The Ministry of Economic Affairs has ordered the removal of a type of Chinese toy called “acne chicken squeeze” (痘痘雞捏捏樂) from e-commerce platforms, as it contains a sharp needle that might be unsafe.
The product, touted as a “stress reliever” for children, consists of a thermoplastic rubber chicken toy with a syringe. People can use the syringe to inject air into the chicken toy, which produces acne-like air bubbles on its surface, then they can squeeze the bubbles to pop them.
However, as the toy contains a syringe with a sharp needle, it does not meet the safety standards for toys, which forbid sharp edges, ministry Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection deputy head Hsieh Han-chang (謝翰璋) said, adding that the bureau has asked e-commerce platforms to remove the toys from their Web sites.
Photo: Screen grab from Sina Weibo and Taiwan Statebuilding Party member Wu Hsin-tai’s Facebook page
The bureau would continue to inspect the online platforms and physical retail locations, he said, adding that if stores fail to remove them from shelves, they could face a penalty.
The Action Alliance on Basic Education on Friday welcomed the government’s swift response to the emergence of the toy, but urged the authorities to improve examinations and management of e-commerce platforms.
Toys should be safe and serve educational and recreational purposes, but this type of dangerous toy highlights a big loophole in the toy market, and parents are very concerned, said Chung Chun-wei (鍾君偉), a representative of the alliance’s parents’ division.
Merely removing the toys from shelves is not enough, because if products that have not passed inspections can easily be sold in the market, dangerous toys would continue to appear and threaten children’s safety, added Lee Yu-han (李雨函), a representative of the alliance’s youth division.
The government must establish a stricter mechanism to examine products before they enter the domestic market, Lee said.
The government should also help parents identify products that are dangerous for children, through education and promotion, so they can avoid purchasing items from unknown sources, alliance chairman Wang Han-yang (王瀚陽) said.
Separately, in a post on his “Dr. Wubow” Facebook page, Wu Han-meng (巫漢盟), an attending physician at the Dianthus Pediatric Clinic, listed four other types of dangerous toys or items he suggested that children should not play with.
Some “slime toys” contain glues, borax, artificial fragrances and glitter, which could harm the nervous or digestive system, or cause contact dermatitis, he said.
A Chinese toy called “carrot knife” (蘿蔔刀) is a fidget tool that has a blade that people can flick out with one hand, but the blade can cut paper and might accidentally stab a classmate’s eyes or skin, causing injuries, he said.
A Chinese product called “nasal inhaler energy bar” (鼻吸能量棒) has two plastic tubes which people can insert into their nostrils and inhale the smells of camphor or peppermint, which are said to have refreshing effects, he said.
However, long-term inhalation of camphor can cause harm to the nervous system and liver, causing difficulty in breathing, nausea and vomiting, he said.
The Chinese “wax bottle candy” is made of wax in the shape of a bottle and filled with flavored syrups or jam. However, as they are sold at low prices, many people do not believe the outer layer is beeswax, but industrial wax that is not edible, Wang said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RSS