The reputation of German wooden toys is challenged

Sturdy, safe, close to nature-these are the good reputation that wooden toys have always enjoyed, so they are often favored by parents. 'Made in Germany' wooden toys are even more famous and popular among consumers all over the world.　　 However, the test results for wooden toys published by the German Commodity Inspection Foundation in its magazine 'Test' show that these products seem to be a bit misleading. Among the 30 wooden toys tested this time, more than half of the toys contained harmful substances in paint, plywood or rivets. The small parts contained in the two toys may cause suffocation of children. In short, only 8 products are good, 15 products are qualified, and the other 7 products are unqualified.　　Unsafe toys　　'Made in Germany' cannot guarantee the safety of toys. Inspectors tested 30 wooden toys for children under 3 years old, including building block toys, puzzles, and wooden vehicles. Among them, two toys from Hess in Saxony, Germany-electric toy Teich and wooden vehicle Clown, contain small parts that may cause children to suffocate. The parts are so small that they can enter a test cylinder that mimics the tiny throat of a child. This shows that children can swallow these small parts, and in the worst case, it can cause children to suffocate. Therefore, these two products are failing and should not be sold at all.　　Small parts that can be swallowed are immediately harmful to children, and the hazards of harmful substances may only become apparent after a few years. The fatal thing is that, regardless of whether the toy contains harmful substances, people cannot see it with the naked eye, or can rarely smell it. When children suck, chew or touch toys, these harmful substances may enter the body through the mouth and skin.　　 Hazardous substances are found in paint, plywood or rivets, including flame retardants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, organotin compounds, formaldehyde, etc. Toys should not contain these harmful substances, because they may cause cancer or affect reproductive ability.　　23 toys are good and qualified.　　Satisfactorily, the test results show that 8 products are good and 15 products are qualified. For example, Haba Greifling Tut-Tut and Hero brand building blocks. Most of these safe products are produced in Germany, and some are produced in China and Vietnam. The test results show that safe toys will not pose a risk to children's health. Most importantly, toy manufacturers should strengthen quality supervision, ensure toy safety, and actively look for harmless materials to replace harmful materials. In addition, parents should choose toys with safety certification marks. An independent organization in Germany will conduct safety certification for toys and issue the GS mark. The mark is a German safety certification mark, implemented by the German Ministry of Labor authorized by the TV legal entity. Although the GS mark is not a safety test certification required by law, the test puts forward higher requirements than the CE mark. The CE mark is a safety conformity mark. The addition of the CE mark indicates that the product complies with a series of EU laws and regulations such as safety, health, environmental protection and consumer protection. This also means that manufacturers only need to ensure that their products comply with EU laws and regulations, while the GS mark requirements are stricter and provide more protection for consumers. Therefore, GS certified products usually sell at higher unit prices and are more popular.　　 Among the 30 toys tested, only five toys have the GS mark. Three of the test results are good, one is satisfactory, and the remaining one is qualified.　　 Tips for buying safe toys　　 Some precautions can help you better ensure the safety of toys.　　 1. Shake, pull, rub, smell. Try not to choose toys with loose parts or unpleasant smells. At the same time, pay attention to sharp edges and corners.　　 2. Priority is given to unpainted toys. Unpainted solid wood toys are the first choice. Testers often find harmful substances in paint. Plywood may also contain formaldehyde adhesives.　　 3. Read the warnings and precautions carefully. They are usually written based on real cases to provide users with some warnings. In addition, pay attention to the age range of the children to which the toy applies.　　 4. Check whether there is a GS safety mark. Give priority to toys with GS safety marks, these toys meet higher safety requirements and provide more protection than CE marks.