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BEIJING, Aug. 27 -- New Zealand safety inspectors have approved a brand of pajamas imported from China, saying the nightwear met both design and burn product safety standards. New Zealand's Commerce Commission issued a statement on Friday saying it had closed its investigation into The Warehouse "Red Stamp" brand pajamas. The investigation was launched after two complaints regarding children who suffered burns while wearing the pajamas. The commission had the nightwear tested by an independent laboratory to determine whether they passed tests for garments designed to reduce fire danger. Stuart Wallace, acting director of the commission's Fair Trading department said the pajamas passed both the dimension requirements for close-fitting garments and the test for surface burn after washing. They needed to meet both standards to qualify for the "low fire danger" label. Li Changjiang, head of China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), said on Monday in Beijing that the Chinese government attached great importance to the issue and to claims in New Zealand that some Chinese fabric products contained excessive levels of formaldehyde. The AQSIQ immediately had the products tested and the tests showed the low-flammable property and formaldehyde content had the appropriate standards. Other reports in New Zealand media said some woollen and cotton pajamas for children, which were imported from China, had been found to contain much more formaldehyde than the criteria set by the World Health Organization. The New Zealand government launched an investigation after a television program reported last week that some clothing imported from China contained excessive levels of formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is used to prevent creasing in fabrics, but has also been linked to a range of health problems, including cancer.
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