CARMARTHENSHIRE County Council’s Trading Standards team is urging residents to be cautious when purchasing popular squishy or squeezy toys following the discovery of unsafe imitation products being sold in the county.
The warning follows last year’s influx of counterfeit Labubu dolls and now centres on a growing number of fake stress ball-style toys, including imitation versions of well-known brands such as NeeDoh. Many of these products breach both product safety and trademark laws.
Trading Standards officers have removed a number of squeezy dumpling toys – often sold in plastic steamer baskets – from shops across Carmarthenshire. Testing of similar products by local authorities across Wales and the UK has revealed serious safety concerns.
The investigations identified a number of hazards, including:
- Hazardous chemicals : some products contained excessive levels of toxic chemicals, including benzene, which can cause skin, eye and respiratory irritation.
- Missing safety information: many toys lacked legally required safety warnings, age restrictions, UK importer details and mandatory UKCA or CE conformity markings.
- Strong chemical odours : non-compliant products often give off a strong synthetic or petrol-like smell, which may indicate the presence of harmful substances.
- Burn and explosion risks: a worrying social media trend has encouraged children to heat these toys in microwaves. Several incidents have resulted in children suffering serious burns after the toys burst, releasing boiling, glue-like gel that sticks to the skin.
Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for Trading Standards, Cllr Aled Vaughan Owen, said: “Parents and carers should take extra care when buying toys, particularly those that are currently popular on social media or being sold at unusually low prices.
“Counterfeit toys may look convincing but can pose serious risks to children’s health and safety. We encourage anyone who has purchased one of these products to carry out a few simple checks and stop using it immediately if they have any concerns.”
Trading Standards is advising consumers to:
- Check that toys display the required UKCA or CE marking, together with the manufacturer’s or UK importer’s name and address.
- Stop using the toy immediately if it is leaking, has a strong chemical smell, is poorly made or is missing safety information.
- Never place these toys in a microwave or allow children to put them in their mouths.
Further information on the hazards and current product recalls is available through the GOV.UK Product Recall: Squeezy Dumplings Alert.
Anyone with concerns about these products can contact Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
Businesses requiring advice should contact Carmarthenshire County Council Trading Standards on 01267 234567.
