London - A Burberry shirt modelled by Romeo Beckham in Vogue magazine has been found to contain toxic chemicals.
The £175 (about R3 000) garment was among a number of children’s items that were tested as part of a Greenpeace investigation into the use of potentially harmful chemicals during manufacturing.
Research also found suspect residues in products sold by other brands including Disney, American Apparel, GAP and Primark.
There is no evidence of immediate harm to children caused by the chemicals, but Greenpeace is calling for the items to be removed as a precaution.
The Burberry shirt, made in Tunisia, was found to contain a “relatively high” 780mg/kg of man-made chemicals known as NPEs, which are widely used as detergents.
However, they can eventually degrade to a potentially toxic substance that can affect hormones and accumulate in the body over time. Eleven-year-old Romeo is the second of David and Victoria Beckham’s four children and was hired to front a marketing campaign by Burberry last year.
The British brand insists its products do not pose any health risk and said it is working to reduce the use of suspect chemicals in the manufacturing process. - Daily Mail