The State Administration for Market Regulation recently released the product quality supervision and random inspection of children's toothbrushes sold online, and the results showed that among the 10 batches of children's toothbrush products produced by 84 enterprises in 88 provinces (cities), 16 batches were found to be unqualified, with a failure rate of 18.2%. Among them, the failure rate of electric children's toothbrushes is 50%. The reporter noted that the unqualified children's toothbrush had many safety risks that threatened children's health.
The State Administration for Market Regulation released children's toothbrushes for sale online
Quality supervision spot check results
Children's toothbrushes are toothbrushes intended for use by children 14 years of age and younger. The reporter's search found that there are nearly 13 brands of children's toothbrushes on some e-commerce platforms, ranging from affordable goods under ten yuan to high-end brands with thousands of yuan. Suitable for ages from 10 months to <> years old, it offers a wide range of functions, from cleansing to gum massage.
The new national standard is designed for children's toothbrush materials
Make higher demands
During the investigation, the reporter learned that the newly revised national standard "General Technical Requirements for the Safety of Toothbrushes and Oral Appliances" has been officially implemented since January 2022, 1. Compared with toothbrushes used by adults, the new national standard puts forward higher requirements for the material and design of children's toothbrushes.
This is the first time since the implementation of the new national standard that the State Administration for Market Regulation has carried out special supervision and spot checks on children's toothbrush products. During the spot check, a total of 14 test items were set up, including brush head, abrasive, phthalate plasticizer, hair bundle tension, electrical safety requirements, etc.
According to the requirements of the national standard of tooth refreshing, the testing engineers first tested the grinding index of the children's toothbrush. Under the microscope, you can see that the bristles of a qualified toothbrush are round and full; The tip of the unqualified bristles is sharp and burr. The testing engineer told reporters that the national standard stipulates that for toothbrushes with parallel bristles, the number of qualified bristles should not be less than 50%.
Weikai Testing Technology Co., Ltd. beauty and personal protection equipment product line testing engineer Luo Zhensheng: This time, 3 batches of grinding were unqualified. We drew 88 batches and the lowest grinding pass rate was 12.9%, which was far below the standard requirement of 50%. If the brushing project is not qualified, it may damage the soft tissues and gum surface in the mouth during the brushing process.
After testing, there are 3 batches of children's toothbrushes that fail the brushing project, which are products produced and operated by enterprises such as Shanghai Qinyi Industrial Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Wisdom Baby Import and Export Trade Co., Ltd., and Shenzhen Zhihe Youwei Technology Co., Ltd.
Some electric toothbrushes were detected in structure
and removable parts and other safety items are not qualified
In addition to traditional manual toothbrushes, electric toothbrushes have been favored by many parents in recent years because of their ease of use. According to relevant industry statistics, 10 of the 1 toothbrushes currently sold on the market is an electric toothbrush. However, the reporter noticed in the investigation that the pass rate of children's electric toothbrushes was much lower than that of traditional manual toothbrushes during this supervision spot check. According to the testing engineer, a total of 12 batches of children's electric toothbrushes were randomly inspected, and only 6 batches were qualified, with a pass rate of 50%.
The reporter noticed that the reasons for the unqualified 6 batches of electric toothbrushes focused on safety items such as structure and removable parts. The inspection engineer told reporters that if the quality of the electric toothbrush is not good, there may be a risk of leakage. In order to prevent children from treating electric toothbrushes as toys, the national standard of toothbrushes stipulates that the design structure of children's electric toothbrushes should not attract children to play.
Weikai Testing Technology Co., Ltd. Beauty and Personal Care Equipment Product Line Testing Engineer Luo Zhensheng: Children's electric toothbrushes are made into cute small animals or cartoon shapes, which may arouse children's interest after normal use, and continue to use them to play, fall, bite, etc. Because children's electric toothbrushes have not passed the comprehensive assessment of toy standards, it may cause the battery shell to fall off, the battery leakage, and may cause harm to children.
In addition, the testing engineer told reporters that unlike manual toothbrushes, in order to facilitate replacement, the brush head of electric toothbrushes is mostly removable, and the battery shell on the fuselage of some products can also be removed. If these removable parts are too small, they may pose a choking risk if swallowed by children.
This is a small parts test tube that simulates the size of a child's throat. These brush heads and battery housings, which fit completely into the test barrel, are small parts that can be swallowed by children. According to the national standard of toothbrushes, electric toothbrushes for children under three years old are not allowed to have small parts; Electric toothbrushes suitable for children aged 3 and above and under 6 years old should be equipped with warning instructions if there are small parts.
Huang Kaijie, Senior Engineer of Beauty and Personal Care Equipment Product Line of Weikai Testing Technology Co., Ltd.: There are 3 batches of unqualified detachable parts project, none of which clearly indicate the applicable age of children. Specific non-conformities are removable parts that fit completely into standard test containers, which may pose a risk of asphyxiation in children.
The 3 batches of children's toothbrushes with unqualified removable parts are nominal: Hilton Sonic electric toothbrush produced by Hilton (Jiangsu) Health Technology Co., Ltd., Meiyu Fanjia Sonic electric toothbrush of Nanjing Xinbangjie Network Technology Co., Ltd. and standard soft hair children's electric toothbrush of Shenzhen Mai Element Household Products Co., Ltd.
The State Administration for Market Regulation urges the platform
Immediately remove non-conforming products from the shelves
During the investigation, the reporter learned that for the unqualified products found by supervision and random inspection, the State Administration for Market Regulation required all local market supervision bureaus to urge e-commerce platforms to immediately remove from the shelves, and at the same time take measures such as sealing and seizure in accordance with the law, and strictly prohibit enterprises from producing and selling. For unqualified enterprises, it is necessary to further clarify the rectification requirements, strictly supervise the implementation of rectification measures, and organize re-inspections in a timely manner. (CCTV Finance)