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Only after nine months from publication of the sixth edition of the Japan Toy Safety Standard
' L7 w! g0 q& b6 \* D6 |(ST-2002), the Japan Toy Association announced on 28 November 2008 about amendment of the% I. j& w0 D5 o. x1 ]8 a9 d% R
Standard for the seventh time. Toys that apply for the ST Mark of the Japan Toy Association/ ]! p5 W( }* {: d" o' a9 e
(JTA) shall follow and comply with the new standard on or after 1 January 2009.6 T, X2 V W! M K1 }
The change relates only to Clause 1.1 of the standard where colouring matters that are produced) x* [# u0 c7 }* @
by chemical synthesis and used on toys shall be selected from those substances as listed in
2 l8 x4 E; ~# y( A! F8 i/ }Schedule 1 of the Food Sanitation Law Enforcement Regulations of Japan or colour migration
* c+ p) q" V3 V5 O+ m" Dshould not be observed after testing. This requirement shall become applicable to:
6 f# F) g. j$ G(1) Toys intended for children of 14 years old and under (instead of “toys intended for& H4 j! \9 a6 [* E* n
children under 6 years of age” in previous edition);5 I6 W" u8 ?' n
(2) Exception is allowed for textile on toys intended for children over 3 years of age (instead7 K6 x' B6 g) \8 f7 K
of “over 3 years of age and under 6 years of age” in previous edition) where migration of
^! g4 m' M/ l2 Q7 p5 x; scolour should not be deeper than the colour of the solution which is three time as dense in$ Q1 h+ f8 r; [2 Q
concentration as the comparison standard.
& Z' ^: O; j m4 D. N, V( N, z; xThe lately change of the ST standard again brings in line with the latest interpretation of Food8 o- Z L4 [+ i5 @: ^( L* H
Sanitation Law of Japan which has been effective on 1 October 2008. While the Food Sanitation( ~( r, F0 G* |9 {
Law is applicable to designated toys that are intended for infants and preschool children (children. w3 x4 @+ ^) X( R9 C/ X4 u
under six years of age), it shall also be applicable to toys intended for higher age groups if there
+ A& R+ M9 Y+ z" Sare possibilities that the toys may cause damage to the health of children under six. Typical toy
1 m1 N% H2 r2 t4 U$ ~: |examples that fall in this category and subject to the legislative requirements include, but not( {; W2 z. \$ X" o' @: D) m
limited to, transformer toys, mechanical animal robots, board games with small accessories,
; H/ F; y) I9 I5 G8 Dtrading cards with printed cartoon characters and food imitation toys.
}) @/ z( X. \8 b, }The new Japan Toy Safety Standard now covers a wider range of toy categories on toy safety up/ b: x: ^1 E" I
to 14 years of age. This coupled with additional requirements including 8 toxic elements testing U6 M. M3 i$ f- W& d$ R" Y8 P
for paint coatings and prohibition of both DEHP & DINP in PVC items for children under three& l: y: E ?" J
have made the standard more stringent than the Food Sanitation Law. Toys therefore complying" ] Y$ N2 T( R- a. O
with the new Japan Toy Safety Standard shall be deemed to comply with the Food Sanitation
8 t: [( v2 Y8 j* B# R4 [Law as well. |
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