“After all, cheap is expensive, right?”… Alicer found in children’s products containing 348 times more carcinogens

Safety investigation of 22 types of Ali·Temu children’s products

11 products contain 324 to 348 times more harmful and carcinogenic substances

Some products have a lead content that exceeds the standard by 33 times.

Harmful substances amounting to 348 times the standard were detected in children’s products sold on Chinese overseas direct purchase platforms.

On the 25th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced the results of its first safety test for products sold on overseas online platforms. On the 8th, the city announced measures to ensure consumer safety on overseas online platforms and announced that it would select items frequently purchased by domestic consumers every week, conduct safety tests, and disclose the results to citizens.

Ahead of Children’s Day, the Seoul Metropolitan Government conducted a safety survey on 22 types of children’s products sold on Aliexpress and Temu, Chinese overseas direct purchase platforms. As a result, harmful and carcinogenic substances exceeding the standard by 324 to 348 times were detected in 11 products, including △shoe accessories and △sunshades for children’s vehicles.

In 7 out of 16 shoe ornaments used to decorate children’s slippers and sneakers, phthalate plasticizers (DEHP, DBP) were detected in excess of up to 348 times the standard value. In some products, lead content was detected up to 33 times higher than the standard level.

Phthalate-based plasticizers are toxic to reproduction, including causing infertility, and DEHP (diethylhexyl phthalate) is a possible human carcinogen (grade 2B) designated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Lead exposure above safety standards can harm reproductive functions and increase the risk of cancer. Especially during pregnancy, it can affect brain development and cause problems with a child’s learning and behavior.

Phthalate plasticizers were also detected in children’s car sunshades at approximately 324 times the standard level. The lead content in some parts of the product was also found to exceed the standard. Physical tests also showed that the parts broke into pieces even with small force, raising the risk of swallowing or suffocation by infants.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to select items that are expected to be in high demand each month on a monthly basis and finalize the actual inspection items through consultation with three professional testing agencies. Harmfulness tests are conducted on selected subjects every week and the test results are made public. The inspection is conducted by the Korea Construction and Living Environment Testing & Research Institute (KCL), KATRI Testing & Research Institute, and FITI Testing & Research Institute, which are designated as safety certification agencies by the National Agency for Technology and Standards.

Seoul City discloses the safety survey results on the city website and the Seoul E-Commerce Center website. If damage occurs due to an overseas online platform, you can call the Seoul E-Commerce Center or 120 Dasan Call or inquire at the E-Commerce Center website. Kim Gyeong-mi, a fair economy officer at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, “We will actively prevent damage to consumers by thoroughly managing products imported from overseas through continuous safety inspections.”

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