The aim of the "Plush Toys" focus action was to check whether the legal provisions regarding the use of banned azo dyes and the safety requirements of the Toy Ordinance 2011 were complied with. 37 samples from all over Austria were examined. 28 samples were objected to:

• The predominant reason for complaint was lacking/missing EC declarations of conformity or labeling deficiencies.
• One sample was found to be a choking hazard
• No sample had to be rejected due to prohibited azo dyes
• No sample had to be rejected because of flammability

Azo dyes are synthetic dyes. For toys with textiles such as soft toys, azo dyes must not be used in detectable concentrations (> 30 mg/kg).