Every year during the holiday shopping season NGOs release their latest “toxic toy” report. This year is no exception. The problem is that in their zeal to get headlines these reports are not grounded in science and lack proper context.
Last week, the hottest toy of the holiday season, the zhu zhu pet, fell victim to one of these reports. The NGO GoodGuide.com reported this toy as “toxic” claiming that there were unsafe levels of the chemical antimony present in the fur. These claims turned out to be false but the media attention created a frenzied panic among concerned parents.
In response to these allegations, the CPSC reviewed the toys and testing reports and concluded that zhus zhus were indeed safe for children. Their statement indicated that the toy is “not out of compliance with the antimony or other heavy-metal limits of the new U.S. mandatory toy standard.”
As a result, GoodGuide issued an apology stating the inaccuracies of their initial report, and noted they used a different testing methodology that is not recognized by the CSPC for determining a hazard. It turns out they used a methodology which simply detected a presence of a chemical and did not examine exposure or risk levels.
This incident demonstrates just how powerful these reports can be in influencing parental decisions and perpetuating health scares. Within hours of GoodGuide’s original statement, thousands of alarmed parents took to blogs and online message boards.
We commend the CPSC for their timely response in addressing these concerns. It is important for parents to be able to distinguish true risks from hype. While these “watchdog” reports may make for a good story, their information is not always the most accurate. The CPSC completes their own independent testing and reviews to make sure products are in compliance with federal safety requirements.
For the most up to date information about toys and their safety, visit the CPSC website at: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/category/toy.Html
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