Trading Standards is recommending that children’s plastic beach shoes are tested nationally after some products on sale in Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay were found to contain banned levels of chemicals and had to be removed from sale.
Clothing retailers and importers are being urged to consider and review how and where they source their stock.
It follows Heart of the South West Trading Standards (HotSW TS) conducting a market surveillance operation on a number of importers and retailers across the Service Area.
Officers purchased 15 pairs of beach shoes – all of which included ‘glossy’ plastic such as jelly shoes – with varying price points from a range of outlets and tested them for the presence of phthalates.
Phthalates are plastic-softening chemicals that are used to make plastic more durable but their use in many products is strictly controlled.
6 of the 15 samples were found to contain phthalates in excess of the permitted levels and these findings were shared with the Office of Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) alongside a recommendation that further market surveillance is carried out in this product sector nationally.
Ben Newell, Business and Commercial Team Manager at HotSW TS said:
We urge businesses to think carefully about the supply chains they are using to source their products, and if buying from overseas sellers they should be checking for product safety testing information and ensure they have contact details that can be used to trace the products back to the manufacturer in the event of a problem.
If you are a retailer you can find guidance on the Product safety page of the HotSW TS website.
Contact details can also be found on the website.
