Underpants, clothing and crabs destroyed

A batch of imported Victoria’s Secret underpants were found to contain excessive formaldehyde, a carcinogen, and were destroyed by the Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, officials said over the weekend.

Five batches of imported Ralph Lauren clothing were also destroyed for high pH index or failing safety indexes for buttons and belts on children’s clothing.

Textiles with a high pH index could lead to skin allergies, while excessive exposure to formaldehyde can lead to headaches, dermatitis, respiratory disease, eczema and even poisoning, officials warned.

In total, 400 batches of substandard imported clothing have been destroyed in Shanghai since March, with a total value of about US$300,000. They were confiscated at the Pudong International Airport and Waigaoqiao port.

Over 160 boxes of frozen king crabs imported from Chile to Shanghai, and weighing about 1.3 tons, were destroyed for being past their sell-by date.