Carcinogens detected in Children’s Products, Shopping Apps under Investigation
6. June 2024South Korea is scrutinizing certain online shopping platforms after discovering carcinogenic substances in some children’s products, raising concerns about the safety of these goods. The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that its recent inspection of 31 best-selling children’s items and daily necessities on various platforms found that eight contained hazardous substances that were well above the allowable levels. Products such as swimming floats, baby walkers and teethers were among the items that posed significant health risks. In particular, leather bags for children contained phthalates, with the values exceeding the limit by more than 50 times. Products and components relevant to toys and other children’s products typically require KC Safety Certification to be approved for import and use in the Korean market.
One of the phthalates, DEHP, is classified as carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). These plasticizers can cause infertility, according to the IARC. Additional risks have been identified with other products, such as swimming floats that are thinner than the minimum requirements of the Korean government, and teethers with design flaws that can lead to choking.
A government official said Seoul will regularly inspect the shopping platforms to assess product safety and consumer protection measures. In addition, a consumer reporting centre will be set up to deal with complaints about counterfeit or dangerous products, and to punish serious violations or report them to the police.
Feel free to contact us any time if you need assistance or have any questions regarding Korean certifications like KC, KC EMC, KCs, KCs for explosion safety products or KGS factory registration.
Tel. Europe: +49-69-271 37 69 261
Tel. US: +1 773 654-2673
Email: info@korea-certification.com
For more information you can download our free brochure “Korea Certification Made Easy – The Booklet“.
