KEY POINTS:
Panicking clothing manufacturers and retailers are sending fabric items to be tested following the discovery of dangerously high levels of formaldehyde in Chinese-made children's clothes.
AgResearch's textiles division testing department manager, Lorraine Greer, said the agency had been swamped with testing requests from several clothing manufacturers and retailers over the past few days .
Many have complained they are in the dark over what constitutes safe levels of formaldehyde.
The chemical acts as a creasing agent in clothing and a preservative for mildew resistance. Prolonged exposure can cause respiratory ailments and skin problems.
But Ms Greer said many textile, clothing and fabric manufacturers were unaware of acceptable levels of formaldehyde because there were no regulations set by the Government.
"All we have is guidelines from other countries who vary greatly from one to another.
"A lot of manufacturers are getting a lot of things tested now to see where they fit because of this programme so I think it's had a positive effect to make sure the textiles they're selling don't have a lot of formaldehyde.
Scott Leathem, business manager at Agriquality, who tested the Chinese-made children's clothing on TV3's Target, said the company had also fielded "some interest" from parties in the clothing and textile industry since the issue went public.
Agriquality found levels up to 900 times higher than considered safe by the World Health Organisation in garments it tested.
But Greg Muir, executive chairman of children's clothing supplier Pumpkin Patch, said although many within the New Zealand clothing industry had been aware of formaldehyde and lead levels in buttons for years there was no need to reinvent the wheel and the Government should adopt safety standards that are used by other countries.
Mr Muir said Pumpkin Patch's safety testing standards were rigorous and were based on safety standards for clothing manufacturers in Japan, which had a harsher testing regimen.
Minister of Health, Peter Hodgson said he had not received any formal reports on formaldehyde but in response to a question from the Green Party's Sue Kedgley said it was unlikely to be a source of respiratory or oncological problems.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, which has ordered independent testing to be carried out on a variety of imported adults' and children's clothing from several countries, did not respond to the Herald yesterday.
