Dutch Consensus Group Report Confirms Safety of Phthalates in Toys

Join Press Release of: Toy Industries of Europe, European Council of Plasticizers and Intermediates and the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers
September 21, 1998

The European toy, plasticiser and vinyl industries have welcomed the publication of a report by a Dutch Scientific Consensus Group which provides evidence to further confirm that phthalate plasticisers can be used safely in the production of soft toys.

A series of human studies and laboratory tests conducted by the Dutch Consensus Group (DCG) have provided new evidence on migration levels which directly address earlier concerns expressed by the EU Scientific Committee for Toxicity, Ecotoxicity and the Environment (CSTEE).

At the same time the Group has provided a proposal for a routine laboratory test method that can be used to ensure that migration is contained within limits acknowledged to be safe.

"The results of studies on human adult volunteers and a behavioural study on infants show exposure to phthalates from toys in real life chewing to be much lower than had been supposed by the CSTEE," said Dr David Cadogan, Director of the European Council for Plasticisers and Intermediates (ECPI).

"The CSTEE has already stated that phthalates can be safely used within specified migration limits for the production of soft toys intended to be put into the mouth by children under three years old. This important new evidence clearly vindicates this position.

"It should also address their previous ‘cause for concern’ which they had expressed in the belief that in some cases the desired margin of safety might not be fully met. This had been based on an isolated case of extreme data which was not borne out in the latest studies," said Dr. Cadogan.

All three industries have particularly welcomed the announcement of the laboratory test that could provide the basis for a harmonised European test methodology.

Ensuring the protection of the safety and health of children is of paramount importance and the availability of the test method will provide a tool to further support this and to alleviate public concern.

"There is clearly no health risk to children but we believe that agreed safety limits should not be exceeded - even in cases like this when they have extremely high safety margins built into them," said Maurits Bruggink, Secretary General of Toys Industries Europe. "A test method will ensure that migration levels can be properly measured and we will be urging the European Commission to move quickly in order for it to be adopted on a European basis.

"In the meantime, toy manufacturers will take immediate steps to ensure that toys intended to go into the mouth for children under three years old will be manufactured to conform to phthalate migration levels as determined by the proposed Dutch method," he said.

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