The CSI of toys: who makes sure that the fun is not expensive

That of Sonny Angel is the first example that Lieutenant Raquel of the Economic Crimes Group of the Judicial Police Technical Unit of the Civil Guard gives to this newspaper, since in the random inspections they carry out of containers and boxes, hundreds are seized, thousands of Japanese dolls of fruits, flowers and animals. Consumer agents and authorities advise that before ordering unsafe toys, “if the customer is not clear to whom and where they would return it, do not purchase it.”

And the worst thing in that case would not be the money that, to help the Three Wise Men in their letter, could be thrown into a ‘marketplace’ without a postal address to claim, but rather that this product is likely to have not passed the strict standards. of quality that exists in continents like Europe, the most rigid in the world in these controls. Some small pieces have come off from the fraudulent Sonny Angels located in Spain, posing a risk of suffocation for the most vulnerable, the little ones in the house, the lieutenant warns. And then the fun is more expensive than those eleven euros difference in the initial purchase.

The process that each toy follows

Community legislation was transposed to the Member States with Directive 2009/48 and is a standard that commits manufacturers and consumer authorities to ensure the safety of toys. Juan González is a technician at the Laboratory of the Technological Institute of Children’s and Leisure Products (AIJU). As explained, the European standard contains demanding requirements for hygiene, flammability, radioactivity, physical, chemical (no toxic paint), product design (no sharp edges or sharp points) and electromagnetic incompatibility (which when placed in operation does not activate the TV or other device).

The mechanical tests to which a product is subjected before it is put on sale are innumerable: in laboratories such as the AIJU, they especially test whether the age gradation that “it is advisable for the manufacturer to indicate” – the technician points out – is the correct one. correct. The market is especially rigorous with toys designed for children under 36 months, so that small pieces or balls do not come off. And the danger in that case is life or death. «The cylinder test is essential. A piece is placed in a cylinder with dimensions that would prevent choking on that tiny piece,” says Miró. And González endorses. He explains: toxic paint of a component, the thickness of the plastic bag that surrounds the toy, the driving force of a doll so that a hand does not break off, the drag effect, its behavior in the face of fire (in the case of a wig, tent or costume), electrical safety (if it has batteries or possible overheating and short circuits)… Everything is monitored. At the AIJUlocated in Ibi (Alicante), the cradle of the Toy Valley in one of the few countries where the industry persists not without difficulties, dozens of people carry out some 60,000-80,000 technical tests annually. They review the products manufactured by the almost 200 toy companies (95% SMEs), the largest employers’ association points out, the Spanish Association of Toy Manufacturers (AEFJ). The AEFJ groups 105 companies and its headquarters are also in Ibi.

two months

One of those manufacturers is Injusa and its CEO Luis Berbegal He tells ABC that from the moment a product idea is conceived until it is marketed, around a year passes. Two months of which would be invested only in internal tests (the company’s own controls) and the external audit or additional examinations that are requested from laboratories such as the Technological Institute. Berbegal speaks clearly: «About 10% of the price of the toy “It is taken away by the checks it goes through to ensure it is safe.” The tests collected by the law are, however, voluntary and some company may seek a “shortcut.” “There is no 100% security, but the toy in Spain is,” because the manufacturer is the first interested in it being so, says technician González. Miró hits the target: «What the manufacturer is risking with each toy is its reputation. If you put something on the market that didn’t meet the requirements and a piece came off, was toxic, and caused harm to a child, you wouldn’t be able to sell that product again. And the reputational damage would be total.

Miró also questions, when talking about reputation, that “the toy is not well valued in Spain”, and remains a seasonal “binge” at Christmas without taking into account the psychological and educational value that the toy has for the developing child. rest of the year. Recommends proportioning gifts and purchases.

After the European standard and the company’s self-demand, comes the third barrier that overcomes the relevance of a toy. The buyer and his awareness. On the one hand, you have to know that counterfeits cause the loss of 5% of jobs and 11% of turnover each year to the national industry. And then there is the ‘other’ incalculable danger. According to the technical secretary of the national association, «in 2005 there was a problem like a game of bows and arrows. A child drowned with a suction cup. Died. And they have stopped selling as a rule. The funny thing is that it is something that seems to be very clear to all of us, but then a family member enters a multi-price bazaar and buys it to have a gift with his grandson or nephew, putting the person being honored with his good deed. “From time to time there are withdrawals of ‘fake’ bow and arrow games from the market,” he laments.

From China and Türkiye

Like the Magi, toy counterfeits also come from the East. The European Union Intellectual Property Office translates this into losses for the sector (or Euippus, which is also in Ibi and employs 2,000 people). The Civil Guard (customs, tax and border agents) and the Consumer authorities – the regional general directorates are the ones that impose sanctions for the infractions committed – point out that the greatest harmed by these gigantic ‘marketplaces’ or online platforms where parents and Grandparents try to save a few euros without considering the possible collateral damage and the safety of the toy. It does not mean that what is bought in China – the world’s largest toy power – is not safe; There are many manufacturers from Europe who are going to China to produce to save on costs, the employers explain, but you have to know where you buy and what you buy because the controls in Asia are usually more lax.

In fact, according to Lieutenant Raquel, a good part of the containers seized with products that have not passed safety standards come from China and Türkiye. The majority are already detected on national soil, although it is like looking for a needle in a haystack, because they often enter the country by road transport from another part of the EU “in postal packages addressed to private homes”; then tracking is completely “unfeasible,” he resolves. The last major operation took place last December in the Cobo Calleja industrial estate, in Fuenlabrada (Madrid). Two million fraudulent toys were seized, the agent explains, destined for the carriage of some Magician who was going to be given the upper hand.