pthalate-free label deceives

excerpt from article titled unsafe toys on store shelves

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Many plastic toys now come labeled "phthalates free" because of increasing concern that the chemicals, used to soften plastic in toys and pacifiers, could pose a health risk.

The report showed that six of eight toys labeled as "phthalates free" still contained at least one form of the chemicals. One labeled product, "Baby's First Peek-a-Boo Book", made by Sassy, tested positive for four different phthalates.

"Instead of helping parents, these labels are deceiving parents," Cassady says.

Gary Klein, a spokesman for the Toy Industry Association, denied that phthalates have been shown to be dangerous in the levels present in children's toys.

"It's very easy to scare parents by mentioning children and toxic chemicals in the same breath," he says.

Klein called the alleged mislabeling of phthalates-containing toys "a problem." "We don't endorse the mislabeling of a product," he tells WebMD.