70 per cent of Shein and Temu products violate safety standards, investigation finds
Nearly seven out of 10 products purchased by consumer association Testachats from Shein and Temu violate European safety regulations. Testachats carried out an investigation into the Chinese webshops with its German and Danish counterparts.
A total of 162 items were scrutinised, divided into three categories: toys for young children, USB chargers and necklaces. The products, all sold by third parties on the platforms, were subjected to mechanical, electrical, chemical and labelling checks. 112 of them had at least one non-compliance and so cannot legally be sold in Europe.
All the toys bought on Shein and 26 of the 27 bought from Temu had one or more defects, including dangerous shapes, toxic substances or small detachable parts that could cause choking. Approximately 60 per cent of the toys presented risks classified as medium to high.
Toxic content
USB chargers fared little better: 52 out of 54 failed at least one test, with some reaching temperatures of over 100°C when overloaded. Only one charger per platform passed the tests without any issues.
Necklaces were less problematic, but several contained very high levels of cadmium, a toxic and carcinogenic metal. One had a concentration 8,500 times higher than the permitted limit.
“Buying from Temu or Shein is a bit like playing Russian roulette,” said Julie Frère, spokesperson for Testachats, calling on consumers to be vigilant. “Some products may be fine, but others pose serious safety risks.”
On Wednesday, federal Environment minister Jean-Luc Crucke launched a campaign to prevent consumers buying products containing toxic substances, after customs officials found alarming levels of heavy metals in counterfeit jewellery.
© PHOTO ROBIN UTRECHT / ABACAPRESS.COM
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