China made toy foam mats recalled in Belgium, France

This has raised fresh concerns from parents over the safety of toys produced in China, the world's largest toy producer and exporter, in the lead up to the holiday season.
Around 70 per cent of the world's toys are made in China, netting an annual output worth 100 billion yuan (USD 14.7 billion), according to reports in the media here.
Belgium ordered all foam puzzle mats imported from China to be taken off the shelves on December 10, citing a health department report that they emitted harmful particles, specifically form amide, an industrial chemical that has been linked to cancer, the official media reported here.

Three days later, France also announced a three-month sale ban on the products.
The French secretary of consumer affairs, Frederic Lefebvre, is also trying to determine "the toxicity of carpet puzzles for children and sale on the French market," and asked his Belgian counterpart to communicate the results of a scientific analysis made about these toys, state-run Global Times said.

Formamide is toxic to the reproductive system and can pose harm to fetuses and infants. Exposure to the chemical can also cause eye, nose, throat and skin irritation.
This is the second time in the recent months safety issues relating to the Chinese toys were in the lime light.

Earlier, several types of toys made in China were recalled due to concerns that they contained the paint used on the plastic contained excessive quantity of lead.
Following the cue, many countries in Asia and Europe had removed the toys off their shelves.

To better regulate the industry, China had issued a National Safety Technical Code for Toys in 2004 that stipulated toys must carry warning labels and age recommendations. However, safety concerns have still been reported since.

In January this year, China topped the list for the rapid alert system on non-food consumer products with 46 types of toys reported to have hidden safety risks.
"Many toys sold in small markets or by vendors are fake and have no authorized certificate," a staff member with the China Toy Association, told Global Times.

Wu Yixiu, a campaigner with the Greenpeace Beijing Office said there is no complete regulation on chemical substances in any relevant industry. Out of 45,000 chemicals, only about 100 chemicals that carry acute poisoning risks are monitored, he said.