Sophie the Giraffe

Sophie the Giraffe (French Sophie la girafe ) is a created in 1961 by the Société Delacoste toys for toddlers. Delacoste was heir to the Société Derolland, the animal figures produced since 1862 in Asnières- sur -Oise rubber. Sophie became a cult object in France. Today it is produced by the company Vulli Rumilly in Haute-Savoie, a firm that bought the company in 1981 before Delacoste shifted its production in the early 1990s.

History

According to the manufacturer of this toy was designed by a certain M. Rampeau, a specialist in the processing of natural rubber. Various sources state that the company Delacoste had tried in 1959 to bring a first 46 cm giraffe named Zoë on the market. The commercial success came only after the "baptism" by Sophie on 25 May 1961. With the success of Sophie, the manufacturers tried new successes with versions Mona and Cleo, respectively 22 and 31 cm tall, but that had less success.

1981, the company Vulli Delacoste had bought and maintained production facilities in the Paris region, before they moved to Rumilly 1991. The closure of the old production site in 1993 did not place without problems in the elimination of pollution.

2001, the number of ten million copies sold was reached. 2010 left the 50millionste Sophie production. 2009, the toy with 800,000 copies were sold mainly in France, but in addition in 40 countries.

The giraffe natural rubber gum is soft, 18 cm high, mottled black and brown, hollow, with a whistle inside, which produces a characteristic squeal. It is intended for a couple of months old toddler and supports various aspects of its development. The model has changed little in appearance since its invention.

The toy calls according to the manufacturer, all baby's senses: the look with its contrasting colors, the sense of touch with his in relief roles ( it is thanks to its size and shape easy to grip ), the Artikuliern of sounds with his whistle, but also smell and taste, thanks to the 100 % pure natural rubber. The colors used correspond to high quality food colors, so that could be chewed safely on the toy itself.

Criticism

Not only the French consumer magazine Que Choisir had found in a test nitrosable amines that exceed the German limit values ​​, the Öko-Test magazine reported in the November 2011 issue that the toy is not marketable because of a violation of the limits for nitrosable substances in Germany. Nitrosable amines are particularly dangerous because they can be converted into carcinogenic nitrosamines. This report was forbidden the journal by way of an injunction from the Landgericht Berlin. On 17 January 2012, the Berlin District Court lifted the previously adopted by that injunction itself back on .. Öko-Test may again say, " Sophie la Girafe: not marketable ." Although the manufacturer Vulli pointed out in a press release on the test results of other institutes that prove compliance with all the limits. The measured values ​​were in court but in any case not moot. So Vulli said in a first reaction to the test, you have " checked recently in July 2011" Sophie. It had to " 0.5 mg / kg for nitrosatables been" ascertained. "These results are also in agreement with the test results of Öko-Test ", so Vulli on. Öko -Test (...) 0.781 mg / kg nitrosatables " found. At issue was only the question of whether the German Consumer Goods Ordinance is adopted, which sets a limit of 0.1 milligrams per kilogram for detachable nitrosable amines ( which OEKO -TEST in law ), or Annex II, Part 3 of the EU Toy Safety Directive, the with 1 milligram per kilogram of a ten times as high value allowed ( which would Vulli right ). Background is initiated by the federal government so-called notification which has the aim to apply the more stringent limits in spite of the less stringent EU Toys Directive in Germany. Only by order of 1 March 2012 ( C ( 2012) 1348 final), the European Commission accepted this request. Until then, the application of the Federal government developed no effect.

From December 2011 set Vulli Sophie the manufacturing process of such order that the more stringent German limits to be exceeded. For the two in December 2011 and March 2012 delivered to the German Commercial production batches, this is confirmed by independent testing laboratories and regulatory sampling. After it was found in March 2012 that even specimens from older production were commercially available, examined the Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Office Stuttgart ( CVUA ) these older products. The first test revealed an excess of the requirements for the production in Germany the limit by about 18 -fold. This value would have even exceeded the limits under the EU Directive. In the investigation of cross-checking by an independent testing laboratory, however, this excess could not be confirmed.

In May 2012, the manufacturer Vulli or the German sales, the Berlin company Elements for Kids ( EFK ) decided to recall all delivered to the trade before 20 December 2011, products voluntarily. These products can be exchanged for copies of current production where they were purchased. The Exchange Offer is recorded next to Sophie la Girafe also the similar products manufactured by Vulli: The So'Pure teether, the great Sophie and Sophie's friends Chan Pie and gnon.