6000 ‘flawed’ toys seized

More than 6000 toys were confiscated by authorities from the Bahraini market for failing to meet safety standards. More than 6000 toys were confiscated by authorities from the Bahraini market for failing to meet safety standards. The toys which were ‘flawed’ were seized by a team of officials from the Department of Standards and Metrology of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism and the Department of Public Health of the Ministry of Health.

“Some of the seized toys were a choking hazard, while others were found to have a negative psychological impact on children,” said Mona Al Alawi, the Director of the Department of Standards and Metrology at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism. The authorities didn’t identify the manufacturers of the toys. Mona Al Alawi said that the inspections have been intensified in recent years in the interest of public safety.

“In many instances, citizens had reported market violations and products were seized,” Al Alawi said adding that the department is taking proactive measures to reduce violations by conducting frequent market inspection campaigns. The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism had in recent years also stepped up its market inspections by establishing an inspection centre.

623 rice bags seized

Separately, the Inspection teams from the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism seized 623 rice bags from central markets after detecting several violations. The violations, ministry officials said, were mostly related to trademark infringements. Products were seized as they tend to mislead the consumers. Officials said appropriate actions are being taken against the company (name not supplied) that owns the rice bags. The ministry, in a statement, said the move was “to ensure the rights of consumers and traders alike.”

“The inspection team confiscated 623 rice bags from a company for infringing trademark regulations,” the statement said adding: “The violation leads to misleading of consumers.” “The issue is being taken seriously,” a ministry representative said. Similar raids were conducted by the ministry in the past too which also resulted in the confiscation of toys that deemed in compliant with safety standards and specifications. During a raid conducted in June last year, authorities inspected 120 shops and seized more than 2,600 toys.

The raid held during the AprilMay months in 2018 resulted in the confiscation of hazardous items that contained (unsafely-capped nickel-cadmium or sulphuric) batteries and (potentially carcinogenic mud) slime products that were devoid of any conspicuous warning as to the suitable age group.