Blankets made in China are being withdrawn from the marketplace in Australia and New Zealand after tests showed they contained high levels of formaldehyde, a chemical preservative.

Textile distributor Charles Parsons, based in Australia, issued the recall of Superlux brand blankets but declined to specify how many blankets were affected.

The company said the blankets contained less than 1,500 parts per million of formaldehyde — the maximum level acceptable in Germany. Charles Parsons officials noted the recall was voluntary, as neither New Zealand nor Australia regulate chemical content in fabrics.

Health Canada does not have any specific restrictions on formaldehyde levels in textiles.

What is formaldehyde?
Formaldehyde is used as a disinfectant and preservative. It is used in textile finishing and in the production of resins that act as adhesives and binders for some building materials, such as pressed wood products, pulp, paper, glass wool and rockwool, as well as some plastics, coatings, paints and varnishes, and industrial chemicals.
Source: Health Canada

On Monday, the New Zealand government ordered an investigation after scientists conducting tests for TV3's Target consumer watchdog program discovered high concentrations of formaldehyde in clothing imported from China.

The investigations follow a series of recalls and product safety investigations relating to Chinese imports, including products ranging from pet food to toothpaste to children's toys. Chinese government officials have pledged to tighten safety inspections but noted that Chinese goods were being unfairly targeted as a means of trade protectionism.

Over 18 million toys recalled for safety concerns

Mattel Inc. recalled 436,000 die-cast Sarge cars worldwide last Tuesday because they contain high levels of lead that pose a health threat to young children. The toy giant also recalled more than 18 million magnetic toys over safety concerns.

In mid-August, Mattel Inc. announced it was recalling 18.2 million magnetic toys and 436,000 toys with lead paint that were manufactured in China.
(Pat Roque/Associated Press)

Li Zhuoming, executive chairman of the Guangdong Provincial Toy Industry Association, said Wednesday that U.S. companies must share the blame for the extensive recall.

"If you give a high price for purchasing, the factories will use high quality raw materials to produce. But if the price is low, they can only use inferior raw materials," Li told the state-run Guangzhou Daily newspaper.

Li said Mattel was ultimately responsible for conducting quality inspections for its products.

Also on Wednesday, the Beijing News reported Chinese officials raided a Beijing-based factory, saying the operation was recycling used chopsticks in its manufacturing operations. Inspectors said the factory was not disinfecting the old chopsticks before processing them.