ingredients and hazards will go a long way to educating and protecting consumers from harmful substances in products, and influencing industry to switch to cleaner production,” said the EcoWaste Coalition said.
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Source of publication: Online journal