ABOUT half of the toys and 35 percent of the children's clothes made in Shenzhen are of substandard, according to figures released by the city's quality supervision bureau Sunday (May 28).

The figures were based on an inspection carried out by the bureau on children's products in the first half year of 2006. It reminded parents to be careful when choosing gifts for children to mark the upcoming Children's Day. The names of eight local manufacturers of substandard toys or clothes were publicized.

Among the toys inspected were plastic toys, soft toys and electric toys for children under the age of 14. Six out of 13 batches of inspected toys were found to be not up to standard.

Twenty-four batches of children's clothes made in Shenzhen were found to be substandard during the inspection. Fourteen batches had incomplete or inaccurate tags. Five batches of clothes were made from low-quality cloth. Two batches had high PH levels.

The quality watchdog has reminded parents to read manuals and warning signs before giving toys to children. The names of manufacturers, factory addresses and quality certifications should appear on products. Even imported products should contain Chinese directions, said quality supervision bureau.

Meanwhile, CCTV reported that poisonous milk had been found in bottles in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province. The poisonous milk products were being made in some plastic processing factories in Cixi, Zhejiang Province.

Over a dozen of boxes of "Aibao" milk bottles were seized by the industrial and commercial bureau of Shijiazhuang on April 29. The bottles did not carry the manufacturer's name or address, and the milk looked yellowish and spotty.

The inspection found that the content of Phenol, a poisonous chemical substance which easily dissolves in milk, was twice the national standard. When absorbed into the human body at a certain level, Phenol can cause chronic poisoning.

Experts reminded parents to inspect milk closely, and pinch milk bottles before buying them.

Editor: Wing