Allergenic preservatives in 3 dough toys sold in Hong Kong exceed EU standards

The levels of allergy-inducing preservatives in three samples of modelling dough and clay tested by Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog have been found to exceed EU standards, with one surpassing the limit for toys intended for children under 36 months by more than tenfold.

The Consumer Council bought 15 modelling dough and clay toys from various stores, costing between HK$12 and HK$128 (US$1.52 and US$16). The samples comprised six wheat doughs, three rice doughs and six clay toys.

The three toys found to contain allergenic preservatives CMIT and MIT at levels exceeding the upper limits set by the European Union are Creation Nation wheat dough, Sanrio clay from mainland China and Padico clay from Japan.

CMIT, or methylchloroisothiazolinone, is a chemical preservative and biocide that prevents the growth of harmful microorganisms, extending a product’s shelf life, while MIT, or methylisothiazolinone, named “allergen of the year” in 2013 by the American Contact Dermatitis Society, serves a similar purpose.

The Creation Nation sample had CMIT at 8.5mg/kg, 10.3 times the EU safety limit of 0.75 mg/kg for toy materials intended for children under 36 months or those that might go into their mouths.

The three samples were also detected with MIT levels ranging from 0.3mg/kg to 0.5mg/kg, higher than the EU’s upper limit of 0.25mg/kg.