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Safety warning for fidget toy advent calendar

Posted on : 08 Dec 2021

High level of chemicals found in fidget toy advent calendar.

Trading Standards officers are advising anyone who has bought the calendar not to give it to children and to return it the retailer immediately.

Testing of the toys inside the advent calendar showed excessive amounts of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a chemical used during the manufacturing process to soften plastic. This can harm the health of children, causing possible damage to their reproductive system.

The product also failed to identify the manufacturer or importers’ details, and it does not meet the requirements of the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011, which are in place to ensure only safe toys are available to purchase within the UK.

Councillor Nigel George, Cabinet Member for Waste, Public Protection & Street Scene said: “This is of course a prime time for buying and selling toys, so it is more important than ever that we stay vigilant about toy safety.
“If you think you may have purchased one of these advent calendars, the advice is to not open it or let children play with the toys inside and return the calendar to the retailer where you bought it. You are entitled to a full refund.”

All toys sold by retailers in the UK must be safe and importers must test the toys to make sure they meet safety requirements before selling them.

If you are buying a toy, you should check products are CE or UKCA marked and have an address of the UK importer or manufacturer. The UK address holder has legal responsibility for the safety of the product.

If you have any concerns about toy safety, you can contact Caerphilly Trading Standards at tradingstandards@caerphilly.gov.uk.

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