Quality door: the sampling inspection of brand-name children's clothing is not up to standard
One day in December, a wire report from the Central Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Supervision attracted the attention of reporter Xiao Gao. According to the information, in a children's clothing sampling inspection conducted by the organization, the children's clothing of well-known outdoor and clothing brands such as Nike and HM was obviously not up to standard in important indicators such as wet rubbing fastness.
If these indicators are not qualified, it is easy to cause irritation to the skin during children's activities and wear, causing allergies and lesions.
After receiving this bombshell news, Xiao Gao decided to take immediate action. He purchased the children's clothing products matched by the sampling batches of these brands from shopping malls and other channels for the first time, and then sent them for detailed testing according to the standards.
A week later, the results confirmed that 20%-40% of the sampled products of Nike, HM and other brands had serious quality problems, which were highly consistent with the information reported in the report.
Xiao Gao contacted the relevant person in charge of the quality and technical supervision department, who said that he attached great importance to this matter and asked the company to start a recall mechanism to carry out a thorough investigation of the quality problem products, and at the same time strengthen the inspection methods to prevent recurrence.
Xiao Gao also reported the verified information and investigation results to his superiors, and after discussion, he decided to expose the "quality gate" incident in the upcoming consumer survey program.
As soon as the news was disclosed, it quickly set off a strong response among the industry and consumers. However, what Xiao Gao did not expect was that Nike, as the "benchmark" of the industry, was unexpectedly slow and indifferent to the response to the scandal of its own product quality, repeatedly emphasizing that the report was untrue, and even threatening reporters with rights protection.
Kodaka was outraged by this and strengthened his determination to make the problem public. He hopes that through his own efforts, the entire industry and regulatory system will pay attention to improving quality awareness and effectively protect the rights and interests of consumers.
Family Case: Abnormal recurrence of the baby's skin
One day in March, Ms. Li happily bought several children's T-shirts from the mall for her 3-year-old son, Xiaoqiu, from Nike's Spring/Summer 2022 collection.
The brightly colored T-shirts are very cute, and the branding effect is also reassuring to Ms. Lee. She can't wait to go home to change the ball and get ready for a weekend outing.
However, just before departure, Ms. Li was horrified to find that Xiaoqiu's elbow and leg had developed a severe red and swollen rash, and at the same time, the skin at the scratch was broken and oozing fluid.
She panicked and hurriedly took Xiaoqiu to see a dermatologist. After examination and questioning, the doctor determined that the globules were likely to have had an allergic reaction to contact dermatitis to a chemical in the garment.
Ms. Li recalled the "toilet bowl dermatitis" reported in the news a few days ago, and it turned out that it was all skin barrier damage caused by prolonged exposure to irritants. She blamed herself for choosing these children's clothes that might have quality problems and cause skin allergies without careful screening.
At the doctor's suggestion, Ms. Li checked other household items that may cause allergies, such as toys, accessories, skin care products, etc., and minimized their use. After more than a week of medication, the skin symptoms of the globules finally improved.
Just when Ms. Li breathed a sigh of relief, she pulled out another Nike children's suit from the closet and put it on Xiaoqiu. However, what made her panic and despair was that the dermatitis symptoms of Xiaoqiu recurred seriously again at night! She fell into endless self-blame, pain and confusion, and paid a terrible price for her wrong choice.
Expert Interpretation: Analysis of Allergens in Daily Life
After the case of Ms. Li's globulular skin allergy, Professor Li, a dermatologist from a major hospital in Beijing, analyzed it. She said that the allergens that cause dermatitis can be divided into two categories: one is allergy to non-specific substances such as metals, and the other is specific allergens.
Metallic elements such as copper and nickel are widely found in daily necessities, and they can irritate the skin and cause chronic inflammatory reactions. This allergy usually heals naturally with age.
Specific allergies are more serious, such as certain medications, additives in food, and ingredients such as preservatives, dyes, fragrances, etc. in skin care products. Such allergens can easily cause skin sensitivity and allergies in infants and young children after contact.
In particular, Professor Li mentioned that many places in life that are easily overlooked may also harbor allergens. For example, metal in clothing buttons, zippers; toxic substances in some cheap toys and accessories; chemical ingredients in sunscreen and skin care products, etc.
She advises parents to be vigilant, watch their child's skin reactions, and stop using suspected irritants if they have any abnormalities.
She also put forward several suggestions for the scientific prevention and treatment of contact dermatitis: first, a correct understanding of contact dermatitis, which can be well controlled by dealing with allergens and drug treatment; The second is to identify and shield allergens in advance to prevent problems before they occur; Third, once dermatitis occurs, the use of the suspicious product must be stopped, and oral antihistamines must be taken to reduce symptoms; The fourth is to enhance the baby's own immunity through skin protection and dietary conditioning.
Professor Li said that as consumers, it is necessary for parents to rationally judge the composition of goods and avoid choosing products that may bring risks. Only through the joint efforts of government regulators, businesses and consumers can we gradually reduce potential allergens in our lives and protect the skin health of infants and young children.
Rectification and Reflection: Enlightenment after a Quality Incident
After the quality problems of children's clothing of Nike, HM and other brands were exposed, relevant companies carried out active crisis public relations. They have issued statements saying that they have launched a product recall mechanism, and technicians will comprehensively test the remaining inventory, and trace the source batch by batch to find the root cause of quality problems.
Industry experts said in an interview that only relying on spot checks can not eliminate quality problems, and enterprises need to improve the quality monitoring system, establish strict internal control standards, realize the quality management of the whole life cycle of products, and effectively plug the loopholes in supervision.
A relevant commentator on CCTV wrote an article pointing out that this incident also sounded the alarm bell for the national regulatory authorities. Under the conditions of market economy, the survival pressure of enterprises is easy to ignore the bottom line of quality, and if there is a lack of strong supervision, it is difficult to fully protect the rights and interests of consumers.
It is necessary for the regulatory authorities to intensify spot checks on sensitive products and establish a blacklist system so that problematic enterprises have nowhere to hide.
The article also calls on consumers to consume rationally. When we buy goods, we can not only rely on the brand effect, but also learn to screen the brand's marketing packaging, and choose truly trustworthy products according to our own requirements for safety, quality and cost performance.
Through the rational choice of individuals, the market environment will be gradually cleaned, and the overall quality awareness of the society will be enhanced, so that all kinds of unscrupulous businesses will end without a market.
This incident is a wake-up call for all stakeholders, highlighting the importance of government and enterprise supervision and brand social responsibility, as well as an opportunity for consumer education and growth.
This is a new starting point for the whole society to form a quality culture, establish a scientific concept of consumption, and build a new relationship of harmonious development. Let's work together to build a safe and harmonious line of defense for children's growth.