EcoWaste Coalition Asks Government to Exterminate "Shrilling Chicken" Toy


A non-profit watchdog group tracking toxins in children’s products has asked the government to “exterminate” a popular plastic toy known as “Shrilling Chicken” for containing highly toxic chemicals.

The “Shrilling Chicken,” which is sold locally from P80-P100, is made of yellow and red polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic that makes a screaming sound when squeezed.

The EcoWaste Coalition’s call to wipe out the controversial “made in China” chicken toy after two European countries ordered their withdrawal from the market for posing serious chemical and environmental risks.

“The Czech and Swedish governments pulled out the cute but very dangerous chicken toy from store shelves to protect their children and the society at large from being exposed to possibly carcinogenic substances in this toy.  The Philippine government should waste no time and exterminate the ‘Shrilling Chicken,’ which has been in the local market since 2010,” said Thony Dizon, Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect.

Citing “Report 29” of European Union’s Rapid Alert System for Non-Food Dangerous Products (RAPEX) issued yesterday, Dizon pointed out that the Czech Republic banned “Shrilling Chicken” in July 2014.  Sweden banned the same in August 2013.

According to the Czech government, “the product poses a chemical risk because it contains 0.98% by weight of  phthalate DEHP,” in violation of the EU’s REACH Regulation prohibiting phthalates DEHP, DBP and BBP in all toys and childcare articles.

The Swedish government, on the other hand, said that “the product poses an environmental risk (chemical pollution) because the plastic in the chicken contains up to 10% short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs),” in violation of the European Commission Regulation 519/2012 on persistent organic pollutants.

Both the Czech and the Swedish governments ordered the withdrawal of the product from the market as a compulsory measure to prevent chemical and environmental risks.

In addition to pressing the government to ban “Shrilling Chicken,” the EcoWaste Coalition appealed to toy vendors to stop selling their remaining stocks of the product and to return them to the Chinese manufacturer for proper disposal.


The group also called on parents who have already bought “Shrilling Chicken” to keep the product out of children’s reach or properly discard it as hazardous waste.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has categorized phthalate DEHP and SCCPs as  among the Group 2B agents or substances that are “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”

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Reference:

http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/safety/rapex/alerts/main/index.cfm?event=main.search
(type: “Shrilling Chicken” in “free text search” and choose “2014” and “2013” in “years)

http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Classification/

www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals/.../sccps_ap_2009_1230_final.pdf

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