The Consumers’ Foundation and the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI) yesterday said not one of the artificial fiber blankets that were recently inspected was properly labeled.
The consumer rights watchdog and the BSMI conducted product inspections in October on 12 types of blankets sold at supermarkets, department stores and retail chains nationwide. The inspectors examined the fibers of the blanket to determine whether they were consistent with product labeling and found that none of the 12 types of blankets passed the test.
The most expensive blanket inspected, named “MINK Blanket” and priced at NT$3,465, did not meet product standards because its labels did not indicate the name, address and telephone numbers of the manufacturer and importer, nor were they in Chinese.
The inspectors found that labels on two of the blankets tested indicated they were made of acrylic when tests proved they were made of polyester. Many of the products also had inadequate cleaning instructions, bureau deputy director Chuang Suh-chyng (莊素琴) said.
The bureau said such violations of the Commodity Labeling Act (商品標示法) could result in fines of between NT$20,000 and NT$200,000.
While the products performed poorly on the labeling tests, the foundation and the BSMI were glad that none of the blankets were found to contain formaldehyde or other dangerous chemicals.
The foundation advised consumers shopping for blankets to keep warm in winter and to smell the product for the presence of pungent odors, a possible indication of the presence of harmful chemicals.
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