The Consumers’ Foundation yesterday said that many goods currently sold on the market that claim to have passed laboratory testing actually have questionable records and it advised consumers to look carefully before purchasing.
The consumer rights watchdog recently inspected 19 products that claim to have passed laboratory inspections by independent testing facilities such as SGS. These products typically claim that the product does not contain lead, formaldehyde or other harmful substances, and has passed laboratory tests, but the foundation remained wary whether the independent testing claims resulted in protection against toxic substances.
The foundation found that of the 19 products sampled — ranging from coffee stirrers, bedding, mascara and various types of food and beverages — only five provided a clear indication of which items were laboratory tested or how. The other 14 products, or 73.2 percent of those studied, only indicated either on the packaging or in an advertisement that the product had “passed laboratory testing,” with no mention of what type of product testing or what type of facility performed the inspection.
The foundation also found that two of the products claimed to have sanitary functions, such as preventing germs and bacteria from growing, but neither had any product testing evidence or certification to back up the claims.
The foundation’s study also found that none of the products indicated when they were tested, so consumers have no way of knowing whether the products’ results were recent or obtained years ago. When foundation inspectors inquired whether the manufacturers would conduct up-to-date product testing, a majority of the makers either replied that they would not or they did not provide a valid response.
“Consumers should remain wary of products that claim to have passed laboratory testing because these product claims do not guarantee that a product is 100 percent safe,” foundation chairperson Joann Su (蘇錦霞) said.
Su also urged government officials to look into the matter.
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