The independent product testing group that last week said one of this Christmas’ most popular toys (Zhu Zhu Pets, a mechanical hamster) may contain harmful levels of certain toxins is now backpeddling on those claims after the Consumer Product Safety Commission stepped in, deeming Zhu Zhu Pets to be safe.

The CPSC confirmed that the toys had passed safety tests and did not appear to pose a risk to children:

“The Consumer Product Safety Commission confirmed today that the popular Zhu Zhu toy is not out of compliance with the antimony or other heavy-metal limits of the new U.S. mandatory toy standard,” agency spokesman Scott Wolfson said.

“We will still do our own independent testing at CPSC. But we’re confident today and can confirm that the toy does not violate the very protective antimony standard that applies to all toys in the United States,” Wolfson said.

Good Guide sheepishly admitted that Mr. Squiggles might not be so poisonous after all:

“Since issuing our release, we have learned that the testing methodology used in the federal standards (a soluble method) is different than the methodology we used in our testing (a surface-based method),” the San Francisco group said. “Accordingly, while we accurately reported the chemical levels in the toys that we measured using our testing method, we should not have compared our results to federal standards. We regret this error.”

As you might imagine, Zhu Zhu Pets distributor Cepia LLC is not too pleased with the rumors circulating less than a month ahead of Christmas:

“They accused us falsely of having high levels of antimony and tin in Mr. Squiggles by using a methodology that is not used by any federal standards,” said Natalie Hornsby, Cepia’s vice president of marketing. “Their testing was certainly not comprehensive and certainly not at the government standard.”

Consumers remain wary about toy safety after a cluster of recalls in 2007 that included unsafe magnets and high levels of lead in toy paints.

[LA Times]

CPSC says Zhu Zhu hamsters are safe, Good Guide apologizes is a post from: The Inquisitr

A California consumer safety group says one of the most sought out toys this Christmas may contain unsafe levels of certain toxins.

Good Guide, a group that independently tests products for the presence of toxic chemicals, says Zhu Zhu Pet Hamsters tested positive for higher than acceptably safe levels of a metal called antimony, as well as potentially unsafe levels of tin. Zhu Zhu Pets remained sold out through man outlets as early as October, and many of the trendy toys are expected to show up under trees this Christmas.

“If ingested in high enough levels [it] can lead to cancer, reproductive health, and other human health hazards,” said Dara O’Rourke, an associate professor of environmental science at U.C.-Berkeley, and co-founder of goodguide.com.

Good Guide says the Zhu Zhu stood out because of high levels of antimony.

The federal limit is 60 parts per million. But the Zhu Zhu had 93 parts per million in the fur, and 103 in the nose.

“If these toys aren’t even meeting the legal standards in the U.S. then I would say that it isn’t worth the risk for me to bring it into my household,” said O’Rourke.

Zhu Zhu Pets are manufactured in China, and distributed by a company based in St. Louis called Cepia. Cepia did not address requests for comment on the toys’ safety, and there is no recall in place for Zhu Zhu Pet Hamsters.

Consumer advocacy group says Zhu Zhu hamsters contain toxic chemicals is a post from: The Inquisitr

If you haven’t heard of Zhu Zhu pet hamsters yet, you soon will, because the cuddly toys are being pitched as the “it” toy for Christmas 2009.

The Zhu Zhu Pet Hamsters are interactive toy pets with a basic level of artificial intelligence. They squeak and move like real hamsters, offering a “real” hamster experience without needed food or leaving deposits around the house.

But because an artificial hamster is never enough, Zhu Zhu pet hamsters also come with accessories, such as a hamster fun house, a skateboard with a ramp, a hamster wheel and tunnel, and a hamster car with a garage. Yes, nothing says real like a Hamster in a car.

Zhu Zhu pet hamsters sell for between $20-$30 on Amazon, with accessories starting at $8. You can buy a Zhu Zhu pet hamster via the Amazon embed as follows:

Zhu Zhu Pet Hamsters are apparently the “it” toy for Christmas is a post from: The Inquisitr