Six out of 13 “slime” and putty toys have failed to meet EU safety standards when tested for the presence of a potentially harmful chemical, according to research by a consumer group.
Following an investigation earlier this year that found almost all the slime toys available from Amazon it tested posed a health risk, Which? has turned the spotlight on potentially toxic products sold by some of Britain’s biggest retailers.
Five of the slimes it analysed, including products bought from Hamleys and Smyths Toys Superstores, were over the EU safety limit for the chemical boron. A further product bought from Argos that was classified as putty also failed.
Boron is found in borax, a common ingredient in slime that helps give it its stickiness. But over-exposure can cause skin irritation, diarrhoea, vomiting and cramps in the short term. According to the European commission, very high levels of boron may also impair fertility and could cause harm to children in the womb. The EU safety limit is 300mg/kg for slime and 1,200mg/kg for putty.
Frootiputti, manufactured by Goobands and for sale in Hamleys, was found to have four times the permitted limit. HGL’s Ghostbusters slime, which can be bought in Smyths Toys Superstores, had more than three times the limit. Both manufacturers disagreed with Which?’s categorisation of their products as slime, arguing that their products were actually putty and therefore met the EU standard.
However, Hamleys said as a “precautionary measure” it had removed all Goobands Frootiputti from stores while it investigated.
“Ensuring the safety and trust of our customers is one of our core values as a business and we will never compromise on the safety of our product,” it said in a statement. “We work closely with our suppliers and manufacturers to ensure all products meet the legal standards for toy safety.”
Fun foam, made by Zuru Oosh and sold by Argos, is classified as putty. But with a level of 1,700mg/kg, it still failed the test exercise.
Argos said in a statement: “The safety of the products we sell is extremely important to us. We haven’t received any complaints but we’re in contact with our supplier, while they investigate.”
Nikki Stopford, the director of research and packaging at Which?, said: “Slime will feature in many kids’ letters to Santa this Christmas, however we’ve found more worrying evidence that children could be put at risk by these toys. Parents should have confidence that the products they buy for their children will be safe, but our latest investigation has uncovered harmful products being sold even by big retailers.”
She said Which? was “calling on manufacturers to stop making unsafe products, and for the government and retailers to do a much better job of ensuring only safe products get into homes and into the hands of children”.
