The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is seeking safety assurances from more than 100 importers of timber panel products such as particleboard, MDF and plywood, reports The Australian.
Independent testing by Australian timber industry associations has found formaldehyde levels in some imported timber panels to be significantly higher than Australian limits.
The ACCC cannot force importers and retailers to comply with voluntary Australian standards for formaldehyde.
However, it has asked timber panel importers to establish appropriate product testing and to ensure their products meet Australian standards or equivalent international standards for formaldehyde emissions.
