Formaldehyde issues laid to rest

Green Party MP Sue Kedgley says she is delighted that consumers will be provided with greater certainty regarding acceptable levels of formaldehyde in clothing, following an announcement today that the Government will issue a product safety policy statement that sets acceptable levels of formaldehyde in clothing.

“I congratulate the Minister of Consumer Affairs for this important initiative which is essential to ensure the safety of products that people wear close to their skin. However once set, the standard must be accompanied by random testing to ensure it is being adhered to. There is no point setting a standard unless there is some monitoring mechanism.

“I am also pleased that the Ministry has undertaken independent testing of children’s pyjamas and other clothing, and that only two out of 99 items were found to contain unacceptable levels of free formaldehyde.”

Ms Kedgley says it was unfortunate that results from a credible national laboratory such as AgriQuality had not used recognised international standards for testing. Presumably this was a symptom of the confusion caused by New Zealand not having a national standard of its own.

Ms Kedgley said she was also pleased that the Ministry is consulting on the appropriate levels for the new standards, and is working with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.