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An investigation into the safety of New Zealand's imported clothing has found consumers are not at risk of formaldehyde.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs launched the investigation in August after the television programme Target found woollen and cotton fabrics from China contained levels of formaldehyde up to 900 times the safety limit set by the World Health Organisation.
However, the ministry said Target's method of testing wasn't credible.
A separate investigation by the Government into the safety of Chinese-made pyjamas found no violation of standards. The ministry tested 99 items of clothing and manchester and found 97 items had no detectable or very low levels of formaldehyde.
Consumer Affairs Minister Judith Tizard said two items had above the acceptable level of 100 formaldehyde parts per million but washing reduced levels to "well below" acceptable levels. Twenty parts per million is accepted internationally as the zero mark under which formaldehyde in fabric is not detectable.
Formaldehyde is used to prevent creasing in clothing and fabrics but is also linked to skin complaints and cancer. Free formaldehyde is considered potentially dangerous.
However, Target used a method that tested for total formaldehyde which would have produced far higher numbers than tests for free formaldehyde. Target then only compared it with international standards for free formaldehyde.
"In line with international best practice for testing clothing" the ministry tested for free formaldehyde only, Ms Tizard said. "The ministry used the correct method of testing and its results were robust and credible."
The Government is to issue a product safety policy statement setting acceptable levels of formaldehyde in clothing.
Last night, Target executive producer Laurie Clarke said: "At the time there were no standards in place for New Zealand so we didn't have anything to reference our tests to.
"We don't just arbitrarily go off and do testing off our own bat. We have a testing laboratory and we talked to them and it was decided that the tests that we would do would be for total formaldehyde. So we do place our faith in the scientists as well. In retrospect, now that there are standards in place, sure, we would test for proof of formaldehyde."
FORMALDEHYDE LEVELS
* Less than 100 formaldehyde parts per million = accepted amount
* Less than 20 formaldehyde parts per million = non- detectable
