Delivering safe, compliant, and desirable toy products to the Japanese market can be difficult. Our latest podcast will help you appreciate Japanese toy safety standards and find the right way to compliance.

There are two main sets of standards that cover toys entering Japan's toy market: the Japan Food Sanitation Law (JFSL) and the Safety Toy Standard (ST Standard). Stakeholders should also be aware their products may also fall under the scope of other standards, for example a child's cosmetic toy set must also comply with Pharmaceutical Affairs Law labelling requirements and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's (MHLW) Notification 331 on restricted chemicals.

Japan's food sanitation law

Administered by the MHLW, this mandatory standard covers toys marketed to children aged six or under. It requires testing in a MHLW-approved laboratory and breaks the type of toy down into three categories, dependent upon the possibility of contact with a child's mouth.

Exemptions to the regulation do exist, such as coloring books, extra-large cuddly toys, pop-up books, ride-on toys and infant seats, but stakeholders need to be aware that detachable parts, for example, may mean the product is no longer exempt and requires testing against JFSL.

ST standard and ST toy mark

Regulated by the Japan Toy Association (JTA), the ST Standard is a popular voluntary standard that covers toys used by children up to the age of 14. Testing must be undertaken in JTA-approved laboratories and is split into three parts. The first two parts are based on ISO 8124 and cover mechanical and physical testing, and flammability. The third part covers restricted chemicals and includes all the elements of the JFSL. Currently, only part three testing can be undertaken in non-domestic laboratories, like SGS's facilities in Hong Kong and Thailand.

For manufacturers and suppliers, compliance with the voluntary ST Standard means that the product is also compliant with JFSL. In addition, approved products may apply to display the ST Toy Mark, demonstrating compliance to their customers.

SGS solution: toy safety testing

We operate JFSL and JTA-approved facilities in Hong Kong and Thailand, and JFSL approved laboratories in Malaysia and Vietnam. Our global network of toy standard experts and technicians help stakeholders understand and achieve compliance with Japan's complex regulations surrounding toys.

To help you gain an in-depth knowledge of Japanese toy safety standards, we have produced a new podcast 'Market Safe Toys to Japan '.

For more information, contact:

Stephanie Meyer-Pionchon
Global Marketing Manager, Hardlines
t: +33 4 42 61 64 46

SGS SA published this content on 22 January 2018 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein.
Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 22 January 2018 08:59:07 UTC.

Original documenthttp://www.sgs.com/en/news/2018/01/podcast-accessing-japans-toy-market-finding-the-right-way-to-compliance

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