Nuremberg, Germany - Inspectors are to fan out at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in Germany this week to check if toys for tiny tots have parts that can be swallowed, German industrial safety authorities said Tuesday.

The toy trade has been shaken by a series of recalls of toys that breached safety standards for users aged three and less. Young children often suck toys and have been known to swallow magnets that have come unglued from some toys

At the fair, which opens for business Thursday and runs through Tuesday, inspection teams from several German states will hunt for toy phones with ringtones that are too loud for infant ears, bows and arrows that are too powerful and scooters with faulty brakes.

The industrial safety department of the German region of Central Franconia said it was acting on a warning from the European Commission to manufacturers and importers that self-regulation in the industry required "much more effort" by toymakers themselves.

"Inspections at the toy fair, where business orders are placed before the new products arrive in the stores, have proved quite efficient. The defects can usually then be resolved by the manufacturers before the product goes on the market," the department said.

"This not only improves child safety, but also protects manufacturers and importers from financial losses."

The rules are set out in European Union product guidelines. The fair is the world's biggest toy expo. (dpa)