Intertek Hong Kong Partners with HKMU to Assess the Safety of Pet Toys
04 Mar 2022
It is high time that we looked into the product quality of pet products in the market
Intertek Hong Kong is pleased to announce our partnership with the Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) on the scientific research themed "An Experimental Study and Safety Analysis on Pet Toys".
The pet product industry has been experiencing explosive growth, offering a variety of pet products. Currently, there are very limited mandatory standards or regulations in place for pet products. Some companies would therefore adopt safety regulations for children's toys for their pet products. Nonetheless, the mechanical testing standards may not be suitable given the aggressive use by pets. The chemical testing standards are also not sufficient to identify the potential toxicological hazard that can be detrimental to pets.
In light of such predicament, Intertek Hong Kong partnered with Dr. Mak Shu Lun, Assistant Professor in the School of Science and Technology, HKMU on the scientific research themed "An Experimental Study and Safety Analysis on Pet Toys", believing it is high time we investigated the product quality of pet products in the market.
Co-owned by Intertek and HKMU, the research project aims to examine the limitation of the current safety assessment models and provide insights on the implementation of enhanced assessment models. Combining industry experience and leveraging partners from prestigious university, the research proposed a range of test methodologies, designs of testing gauges and safety test protocols. The findings of this research will hopefully be translated into novel solutions and technology applications by pet product manufacturers, uplifting the pet product safety standards and ultimately enabling more end-consumers to benefit from this research.
Dr. Mak Shu Lun, the lead researcher on the project comments: "We are honoured to team up with Intertek. The commercial pet product industry faces minimal mandatory regulation, and thus, under minimal oversight. Pet product manufactures are so reliant on third-party certification bodies to ensure the safety and quality of their pet products. We really appreciate Intertek's extensive efforts in doing so. We are confident that our experimental study can provide some insight into the safety of commercial pet product in the market. This collaboration will hopefully be the beginning for pet products that are safer and of higher quality."
Says William Wong, Assistant General Manager, Laboratories, Toys and Hardlines: "As a Total Quality Assurance solutions provider trusted by many industry partners, Intertek is delighted to be conducting this collaborative research with HKMU. Safeguarding quality and safety of products has always been our mission. This collaboration is a major breakthrough in our quest to develop more comprehensive and stringent safety standards. Intertek will continue to help our clients navigate the industry, while protecting consumers' health and safety."
