Dive Brief:

• The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has launched an investigation into laminate flooring sold by Lumber Liquidators that allegedly contains unsafe levels of formaldehyde.

• Commission Chairman Elliot Kaye said the probe of the Chinese-made flooring could take months, but he could not predict whether it would result in a recall of the products.

• The laminates' potentially high formaldehyde levels were exposed during a CBS “60 Minutes” segment on March 1. Lumber Liquidators has denied that the glue in its flooring contains high levels of the chemical compound and has said it will cooperate with the investigation.

Dive Insight:

It’s possible the CPSC investigation could lead to revelations about the makeup of laminate flooring sold by other companies. In the meantime, Lumber Liquidators has said it will not stop selling Chinese-made products and has offered to test the indoor air in the homes of consumers who have installed the suspect flooring.

Flooring manufacturers Armstrong, Mohawk, and Shaw have issued statements assuring customers that their laminates do not contain unhealthy levels of the chemical.