The European toy industry lobby claims that toys purchased on Chinese e-commerce platform Temu do not meet European safety standards and pose “a real risk” to children.
• Also read: Breathing problems and nausea: “Easy-Bake” oven sends family to hospital
• Also read: California now requires gender-neutral toy shelves
• Also read: Should you be wary of the Temu eCommerce app?
Toy Industries of Europe (TIE) “purchased 19 toys from the online marketplace Temu and then discovered that none of them complied with European Union regulations,” the company said in a statement from the European association on Tuesday, emphasizing: “This means that they should not be offered for sale in the EU”.
Of those 19 toys purchased, 18, or 95%, “posed a real threat to children's safety,” TIE adds, charging that they “can cause cuts, airway obstructions, choking, strangulation, perforations and chemicals.” . Driven.
She uses the example of a “rainbow rattle” for babies, noting that it poses “several risks, including sharp edges on the metal bells that could cut, small parts that could cause choking, and rigid protuberances that could cause airway obstructions being able to lead.” .
“The EU has the strictest toy safety regulations in the world, yet online platforms continue to allow the sale of toys by non-EU sellers that pose a risk to children,” complains the president of the French Federation of the Toy and Childcare Industry (FJP) . the joint press release with TIE.
Temu confirmed to AFP that he had “launched an internal investigation” after receiving the TIE investigation. The Chinese company says that 12 products “have already been withdrawn during the year.” [leurs] routine checks” and that she then “quickly removed” the rest.
“Product safety is a major concern for us and we have increased monitoring of this product category and associated requirements,” Temu said in a press release, saying it conducts “random checks” when merchants send their products to Temu connected warehouses.
While FJP and TIE applaud “fostering responsiveness,” they emphasize that “for every dangerous toy identified on the platform, there are countless others that remain unidentified.”
The problem does not only affect Temu, but also extends to other marketplaces outside the EU, according to the associations.
“The problem lies with third-party sellers who are active on online marketplaces and cannot be held responsible for the safety of the toy. The EU legal framework does not cover this situation,” they explain.
FJP and TIE are therefore calling on “legislators and authorities to take tough action” and see the ongoing revision of the Toys Directive as an “opportunity to close the current legal vacuum” for sellers based outside the EU.