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NZ tests find formaldehyde in Chinese-made clothes
By Samantha Donovan

Posted Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:27pm AEST
Updated Mon Aug 20, 2007 3:35pm AEST


Made in China: Formaldehyde levels found in Chinese-made clothes have raised safety concerns (File photo). (Reuters: Aly Song)

Audio: NZ investigates claims of Chinese clothing contamination (ABC News) First it was pet food, then toys. Now the safety of Chinese-made clothes is being called into question.

New Zealand's Ministry of Consumer Affairs is investigating claims that clothes contaminated with high levels of formaldehyde are being sold in New Zealand.

Exposure to high levels of formaldehyde can cause cancer in humans.

The claims are being aired on NZ television program Target.

The program's director, Candace McNabb, says her team arranged scientific tests when they came across the story.

"We were tipped off by a consumer who contacted us because her son had bought 100 per cent cotton pants and had an allergic reaction to them," she said.

"So we started looking into the types of chemicals that are used in production and manufacture of clothing and treatments that they receive along the way. For example, something like formaldehyde is used to prevent mould and mildew, things like that."

Ms McNabb says the test results were very surprising.

"The results we got back were that on particularly highly treated materials, like easy-care fabrics, there was 900 times the safe level of formaldehyde used on them," she said.

"Quite often we hear about formaldehyde in building materials and things like that, so it was quite hard to find out what it would mean on clothing, but basically there are worries about it being cancer-causing and things like that.

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Nigerian authorities are cracking down on all foreign-manufactured toothpaste following the discovery of a harmful agent in a Chinese-made brand.
National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control says it has found anti-freezing agent diethylene glycol (DEG) in Chinese-made Colgate.

All retailers are to destroy all foreign-manufactured toothpastes on their shelves, Nafdac says.

Retailers who fail to destroy the illegal toothpaste will be prosecuted.

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