The holiday season is upon us and that means new toys under the tree. The joyous Christmas wonder in a child's eye as he or she unwraps a coveted gift, however, can soon turn harmful—even deadly—if toy safety concerns aren't taken into consideration. Unless you've got a shrink labeled product from a reputable American manufacturer in your hands, what you get may not be what you hoped for.

Shrink wrap labels can ensure that a package's content originates from its designated source. That's good news given that “three times as many foreign-made products than American-made products were recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in 2008,” according to the Web site BuyDirectUSA.com. What's more, toys manufactured in China led to a widespread lead-contaminant scare in 2007.

But what further complicates the toy safety situation is the very packaging that aims at securing the gift's contents can quickly become an injury trap in and of itself. Indeed, HealthDay reports, “There's one other hazard parents should keep in mind: the packaging the toys come in. They should move quickly on Christmas morning to clean up all the mounds of debris left in the wake of gift-giving.

‘The adult really needs to take away those packaging materials,' [the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesperson] Fleming says, noting such choking hazards as twist-ties, shrink wrap and small plastic anchors. ‘We don't want any of the packaging to turn into a deadly plaything, so the adult really needs to clean all of that up.'”

This year, thankfully, one of the top online retailers is cutting back on the packaging parents and children will need to open to get their hands on the goodies inside. “The Seattle-based company plans to start shipping items in plain brown cardboard boxes, instead of putting a pre-boxed or plastically sealed item inside another box.”

Children's toys will now be shipped from this particular Internet retailer's warehouses “in a plain brown box with cardboard padding and a plastic bag holding the toy people and whatnot.” A shrink label adhered to the outside of the brown paper box or a hermetically sealed shrink bag inside can verify the safety and security of the contents.

It is anticipated that other retailers and manufacturers will soon follow suit in this environmentally friendly packaging cutback. As they do so, they will turn to the latest shrink label technology.

Showpack® flat bottom bags, for instance, offer the latest technology in pre-made, side gusseted, true flat bottom shrink label bags. Their unique format is sure to differentiate a retailer's product and, unlike the current brown bag approach, generate attention at the point of purchase.

With their wide seals and a stable base, Showpack® bags look great displayed standing up on the shelf, and with registered print on all five panels, they provide excellent graphics when displayed lying down as well. Hermetic shrink seals eliminate infestation issues and extend shelf life.

Compared to other packaging formats, like multi-wall paper bags, Showpack® bags' plastic construction is sturdy. The bags are also available with value-added features like press-to-close reclose, slider reclose and carrying handles. These additional shrink label measures further ensure the safety integrity of the contents.