Material Safety

OVERVIEW

The Material Safety field captures the specific safety attributes of the materials used in a children’s product. This goes beyond listing materials (which belongs in an Ingredients or Materials field) to stating what those materials do NOT contain: BPA, phthalates, PVC, formaldehyde, heavy metals, flame retardants, or other substances of concern to parents.

This field is not about marketing language. It is about providing the factual safety characteristics that inform purchase decisions for parents of infants and young children. The difference between “soft plastic” and “BPA-free, phthalate-free silicone” is the difference between a lost sale and a confident purchase.

BUSINESS VALUE

Why this field matters

Material safety is the top search filter for parents of children under 3 — it drives purchase decisions at every stage
BPA-free, phthalate-free, and non-toxic claims are among the most searched terms in the baby product category
Regulatory compliance documentation (EN 71, ASTM, CPSC) is built on material safety data
Premium and natural product positioning requires structured, credible material safety claims
Returns from parents who discover post-purchase that materials do not meet their standards are avoidable
Retailer and marketplace listings (Amazon, specialist baby retailers) often require structured material safety data

ACF SETUP

How to configure this field in Accentuate Custom Fields

Where	ACF dashboard → Templates tab → Product scope → Add new field
Label	Material Safety
Name / Key	material_safety
Namespace	accentuate (default)
Field type	Shopify >> Single-line text (List)
Multi-value	Yes — multiple material safety attributes apply simultaneously

Note: Each safety attribute should be a separate list entry. This enables precise filtering: “show me all products that are both BPA-free AND phthalate-free”. A single multi-line text value cannot support this filtering logic.

STEP-BY-STEP IN ACF

Open ACF, go to Templates tab and select the Product scope
Click “Add new field”
Label: “Material Safety” — Key auto-fills as “material_safety”
Namespace: leave as “accentuate”
Field type: Shopify >> Single-line text (List)
Enable “Allow multiple selections” — safety attributes stack
Click Done, then Save
Open a baby or children’s product and populate with relevant safety attribute values

Shopify admin (optional pinning): Pin in Shopify admin: Settings → Custom data → Products. Namespace: “accentuate”, Key: “material_safety”, Type: Single-line text (List). Pinning is especially useful here — material safety data should be easy for product managers and buyers to fill in without opening ACF.

Repeatability: Shopify >> List handles multiple safety attributes natively. Do not use a repeatable section for this field — that is for groups of fields, not multiple values of a single attribute.

REFERENCE VALUES

Example values — adapt to your catalog

Value	When to use
BPA-free	No bisphenol A; critical for any product contacting food or mouth
Phthalate-free	No softening plasticizers; required for toys and teethers under EU/US standards
PVC-free	No polyvinyl chloride; often paired with phthalate-free claims
Non-toxic	No toxic compounds under applicable safety standards; broad safety claim
Food-grade materials	Materials certified safe for oral contact; teethers, sensory toys
Water-based paints	No solvent-based finishes; relevant for wooden and fabric toys
FSC-certified wood	Sustainably sourced timber; no harmful wood treatments
OEKO-TEX certified fabric	Tested for harmful substances; for textiles and soft toys
No small parts (under 3)	Passes small parts cylinder test; compliant for children under 36 months
No sharp edges or points	Rounded construction; no burrs or protrusions that could cause injury
Flame retardant-free	No PBDE or halogenated flame retardants; relevant for textiles and foam
Heavy metal-free	No lead, cadmium, or arsenic in surface coatings; EN 71 Part 3 compliance

BEST PRACTICES

Only claim safety attributes that are verified by test reports or certification documentation
Keep values factual, not aspirational — “BPA-free” only if you have documentation to support it
For products targeting children under 3, “No small parts” should be present on every eligible product
Align material safety vocabulary with EN 71, ASTM F963, and CPSC terminology your customers recognise
Update material safety values if a supplier changes the materials or manufacturing process

COMMON MISTAKES
Using marketing language as safety values: “Natural” and “Eco-friendly” are not safety attributes
Copying safety claims from the manufacturer without verifying the supporting documentation
Omitting material safety on fabric and textile products — OEKO-TEX and flame retardant claims matter there too
Not updating values when a product undergoes a material change — this creates legal exposure
Confusing material safety with safety certifications — safety certs belong in a separate field

IN CONTEXT

Organic Cotton Stuffed Rabbit — First Toy
Age range: 0–6 months, 6–12 months
Material safety: OEKO-TEX certified fabric, Non-toxic, Flame retardant-free, No small parts (under 3), No sharp edges or points
Safety certifications: CE, EN 71 Part 1
Washability: Machine washable 40°C
Gender neutrality: Gender neutral

Developer Implementation

Liquid — Storefront Rendering

{% comment %}
  Material Safety — Shopify >> Single-line text (List)
  Namespace: accentuate | Key: material_safety
  Render prominently — safety claims are purchase decision drivers
{% endcomment %}

{% assign mat_safety = product.metafields.accentuate.material_safety.value %}

{% if mat_safety != blank %}
  <div class="safety-attributes">
    {% for attr in mat_safety %}
      <span class="safety-badge">{{ attr }}</span>
    {% endfor %}
  </div>
{% endif %}

Pro tip: Create a “Parent-approved safety” filtered collection using multiple material_safety conditions. Shopify collection conditions support AND logic across metafield values — filter for BPA-free AND phthalate-free AND no small parts to build a curated “safest for babies” range with zero manual effort.