WRITTEN QUESTION E-1552/03 by Paulo Casaca (PSE) to the Commission. Toys in foodstuffs.
Date: 2003-05-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: accident in the home, confectionery product, consumer policy, consumer protection, product safety

7.11.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 268 E/201

(2003/C 268 E/224)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1475/03

by Carlos Lage (PSE) to the Commission

(30 April 2003)

Subject: Free gifts offered with food products

In the wake of the deaths in recent years of children from suffocation, a number of more socially
responsible manufacturers have voluntarily taken potentially dangerous products off the market:

Nestlé withdrew its ‘Magic Ball’ product (a chocolate-covered plastic ball with a Disney character

1.
inside) on the grounds that toys inside food products are considered extremely dangerous;

In Denmark and the UK, the Onken yoghurt containing a toy was voluntarily withdrawn from the

2.
market;

In Finland, an Austrian-made product (a chocolate egg containing a surprise gift) was also taken off

3.
the market.

Nonetheless, unscrupulous manufacturers are (in what is no doubt another marketing ploy aimed at
increasing product sales) continuing to advertise and sell food products containing toys which could cause
fatal accidents and gravely damage family life.

What specific measures does the Commission intend to take in the interests of consumer protection in the
Union?

(2003/C 268 E/225)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1505/03

by Arlindo Cunha (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(5 May 2003)

Subject: Toys in foodstuffs

The most recent fatal accidents caused by toys (or parts thereof) in food products involved:

1.

2.

an eighteen-month-old child,
September 2002, according to a report published by the Swedish Consumer Institute;

the daughter of a surgeon, who died of asphyxia in Sweden in

a five-year-old girl, the daughter of a nurse, who died of asphyxia in Turkey in January 2003,
according to a report published in the Turkish press and by the ANEC (European Association for the
Co-ordination of Consumer Representation in Standardisation).

In view of all this, can the Commission explain why there is no specific legislation to protect European
consumers?

(2003/C 268 E/226)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1552/03

by Paulo Casaca (PSE) to the Commission

(7 May 2003)

Subject: Toys in foodstuffs

In view of the fatal accidents in which children have died of asphyxia in the last few years, some of the
more conscientious manufacturers have voluntarily withdrawn potentially dangerous products from the
market:

(cid:1) Nestlé withdrew its ‘Magic Ball’ (a chocolate-covered plastic ball containing a figurine of a Disney

character) because toys inside food products are considered extremely dangerous;

C 268 E/202

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

7.11.2003

(cid:1) in Denmark and the United Kingdom a yoghurt containing a toy (Onken) was also voluntarily

withdrawn from the market;

(cid:1) in Finland a chocolate egg containing a novelty toy manufactured in Austria was withdrawn from the

market.

Meanwhile, unscrupulous manufacturers continue to advertise and sell their food products under the
pretext of offering a toy (which is of course just another marketing gimmick to promote the food product),
which can cause fatal accidents and irreparable damage to the lives of families.

What specific action will the Commission take with a view to protecting European consumers?

(2003/C 268 E/227)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1591/03

by António Campos (PSE) to the Commission

(8 May 2003)

Subject: Toys in foodstuffs

In view of the fatal accidents in which children have died of asphyxia in the last few years, some of the
more conscientious manufacturers have voluntarily withdrawn potentially dangerous products from the
market:

(cid:1) Nestlé withdrew its ‘Magic Ball’ (a chocolate-covered plastic ball containing a figurine of a Disney

character) because toys inside food products are considered extremely dangerous;

(cid:1) in Denmark and the United Kingdom a yoghurt containing a toy (Onken) was also voluntarily

withdrawn from the market;

(cid:1) in Finland a chocolate egg containing a novelty toy manufactured in Austria was withdrawn from the

market.

Meanwhile, unscrupulous manufacturers continue to advertise and sell their food products under the
pretext of offering a toy (which is of course just another marketing gimmick to promote the food product),
which can cause fatal accidents and irreparable damage to the lives of families.

What specific action will the Commission take with a view to protecting European consumers?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-1475/03, E-1505/03, E-1552/03 and E-1591/03
given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(5 June 2003)

The Commission has answered several previous parliamentary questions on the matter raised by the
Honourable Members, so it would ask them to refer in particular to the joint answers to Written Questions
E-0504/02 by Ms Karamanou and E-0548/02 by Mr Alavanos (1), and to Written Questions E-2630/00 by
Mr Moreira Da Silva, E-2631/00 by Ms Damião and E-2632/00 by Mr Lage (2).

With regard to the accidents mentioned in Written Question E-1505/03, the Commission has contacted
the authorities of the countries concerned in order to obtain details of these accidents and to assess them.
In addition, the Commission will pay close attention to the results of the current investigation, coordinated
by Parliament’s STOA (Scientific and Technological Options Assessment) Unit, into the possible risk of
combining food products with non-food products.