Bericht als PDF herunterladen

Kant. Laboratorium BS Page 1 of 4 

Finger paints / preservatives, primary aromatic amines, bittering agents, 

colourants and declaration 

Customs campaign by the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) (6 sets and 30 individual 

samples) – measurements by Basel-City (specialist laboratory) and Vaud (colourants) 

Further samples from the Cantons of Aargau (3 / 16) and Basel-City (5 / 26) 

Number of sets investigated: 14 

(72 individual samples): 

Grounds for objection: 

Sets objected to: 13 (93%) 

Excessive amounts of preservative (3); no bittering 

agent (7); no declaration of bittering agent and/or 

preservative (8); no warning notices (2); warning notice 

not present in all official languages (5) 

Background 

Finger paints are mainly used by pre-school children. 

During use, considerable skin surface area comes into 

contact with the paint. There is also the possibility that 

children will lick their fingers and therefore swallow fairly 

large quantities of the paints. 

For these reasons, finger paints were the first toys for 

which the use of organic chemical compounds was 

regulated. The European Standard on Toy Safety – part 

7, finger paints – requirements and test methods (EN 

71/7, for short) came into force in 2002. It includes three 

positive lists, regulating preservatives, colourants and 

bittering agents permitted for use in finger paints. Furthermore, it specifies that finger paints 

must contain bittering agents to prevent children from licking their fingers. As many colourants 

and pigments may contain toxic aromatic amines, limit values are established for the most 

critical of these substances. Concrete warning notices are also prescribed. In general, all 

information should be present in the relevant national language. 

Following a transitional period in which manufacturers were allowed time to adapt their products 

to the standard, an inspection of this product category was considered necessary in 2005. 

Aims of the investigation 

The aim of the investigation was a broad inspection of the Swiss market for compliance of the 

most important parameters with EN 71/7. This was achieved through a customs inspection 

programme led by the BAG. Further samples were collected in the Cantons of Basel-City and 

Aargau. 

Preservatives, bittering agents and aromatic amines, present either as impurities or due to 

reductive cleavage of the colourants were investigated by the state laboratory of Basel-City. 

Colourants were investigated by the state laboratory of the Canton of Vaud (KLVD). 

Furthermore, the required warning notices were checked, although in the case of customs 

samples these can theoretically be added by the Swiss importer at a later stage. 

Statutory basis 

Parameter 

Assessment 

Warning notice EN 71/7, 6.2.2 

Warning notice in three official languages EN 71/7, 6.1 

Declaration of preservative and bittering agent EN 71/7, 6.2.2 

Preservatives 

EN 71/7, 4.3 and appendix B 

Bittering agents EN 71/7, 4.6 

Colouring agents 

EN 71/7, 4.2.2. and appendix A 

Aromatic amines – impurities EN 71/7, 4.5 

Aromatic amines from reductive cleavage of azo-dyes EN 71/7, 4.2.3 

Report0602.doc compiled: 25.01.06 07:31:00


Sample description 

The samples were collected at customs (6 sets), and further samples were taken from stores in 

the Cantons of Aargau and Basel-City. 

Country of origin 

Number of sets 

(samples) 

Germany 7 (39) 

China 3 (14) 

Netherlands 2 (9) 

Malaysia 1 (8) 

France 1 (2) 

Total 14 (72) 

Test method 

Because of the broad scope of this investigation, a wide range of methods were used to test the 

finger paints: 

Parameter group 

Number of of which 

parameters permitted 

Methods 

UV-active preservatives 46 24 HPLC-DAD 

Isothiazolinones 3 2 HPLC-DAD 

Redox-active preservatives 3 3 HPLC-ECD 

Free formaldehyde 1 1 HPLC-DAD 

Quaternary ammonium compounds 15 8 HPTLC 

Iodopropynyl butylcarbamate (Screening) 1 1 HPLC-MS 

Bittering agents (Screening) 3 3 HPLC-MS 

Aromatic amines 33 - HPLC-MS 

Aromatic amines following reductive cleavage 29 - HPLC-MS 

Colouring agents (KLVD customs samples) approx. 100 - HPTLC and UV 

Results 

Preservatives 

• Three sets (19 paints) contained more than the permitted 15 mg/kg of methyl 

isothiazolinone/methylchloro isothiazolinone (MI/MCI). On the basis of the values found and 

the fact that particularly MCI is not stable, it can be concluded that the finger paints were 

originally preserved with between 30 and 60 mg/kg depending on the set. MI/MCI is known to 

be a potent allergen. Allergies to MI/MCI are particularly problematic as several cosmetics, 

every-day chemicals (for example starch sprays for ironing), as well as colourants and 

varnish are preserved with MI/MCI. 

• Furthermore, the following preservatives were found (number of sets affected shown in 

brackets). All concentrations were within the legal requirements. 

Phenoxyethanol (2), methyl- (8), ethyl- (1), propyl- (6), and butyl- (2) paraben, 

4-hydroxybenzoic acid [as degradation product of the parabens (2)], sorbic acid (3), o- 

phenylphenol (5), bronopol (3), free formaldehyde (6). Formaldehyde is not usually used 

directly but is released by several different preservatives, such as bronopol, diazolidinyl urea 

and imidazolidinyl urea. 

• No non-permitted preservatives were detected. 

Bittering agents 

According to EN 71/7, finger paints need to contain denatonium benzoate, saccharose 

octaacetate, or naringin as a bittering agent. A bittering agent (denatonium benzoate) was only 

detected in 7 of the sets. However, the LC-MS method, with a limit of detection of approximately 

25 µg/g, does not cover the whole activity range specified by the standard for denatonium 

benzoate (up to 4 µg/g). The concentration of denatonium benzoate in samples was generally 

between 100 and 300 µg/g. In those cases where no bittering agent was detected, the 

manufacturers were asked. The answers indicated that none of the samples contained the 

required bittering agent. 



Colourants 

No non-permitted colourants or pigments were detected. Phthalocyanin pigments (C.I. 74160 

and 74260) were the most common colourants used to produce blue and green tones. Azo and 

quinoline colourants were most commonly used for yellow, orange and red colours – this colour 

group also contained the majority of the 31 non-identified colourants and pigments. 

One sample contained Pigment Red 2, which is not on the positive list for finger paints. It is 

however covered by EN 71/7, 4.2.2, according to which all colourants which are not classified 

as being carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, very toxic, toxic, harmful to health, corrosive, 

irritant or sensitizing may, nevertheless, be used as colouring agents in finger paints. 

C.I. Number 

C.I. Level 

Number of 

samples 

C.I. 74160 Pigment Blue 15 13 

C.I. 74260 Pigment Green 7 10 

C.I. 47005 Acid Yellow 3 6 

C.I. 16255 Acid Red 18 4 

C.I. 42051 Acid Blue 3 4 

C.I. 11680 Pigment Yellow 1 3 



C.I. 12310 Pigment Red 2 1 

C.I. 77007 Pigment Blue 29 1 

C.I. 77268 Food Black 3 1 

Iron oxide 1 

Titanium dioxide 1 

not identified 31 

Total 80 

Aromatic amines as impurities or following reductive cleavage 

• The finger paints investigated did not contain detectable levels of carcinogenic primary 

aromatic amines according to 4.5. The tertiary aromatic amines Michler’s ketone, methane 

base and auramine O were likewise not detected. 

• In one sample, approx. 7 mg/kg o-toluidine following reductive cleavage with sodium 

hydrosulfite (according to EN 71/7). This was just under the limit value of 10 mg/kg, but 

indicates that o-toluidine is present as a pigment component. The red pigment itself could 

not be identified. 

Declaration 

Not for the first time, warning notices were not present in all three official languages (5 of 14), 

as required due to Switzerland being a trilingual country. It is however astonishing that so many 

products bearing the CE label do not conform to the requirements of European Standard 71/7 

regarding declaration and warning notices. The declaration of preservatives and bittering 

agents, required by the standard was absent in no less than 8 of 14 cases. In one case, only the 

trade name for the preservative, which will mean little to the consumer, was used. The warning 

notice “Caution! Children under 3 years must be supervised by an adult” was completely absent 

from two packs. 

Measures taken 

The Canton in which the importer is based is responsible for measures taken. Sale of samples 

containing MI/MCI in excess of the limit value was forbidden. 

Conclusions 

• The requirements for finger paints are clearly defined in a European standard. All samples 

carried the CE sign, thereby indicating their conformity with EN 71/7. Despite this, 12 of 14 

finger-paint sets failed to fulfil important aspects of this standard, casting the manufacturers 

and their accrediting agencies in a poor light. Indeed, analytical investigations had to be 

carried out in our laboratory to demonstrate the limit value exceedance and absence of 

bittering agents, whereas simple inspection of the formulations and packaging would have 



been adequate for the accrediting agencies to determine that the products did not conform to 

the standard. 

• The high objection rate, in a product category for which there are uniform requirements 

throughout Europe demonstrates yet again that official inspection of these products is 

essential. It is less surprising that finger paints have apparently not yet been investigated by 

any other European laboratory, since the analysis of non-food products is a secondary 

consideration. 

• Because of the poor results from this year, a repeat of the campaign in 2006 is planned.

Bericht als PDF herunterladen

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?