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2023-01-03 15:34
Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection, Ministry of Economic Affairs

BSMI and the Consumers Foundation Jointly Released Test Results of Mobile Phone Cases

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BSMI and the Consumers Foundation Jointly Released Test Results of Mobile Phone Cases
The Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI) in collaboration with the Consumers' Foundation released the test results of 30 mobile phone cases randomly purchased from online stores, hypermarkets, superstores and retailers in the first quarter of 2022 to check the content of plasticizers and Chinese labeling. All products passed the tests of plasticizers as stated in CNS 15503 "General safety requirements for children's products," while 12 products did not comply with the requirements for Chinese labeling stated in the Commodity Labeling Act.


Based on a report titled "Kids & Tech: The Evolution of Today's Digital Natives" released by Influence Central in 2016, which was quoted by TechCrunch, an online newspaper focusing on high tech and startup companies, the average age for a child getting his/her first smartphone was 10.3 years old and the percentage of kids using smartphones during car rides was 45%. As phone cases have become almost an indispensable accessory of mobile phones for purposes of protection and stylishness, children are getting more chances of being exposed to phthalate plasticizers, which belong to the group of endocrine disruptors and may affect the hormonal balance, via the contact with such devices. This project was carried out to check the content of plasticizers in phone cases against the limit specified in CNS 15503.


Noncompliance of the 12 phone cases mainly involved a number of reasons, including (1) the place of origin, materials or quantities not labeled in traditional Chinese, (2) incomplete information on the manufacturer or importer, (3) no information on the place of origin, (4) lack of information on the main ingredients or materials, net weight, volume, quantity or measurement, (5) no manufactured date, and (6) lack of all required information.


The BSMI indicated that mobile phone cases are not regulated products under its jurisdiction, but they are required to comply with the Commodity Labeling Act. The information of those non-compliant products was forwarded to the Central Region Office of the Ministry of Economic Affairs for further actions.


The BSMI urged business operators to protect consumers' rights by ensuring the safety of their products and correct labeling. It also reminded consumers of the followings when buying mobile phone cases:
1.To check whether the labeling is available in traditional Chinese and read carefully the labeled information.
2.To check the completeness of the Chinese labeling, in particular the name of the product, the names/contact information of the manufacturer and importer, the place of origin, etc.


Responsible Division: 2nd Division
Contact Person: Cheng, Ching-Hong, Deputy Director
Tel. (O): +886-2343-1763
Email: ch.cheng@bsmi.gov.tw