Parents warned over cheap Third World toys

7 December 2004

MADRID – Spain’s consumer minister has warned parents to take care when buying toys after a report found 70 percent do not comply with safety and quality standards.

Elena Salgado said parents should only buy toys in recommended shops and look for Spanish or European-made products.

The move comes after a World Organisation of Consumers report found 70 percent of toys in shops had faults and most of the faulty toys were from Third World countries.

Salgado stressed that though the report found 70 percent of toys analysed did not meet standards, this did not mean 70 percent of all toys in the shops in Spain were sub-standard.

She said toys made in the Third World and sold in cheap shops where consumers can buy anything for under one euro should be treated with care.

She said these products did not come with all the guarantees of quality which would mean that they should be safe and well-made.

In a pre-Christmas campaign, Salgado told parents: “Buy your toys in a  recommended shop. It is better if they are Spanish or made in Europe, and look on the label to see where the toy is from.

“If you have any doubt about the toy, inform the authorities.”

Salgado said the Spanish toys industry boasted an “extraordinary” level of quality.

Along with those made in Europe, they were generally better than those made in the Third World, said Salgado.

She said even though toys made by in European Union countries carry the CE mark, these can be faked by some unscrupulous manufacturers.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news