Toymaker refutes claims of unsafe Zhu Zhu hamster

The maker of a fast-selling toy defended its product despite a California consumer group’s claim that the toy was unsafe.

According to CNN, GoodGuide posted on its Web site that the light brown Zhu Zhu hamster, “Mr. Squiggles,” had high amounts of antimony. Read full article here.

However, Cepia LLC, the Zhu Zhu toymaker based in St. Louis, Missouri, refuted the claims, saying it ran thorough testing to ensure the toy’s safety.

“All our products are subjected to several levels of rigorous safety testing conducted by our own internal teams, as well as the world’s leading independent quality assurance testing organization, and also by independent labs engaged by our retail partners,” said Russ Hornsby, CEO of Cepia, in a written statement. “The results of every test prove that our products are in compliance with all government and industry safety standards.”

On the Zhu Zhu Pets Web site, the company issued the statement: “We here at Cepia assure you that Mr. Squiggles is absolutely safe and has passed the most rigorous testing in the toy industry for consumer health and safety.” Visit Web site here.

GoodGuide gave the toy a 5.2 rating and said it was one of the top-selling items even with its low rating. According to the consumer group’s Web site, GoodGuide “(finds) safe, healthy and green products” The site warned consumers that the hamster contained tin, which is dangerous to the immune and nervous system, and antimony, which may be connected with cancer, lung and heart problems. Visit Web site here.

Dara O’Rourke, co-founder of GoodGuide said, “We found levels of about 93 to 106 parts per million. The new federal standard is about 60 parts per million.

CNN reported that antimony is typically used in plastics and textiles to prevent products from catching on fire. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control stated longtime exposure to the chemical can lead to heart and lung problems.

Bruce Katz, a senior vice president of Cepia, said the hamsters do not contain high amounts of antimony because the company has run tests for months when it was creating the toys and none of those tests failed.

The article said the hamsters are highly popular in the U.S. as well as Europe. Character Options, which distributes the toys in Britain as “Go Go Pets,” said the pets are “fully compliant” with U.S. and European safety standards.

Character Options also made a statement that “the toy has been further tested on three separate occasions by the company’s own safety experts and found to fully comply with all EU standards.”

The robotic hamsters are sold at $8 separately and in bundles ranging from $16-$32 at various retailers including Walmart, Target and Toys ‘R Us.