On April 6, 2014 the U.S. newspaper Morning Sentinel concludes in an article that product labeling would allow protecting children from phthalate exposure. In the state of Maine, U.S., regulators have the authority to require companies to label their products if they contain toxins. The Morning Sentinel article outlines that phthalates, which are plasticizers interfering with the normal functioning of the endocrine system, have been associated with reproductive diseases, learning and behavioral problems, and cancer. The article points out that prenatal and early childhood exposures are of particular relevance for the development of disease and that therefore, children are especially vulnerable. However, as phthalate contents in products remain largely unknown, parents can only protect their children to a limited extend. Thus, the article calls upon Maine regulators to mandate the disclosure of phthalate content in consumer goods in order to better protect children from harmful chemical exposures.
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Morning Sentinel (April 6, 2014). “Our opinion: Labeling would help keep toxins away from kids.”
