China defends toy safety, says problems limited

BEIJING, Aug 11 (Reuters) Chinese-made toys are overwhelmingly safe and the number of unsafe products is dwarfed by the total export value, state media said, a week after Mattel pulled goods because of fears about lead in paint.

''Although there are a few problems with some made-in-China toys, generally the safety quality is worthy of being trusted,'' the official Xinhua news agency said yesterday, citing unnamed officials from two industry associations.

Last year, China exported seven billion dollars worth of toys to more than 160 countries, it said.

Of about 300,000 batches for export, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission had only made about 29 recalls, it added.

''The Chinese government and producers pay a great deal of attention to toy safety and quality, and have adopted tough certification standards to guarantee safety,'' the report added.

China has been struggling to convince the world its products are safe after a series of scandals over tainted pet food, drugs, tyres, toys and toothpaste.

This week, the government banned two factories from exporting toys following the previous week's high profile recall of Mattel products, including Big Bird and Elmo.

Lead is toxic and can pose serious health risk to young children who often put objects in their mouths.

REUTERS SRS RAI0443