Recently, the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, announced new regulations that will restrict the use of six phthalates in toys and child care articles in order to limit exposure to children and infants. 

Phthalates (tha-lates) are a family of chemicals commonly used to make vinyl plastic, otherwise known as polyvinyl chloride or PVC, soft and flexible. Research suggests that certain phthalates may cause health effects in young children when soft vinyl toys and child care articles are sucked or chewed.

“When the Consumer Product Safety Act comes into force in June, our Government will begin a new era of consumer product safety for Canadians,” said Minister Aglukkaq.

“Today, we are again acting to make the toys and products that young Canadians use even safer. New regulations will ensure products that are imported, sold or advertised in Canada do not present a risk of phthalate exposure to children and infants,” said Lee Richardson, MP for Calgary Centre.

Since 1998, phthalates have voluntarily not been used by industry in 1soft vinyl pacifiers, teethers, rattles, baby bottle nipples and other products intended to be mouthed by children and infants.   Given that children may suck or chew items such as vinyl bibs and bath, squeeze or inflatable toys, our Government has introduced these regulations to keep Canadian families safer. 

"I applaud the government's actions to limit the presence of this chemical in children's products," said Rick Smith, Executive Director of Environmental Defence Canada.  "Canada's Phthalates Regulations are now aligned with measures taken in the United States and the European Union and will ensure our children receive the same high level of protection."

Over the past year, the Canadian Government has demonstrated its ongoing commitment to consumer product safety under its Food and Consumer Safety Action through new regulations on lead, cribs and cradles, and surface coating materials. 




Fact Sheet
Phthalates Regulations


What are phthalates?
Phthalates are a family of chemicals commonly used as plasticizers that have a large number of industrial and commercial applications.  Phthalates are added to vinyl plastic to make it both soft and flexible.

What are the health risks?
Research shows that phthalates may adversely affect reproduction and development.  

With respect to soft vinyl (PVC) products, it is important to note that the mere presence
of phthalates in the soft vinyl does not equate to a health risk.  For example, touching or
licking soft vinyl does not constitute a health risk.  It is the amount of phthalates that
leach out of the soft vinyl and migrate into the body that can be harmful.  Phthalates leach
out of soft vinyl during periods of sustained mouthing action (sucking and chewing) that
occurs on a daily basis, and migrate into the body through the saliva. 

What is Health Canada doing?
Health Canada has announced new regulations that will restrict the allowable concentrations of DEHP, DBP and BBP to no more than 1,000 mg/kg (0.1%) in the soft vinyl of all children’s toys and child care articles.  They will also restrict the allowable concentrations of  DINP, DIDP and DNOP to no more than 1,000 mg/kg (0.1%) in the soft vinyl of children’s toys and child care articles where the soft vinyl can, in a reasonably foreseeable manner, be placed in the mouth of a child under four years (48 months) of age.

These regulations will ensure that children’s toys and child care articles imported, sold or advertised in Canada do not present a risk of phthalate exposure to young children.

What should parents and caregivers do with older soft vinyl toys?
Health Canada advises parents and caregivers to monitor their children’s use of soft vinyl (PVC) toys not specifically designed for sucking and chewing (such as vinyl bibs and bath, squeeze or inflatable toys), and to remove these products from the child’s environment if they observe the child sucking or chewing on them for extended periods.