Inspectors take a third of toys out of the game

ABU DHABI // More than a third of the toys marketed for young children do not comply with safety and labelling regulations, government inspectors have found.

The Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council launched a campaign on January 1 to look at toys for children under three.

In the first two weeks inspectors examined 4,616 toys and found problems with 1,617 of them, the council said. It issued 53 formal warnings to retailers in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Gharbia.

"The target group for such toys is at a high risk and this is why we focused on them," said Abdalla Al Muaini, the council's director of consumer safety.

Many violations concerned the proper labelling of toys under the GCC Conformity Marking system.

Toys must display in English and Arabic the name or trademark of the maker, the country of origin and the age group who can safely play with it. Inspectors also looked for violations such as small parts on which a child could choke. When they find a non-compliant toy, they ban it.

The council dedicates its 20 inspectors to different consumer markets on a campaign basis. This year, they will also examine electrical appliances. Mr Al Muaini urged parents to examine toys closely.

vnereim@thenational.ae