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A toxic mud, missing warning labels and a possible invasion of privacy are among the many warnings that some consumer advocates have for parents during this holiday period.
The US Public Interest Research Group released its 33rd annual report, "Trouble in Toyland," in which at least 15 of the 40 toys tested could pose safety risks for children.
It has been discovered that six popular viscous products contain boron, probably in the form of borax or sodium tetraborate. Borax is known to be a mild irritant to the skin and eyes and, if ingested, can be fatal in children, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. High levels of borax have been banned in the European Union, but the non-partisan group claims to have discovered that a number of slime-based products had 15 times the legal limit of the EU. However, in the United States, the amount of borax in a product is not limited.
The group called on lawmakers to require the labeling of products with high concentration of borox and asked industry toy manufacturers to use borax alternatives, such as lotions or glue.
"Parents can rest assured that drool and all other toys sold in the US are compliant and safe," said Rebecca Mond, vice president of government affairs at the Toy Association.
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The professional association represents more than 950 members of Amazon's Kangaroo Manufacturing, a company that recalled four of its viscous products to Canada in September after the government declared that it was not meeting the requirements in the area of toy safety. Kangaroo said it has received no reports of incidents or injuries related to the use of the recalled sludge in the country.
According to the report "Trouble in Toyland", private data could also be compromised. Through a survey conducted by the Mozilla Foundation, the group discovered that two popular toys can share private information about children for advertising purposes. The non-partisan group claims that the Amazon Fire HD Kids Edition does not allow users to delete the data stored on the device and, according to the Mozilla Foundation, "Amazon is getting to know your child from his cradle".
The nonpartisan public interest group also found that 87% of Amazon's latex balloons did not carry any choking hazard labels on the website's descriptions. According to the trade association, all toys sold in the United States must comply with safety regulations and must be tested by an accredited independent laboratory. Mond also said that balloons are not toys.
Amazon has not responded to requests for comments.
The Toy Association, which represents Disney, the parent company of ABC News, assures consumers that "the only thing parents need to worry about this year is to buy fun toys for their kids."
The US Public Interest Research Group has stated that its efforts over several decades have led to more than 150 recalls and precautions taken by toy manufacturers.
Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director of the Consumer Association of America, said, "Parents should not be forced to be detectives.Most consumers assume that a product available for sale is safe."
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