Issue 40/2014 - France again extends the ban on jigsaw mats for toys containing formamide

On October 3, France issued Decree EINC No.
1417419A, which requires the temporary ban on toy jigsaw mats for formamide to be extended for 12 months
from September 15, 2014.

In December 2010, French officials found formamide
in foam puzzle mats sold on the market.
In order to reduce the impact of formamide on children's health, France issued a temporary decree suspending the sale of children's plastic puzzle mats from December 2010 to July 15
, 2011.
On August 1, 2012, the French government issued another decree extending the ban on formamide until August 2013, while relaxing the limit of formamide in puzzle mats from the original 2 mg/kg to 200 mg/kg, and no longer limiting its emission levels
.
In August 2013, the French government decided to extend the ban on formamide for another year
due to no effective measures to control formamide levels.

Formamide is a solvent that is often used as a reducing agent and industrial chemical
.
Adding formamide to foam plastic products can make plastics foam, reduce production costs, and also increase the flexibility of plastic products and make them not easy to break
.
Formamide is classified as toxic to reproduction by the European Chemicals Agency and is currently included in the
Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern under the EU REACH regulation.
(Xiaohua)