Survey of chemical substances in consumer products, 68 – Mapping of perfume in toys and children's articles

Mapping of perfume in toys and children's articles

1 Background and objective

1.1 Background
1.2 Objective

1.1 Background

The Danish Environmental Protection Agency has initiated a number of projects in order to have the content of chemicals mapped in a range of ordinary consumer products. One of these projects deals with fragrances and flavouring agents in toys and children's articles.

Today, fragrances are added to a lot of products like cosmetics, soap products, washing and cleaning products, toys and school articles such as speed markers, erasers, pencils, etc. (the National Allergy Research Centre 2004a, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency 2001, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency 2002 a, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency 2003, Environment & Health 2004). In this way, perfume has become a more essential part of children's everyday life than earlier.

By playing with toys containing perfume and flavouring agents, there is a risk that the consumers, especially children, are affected by the perfume and fragrances in the toys - either via skin absorption, inhalation or by ingestion of the substances via the saliva.

Children are generally more sensitive to chemicals than adults (the Danish Environmental Protection Agency 2001, Environment & Health 2004). In recent years, the number of children with perfume allergy has increased heavily (the Danish Asthma and Allergy Association 2004a, the National Allergy Research Centre 2004a). One of the reasons for that is children's intensified contact with perfume and fragrances (Iversen et al. 2000, the National Allergy Research Centre, 2004a).

This project deals with fragrances and flavouring agents added to toys and children's articles. The report comprises toys and children's articles to which fragrances or flavouring agents have been added to give the product a certain scent that is used in the marketing of the product.

Products containing perfume with the purpose of hiding unwanted odour from other ingredients in the product are not included in the present project. Neither are theatre make-up and ordinary make-up, including chap sticks, lip glosses and perfumes. The same applies to hygiene products like washing, skin and hair care products, nappies, towelettes, etc. Focus is on products intended for children aged 0-10 years.

As the preliminary inquiries to distributors of toys and children's products showed that the market for these products containing flavouring agents was very limited, it was agreed with the Danish Environmental Protection Agency to focus on fragrances.

1.2 Objective

The objective of the project is to create an overview of how widespread the use of perfume and fragrances in toys, babies' articles and other products for children is, and on the basis of analyses and test results to assess the health problems the substances can cause to children.