Parents are being urged to check their children’s crayons after at least six types branded with popular cartoon characters were found to contain asbestos.
Packets of wax crayons imported from China – marketed with kids’ favourite cartoons including Peppa Pig, Dora the Explorer and Frozen – were confirmed through testing to contain traces of the carcinogenic chemical.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, which issued an alert and statement, said the finding was unacceptable as asbestos is a banned substance in imported products.
The crayons that tested positive for asbestos were:
Dora the Explorer Personalized 32 pack crayons
Dora the Explorer Jumbo crayons
Arti Crafti 16 piece crayons
Peppa Pig 8 wax crayons
Disney ‘Frozen’ Jumbo Crayons
Disney ‘Mickey Mouse and Friends’ Crayons
People who have bought these crayons should put them in a plastic bag and return them to the store, the ACCC advised.
However, it also said parents shouldn’t panic and the traces were “low risk”.
“The ACCC does not believe that traces of asbestos in crayons presents a safety risk to consumers because the asbestos is fixed within the crayon wax, which removes the risk of inhalation or ingestion,” it said.
However, the Asbestos Council of Victoria told Fairfax Media it was “very concerned” after conducting its own testing, as children do put things in their mouths and could be exposed to risk.
Every packet of crayons imported from China is a possible risk, it warned.
Australian Border Force has stopped imports of crayons from China until it can be assured they didn’t contain asbestos.
Stationary giant Officeworks reportedly pulled affected crayons from its shelves in the wake of the warnings. Customers with concerns about crayons they’ve already bought can return them.
The ACCC has not issued a recall but has recommended retailers stop selling affected crayons.
