China to investigate alleged toxic jewelry exports

China’s quality control agency said it is investigating claims that children’s jewelry exported to the US contained cadmium, a highly toxic heavy metal, AFP reported, citing state media. “We need to find out whether the accused products came out of China through legal means,” said the head of toy safety at the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. The official added that children’s jewelry was not on the government’s mandatory inspection list. US department stores Wal-Mart and Claire’s Stores said they removed Chinese-made jewelry from their shelves following reports that some bracelets and pendants had been found to contain cadmium, which is used to make batteries and plastics and has been shown to cause lung cancer. The reputation of China’s manufacturing industry has been damaged in recent years by a string of safety scandals involving dangerous foods, toys and other products.