The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) recently conducted a general market surveillance of 199 items and discovered four pairs of jeans and a pillowcase that contained potentially harmful azo dyes above commonly used acceptable limits. Voluntary recalls of the articles are being undertaken by the suppliers.
Currently, there are product safety regulations banning certain azo dyes in textile products in the EU and some Asia countries. Some US retailers have imposed guideline limits for certain azo dyes in their own products. Currently in Australia, there are no laws or rules in place to prohibit the importation of products containing azo dyes. Therefore, the Australian Health Department?s National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme has taken action to prohibit the sale of clothing containing hazardous azo dyes and have recommended that the ACCC constrain the importation of such products.
Australia currently has no legally prescribed limits on the use of any hazardous chemicals in textiles. The ACCC has the right to recommend or compel suppliers to recall unsafe consumer products under the Australian Consumer Law. It is known that not all azo dyes present in textile products may cause problems, but certain colorants are classified as carcinogens and they should not be used in products with prolonged skin contact.
According to the ACCC, suppliers of consumer goods are responsible for ensuring that their goods comply with the law and are fit for purpose and safe use. In this case, suppliers should ensure that their products that will have direct and prolonged skin contact do not contain any hazardous aromatic amines in an amount above 30 mg/kg.