Popular squishy toys urgently recalled over 'serious' toxic chemical risk
Jen Thomas
Featured Image Credit: Glasgow City Council
Customers have been warned after a range of popular squishy toys have been urgently recalled due to 'serious' toxic health risks.
The Squishy Dumplings, which are manufactured in China, very quickly became a viral sensation after hitting the market.
Many family influencers have been posting videos of them on TikTok with their children opening the blind boxes, in search of ultra-rare shiny versions.
They soon became hugely popular, leading to knock-off counterfeit versions flooding the market, and parents have now been issued an urgent recall.
Some of the fake dumplings have been found to present a ‘serious chemical risk’ and increased risk of developing cancer.
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The smiling dumplings are sold by Samsons Cash and Carry in Cardiff, and were recently discovered to have an excess concentration of benzene in their outer layer. The legal limit for benzene in the UK is 5mg per kilogram, while these squishy toys were found to contain 20mg per kilogram.
Benzene is a colourless, highly volatile liquid with a unique sweet smell.
The chemical is used in plastics, foams, dyes, detergents, solvents, and also some insecticides, and can pose serious health issues in concentrated amounts.
If breathed in, benzene can result in irritation to the eyes, nose and throat. It can also cause a burning feeling throughout the digestive tract, as well as skin irritation.
But this alone isn't the only risk.
One trend saw fans putting the adorable dumplings in microwaves to warm them up in an attempt to make them softer.
However, it went horribly wrong for one 10-year-old girl, Bella, who could be left with permanent scars after her dumpling burst, resulting in the hot liquid inside splashing her face.
Benzene is also linked to acute myeloid leukaemia/acute non-lymphocytic leukaemia and potentially other cancers.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified benzene as carcinogenic to humans (group 1).
Glasgow City Council Trading Standards officers seized more than 5,900 counterfeit squishies from a warehouse in the Tradeston area of the city on Thursday June 4.
Laura Doherty, a councillor and city convener for Neighbourhood Services and Assets, said: “The items which have been recovered pose serious dangers to anyone using or playing with them.
“I would urge people when considering buying these popular toys to check that you are purchasing from a retailer you can trust and to check labels thoroughly.”
Customers are urged to look for a UKCA/CE marking, age restrictions, safety warnings and instructions and manufacturer details.
It said that if any of these are not on the packaging, the squishie is likely to be counterfeit and not safe.
Other warning signs include an 'extremely low price, a strong or unusual smell, no “do not eat” warnings for items that look like food and the item being sold without any packaging', they warned.
According to the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS): “The product presents a serious chemical risk because the outer layer contains an excess concentration of benzene (20mg/kg).
The product has now been recalled by Samsons Cash and Carry Ltd, and customers are being urged to keep it out of reach of their kids.
Following the recall, the OPSS has asked anyone who suspects they purchased one of these items to contact Samsons Cash and Carry Ltd directly to get more information.