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Only after nine months from publication of the sixth edition of the Japan Toy Safety Standard* |5 y& F6 `4 |- f/ C& X M
(ST-2002), the Japan Toy Association announced on 28 November 2008 about amendment of the* z3 N3 D6 ? |& `9 f
Standard for the seventh time. Toys that apply for the ST Mark of the Japan Toy Association" a8 I3 W& `5 N% x' E; G
(JTA) shall follow and comply with the new standard on or after 1 January 2009.4 \6 W ^# E" a' {$ B% l
The change relates only to Clause 1.1 of the standard where colouring matters that are produced* W5 w V1 r2 S4 h
by chemical synthesis and used on toys shall be selected from those substances as listed in3 X- A5 L' D; j; h! U$ {+ _) e. q1 Y
Schedule 1 of the Food Sanitation Law Enforcement Regulations of Japan or colour migration
0 j4 I' w4 l- s5 Gshould not be observed after testing. This requirement shall become applicable to:
1 r2 ^" c9 C% u& ?(1) Toys intended for children of 14 years old and under (instead of “toys intended for
% v: X; O& R0 T+ E/ Wchildren under 6 years of age” in previous edition);
9 s3 C2 z E9 O' E8 h(2) Exception is allowed for textile on toys intended for children over 3 years of age (instead
; B- A! g+ x+ A! ?of “over 3 years of age and under 6 years of age” in previous edition) where migration of$ c) P5 m* K& a& ]1 F
colour should not be deeper than the colour of the solution which is three time as dense in! H0 }+ D q4 x% R: K- L0 Z) \
concentration as the comparison standard.
H \3 _! j h `1 A; `% w: ~The lately change of the ST standard again brings in line with the latest interpretation of Food
; O9 U- d# J8 BSanitation Law of Japan which has been effective on 1 October 2008. While the Food Sanitation
, r+ K! y P* @" D9 F1 wLaw is applicable to designated toys that are intended for infants and preschool children (children; k- {6 c6 c# D7 }" R1 P
under six years of age), it shall also be applicable to toys intended for higher age groups if there- d: n9 V$ g9 B% e5 j
are possibilities that the toys may cause damage to the health of children under six. Typical toy0 _& s) v+ Z$ ~! L8 r$ i
examples that fall in this category and subject to the legislative requirements include, but not0 v* u4 H! \7 b$ H7 ?$ {( }2 y) |
limited to, transformer toys, mechanical animal robots, board games with small accessories,
& P# j) m& {& n* ?trading cards with printed cartoon characters and food imitation toys.
f+ k$ P9 g. q8 `The new Japan Toy Safety Standard now covers a wider range of toy categories on toy safety up! z2 J4 L d4 v4 w8 {
to 14 years of age. This coupled with additional requirements including 8 toxic elements testing
) {! _& r v9 E4 F/ S5 E# kfor paint coatings and prohibition of both DEHP & DINP in PVC items for children under three8 |5 j% U4 Z, S1 j$ S+ V
have made the standard more stringent than the Food Sanitation Law. Toys therefore complying+ K% k$ y1 Y# T( |' S% c
with the new Japan Toy Safety Standard shall be deemed to comply with the Food Sanitation9 r, e1 f* ?0 K* g6 ^& O
Law as well. |
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