BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- A joint investigation team comprising four Chinese government departments on Thursday released findings of a probe into safety concerns over formamide in infant diapers, concluding that no formamide was detected in tested diaper products.
The joint investigation was conducted by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), together with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Health Commission, and the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, following recent public discussions over the issue.
The investigation team carried out spot checks on 168 domestic baby diaper manufacturers, including contract manufacturers, covering 368 batches of finished diaper samples from 180 brands, according to a statement released by the SAMR.
Testing was entrusted to authoritative institutions, including the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Chinese Academy of Quality and Inspection & Testing. No formamide was detected, the statement said.
All inspected enterprises met the hygiene requirements for the production of disinfection products, and no addition or presence of formamide was found in production processes or raw materials.
The investigation confirmed that several testing entities at the center of the public concern, which claimed to have detected formamide in baby diapers, were found to have deficiencies, including unclear principles for qualitative determination, failure to conduct blank and parallel sample tests, flawed testing procedures and criteria for determination, and the deletion of raw data, making it impossible to reach a conclusion that formamide was detected.
The joint investigation team also commissioned academicians and experts to develop a blood sample formamide testing method through repeated verification. Using this method, a re-test of the blood samples tested by an institution of public concern found no formamide.
Based on current investigation and test results, no formamide-related health hazards from baby diapers have been found, the statement said.
Testing for formamide in baby diapers is a rigorous and professional activity, and research into formamide-related health hazards, in particular, should be conducted in a prudent and objective manner, the statement said.
The statement added that relevant authorities will continue to strengthen supervision of infant products and welcome public participation to jointly create a safe and reassuring consumption environment. ■
