The Consumer Council called for children's foam play mats to be better regulated, citing concerns of a toxic substance commonly found on the surface of the mats.

The watchdog examined 20 products - 11 puzzle mats, six roll mats and three folding mats - found in stationery stores, household goods stores, baby product shops, toy retailers, department stores and online shopping platforms, with prices ranging between HK$12 and HK$1,199.

Among the mats tested, 15 were found to contain varying levels of formamide. While formamide is generally used as an adjuvant foaming agent, prolonged exposure to the compound may pose certain dangers to unborn babies. It can also cause moderate irritation to the skin and mucus membranes.

Six mats exceeded the upper limit of 200 milligrams of formamide per kilogram under standards set by the European Union, with Japan Home's number puzzle play mat product exceeding the limit by over nine times. The product's materials were found to contain between 1,400mg and 2,000mg of formamide per kg.

The council pointed out that since the EU, Shenzhen and Taiwan had all set a formamide limit of 200mg per kg in plastic and puzzle play mats, Hong Kong should follow suit.

"We believe in order to provide the best protection to kids, it is time to review the requirements and put forward more protections by setting a cap for this pollutant," council chief executive Gilly Wong Fung-han said.

"We really hope the government will follow the international consensus and set the right regulations to protect Hong Kong children."

Parents who have already bought foam play mats need not throw them away, Wong said, adding they can "air out" the mats instead to reduce formamide emissions.

The council also recommended parents clean the mats with a damp cloth before wiping them dry, adding the mats should not be soaked in water due to molding risks. It suggested children make a habit of washing their hands after playing on the mats.

Manufacturers should also include clear cleaning instructions on the packaging, the council said, noting half of the mats examined did not proffer any cleaning directions.

However, formamide content was not the only point of concern. Six of the mats tested had failed the council's tension test after small parts of the foam broke off.

Lui Wing-cheong, vice chairman of the council's research and testing committee, said: "Play mats should be appropriate for children under the age of three so there shouldn't be any small parts [falling off] due to the risk of suffocation caused by accidental swallowing."

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