Last month, the magazine on the leather trade said that it had carried out tests on 16 pairs of shoes from some Asian countries, including China and India, and found that the shoes had higher doses of banned chemicals like azo dyes, formaldehyde and pentachlorophenols (PCP) and Chromium (VI) compounds.

Following this, there was a furore in the Indian shoe manufacturing industry, with spokespersons claiming that they were aware of the ban and their shoes did not use any of these chemicals. In fact, with active support from the commerce ministry and the Council of Leather Export (CLE), the manufacturers are now planning to sue the French magazine.

``It was an unfortunate report and the manufacturers' association is planning to go to court against the report,'' says CLE regionaldirector R K Pande. Pande claimed that India has some of the best testing facilities at the Central Leather Research Institute in Chennai, and the Footwear Design and Development Institute in Noida. He says that the Noida facility was set up recently with active collaboration from German counterparts.

However, some top exporters have been unhappy with not only the available testing facilities, but the attitude of the manufacturers as well. With exports of leather goods from India crossing Rs 44,000 million, the leather industry has been keenly watching the European Union, where new, stringent laws on chemical use in leather products are being framed.

One of the top five importers of shoes from Germany, the Gentra group, feels that the testing facilities in India are not on par with the facilities available globally. Says Vinayak Mahtani, marketing in-charge for the Gentra group: ``Whenever I get a pair of shoes tested in an Indian lab, it is given a clearance certificate, but on several occasions, thesame shoe has failed the test in Germany.'' He says that a few of the top shoe importers in Germany are contemplating shifting their business to other Asian countries like Korea, Taiwan and Hongkong. He says there are several other buying houses like his, which face the same problem and have been stuck with consignments being rejected in EU markets.

Echoing his view is Agra-based exporter Sanjay Chawla. ``In the last one year, some of my consignments have failed the tests in Germany, while they have been passed in India,'' he says.

Another exporter and former chairman of the CLE, Prakash Mahtani, also feels that the shoe industry has not organised itself. Most of the efforts to keep out problematic dyes are made by individual manufacturers, he points out.Many manufacturers have now started using only foreign test labs. ``We pay much more abroad, but we prefer it because it ensures that the whole consignment is not banned. In some countries like Germany, we can be jailed for breaking these rules,'' pointsout Mahtani. A test costs Rs 10,000 in Germany, and about half that amount in India.

Quelle, a leading men's fashion catalogue company, also feels that testing abroad is more cost-effective. Says Hans Rentsch, quality control manager, Quelle: ``We do all our tests in Germany, where the facilities are the best in the world.''

The ministry of environment and forests, in a notification in March 1997, had banned the use of azo dyes. Formaldehyde and PCP were banned much before that and Chromium (VI) followed later. Azo dyes are nitrogen-based synthetic dyes, which are cancer-inducing and allergenic. Formaldehyde makes leather crease-resistant, smooth and prevents shrinkage. However, it is also a significant allergy causing agent and carcinogenic to boot. PCPs are used to prevent mould spots, but can damage the lungs, liver and kidneys; Chromium (VI) compounds are used for tanning and cause skin and mucous membrane irritations.

The CLE is, however, confident that this problem does not exist. Pande says shoeexports from India have not dropped; they have actually increased. ``This year, we are expecting a 40 per cent rise in shoe exports,'' he says. However, he admits that the leather garment industry has been hit because of unusually warm weather in countries like Germany, which are usually the biggest buyers.

``Last week, we had a trade meet in Germany at which we clarified our position and assured buyers that our goods were safe. Following this, we have had orders from some of the biggest German buyers,'' he says. With the commerce ministry and the CLE strongly behind them, shoe manufacturers have to get together to fight off the negative publicity.